Community Chat

[Shorty2U]

I believe there have been threads on outdated packaged foods before but Im wondering about leftovers.

How long do you keep leftovers before using them OR tossing them?

The reason I ask, we usually eat leftovers and do not toss a lot of food. BUT my husband is always taking 1 to 2 week old leftovers to work if he finds them in the fridge.

He never gets sick (not that I wish him too) but I throw out most left overs in 5 days if I notice it. (I cant bend to look way in the back of the fridge so sometimes some pass me by and yep he finds them).

Well today is an example of something he found that I missed, and he took 2 week old spaghetti and meatballs to work to eat for lunch. AND hes taking the rest tomorrow. (Its odd that we have spaghetti left because its our favorite but we did this time).

When he does take something that is a week or more old to work I cringe! lol.

I used to work in the food industry and I tell him we were told 3 to 5 days is IT for leftovers (depending what it is), but he does this all the time and he is fine. (Maybe he has a stomach made of steel? lol).

[tansy]

That is exactly how my husband will die if I pass away first:/ I try to clean out leftovers around day 3 or 4 but I have to do it when he's not watching.

[circles]

I give the leftovers two or three days.....but I am fairly fussy so probably could hold them a couple more days...but don't....

Your husbands two week old spaghetti...would never be in my lunch...home or at work..I hope he never gets ill...especially in the summer months when stuff doesn't hold up as long....even in the fridge...

[ROMARY]

Spaghetti will turn rancid left that long in fridge, along with the tomato sauce. I know from experience years ago when I was a child, and it was only a few days old. Not in our house. Meatballs, probably even worse, IMO. If we don't eat the leftovers on the second day, and they are a substantial quantity, I freeze them.

[GCR18]

If I know it's not going to be eaten tomorrow, I freeze it. So it's usually one day.

[VanSleepy]

I won't eat (or expect them to eat!) anything after a week. My #1 son doesn't care how old it is...he was really poor in college lol

[sunshine45]

around one week

[mewsmomtoo]

Hi Shorty, 5 days is about my max too, don't know why, it just is

[seattlegirl98026]

Optimally, 3-5 days, and anything older than a week gets tossed. I also do a sniff test and if it smells "off" it gets tossed.

[Lakk]

How long can you leave leftovers in the fridge? - Food and ...