If an item is unopened and has been well stored in the right and stable temperature, it is likely to last beyond both the best before and use by dates. Both are designed to be very safe, which means there is a little room to move. 'Best before' v 'use by': Best before is an indication of when a food is at it's best, while a use by date is an indication of how long produce will last if it is treated in a specific way. So, if you've served dinner and there are leftovers, get them straight in the fridge if you want to use them for lunch. Bacteria grows fastest at room temperature - and cold does not kill it, it just slows it down. If it's a roast or a bake or anything that sat out for a while before it was refrigerated or packed, then it's likely to have a shorter storage life. They have already been heavily processed and exposed to a lot of different factors, which means they'll have a higher chance of growing bacteria. But once they have been opened (unsealed) they shouldn't be kept for more than four days and again, the less they are touched the better. You also need to make sure it is cooled quickly and refrigerated, not left to cool on the bench.ĭeli meats are another regular go-to for prepped lunches.
If you have broken it up, that's ok, but the more you touch it, the more chance there is for bacteria to grow. Certainly do not keep them to the end of the week.īBQ chicken is an affordable family favourite and lots of people use them for lunches, but again, they need to be used within three-four days and handled as little as possible.
Any of these items that are out of the fridge for more than two hours should be discarded, as bacteria will grow at various rates.
Meal prep is a great way to stick to a budget. Chicken, eggs and deli meats all grow bacteria rapidly once they are out of the fridge, while the many surfaces of rice mean that there are more surfaces for bacteria to grown on.
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