How to Get More Out of Your Kitchen Stash and Minimize Your Trash

Under our current system, it’s hard to know what the date stamped on a food container is intended to mean. In some cases, the dates aren’t even meant to communicate with consumers. Sell by dates, for instance, are intended for grocers to use in managing their inventory. True, some foods have short shelf lives, but many others have surprising staying power.

Shelf-stable foods—food that can be safely stored at room temperature—can last for a long time. In fact, according to the USDA, most shelf-stable foods can last indefinitely with proper storage. Frozen foods kept at zero degrees Fahrenheit are also safe indefinitely, although the taste, quality, and nutritional value will decline over time. Storage charts, like the one from FoodSafety.gov, provide guidelines on how long to store food in the fridge and freezer.

Food is a living thing, and from the moment of harvest, it begins to decompose. But just because your bread is drying up or your bananas are going brown, it doesn’t mean they’re spoiled. (Mold, of course, is a different story. And toss anything sticky, smelly, or slimy.)

While some signs of food damage are red flags—such as an open scratch on a pear where bacteria could potentially grow—many flaws are harmless. Others just require a little bit of kitchen savvy to get past. Whip brown bananas into smoothies, for example, or turn stale bread into toast. Soak tired veggies in ice water. Sauté your wilting greens. Cook too-soft tomatoes into soup. There are plenty of ways to salvage foods that are slightly past their prime. And if all really is lost? Compost.

• Place produce in sealed packaging and refrigerate it. (There are some exceptions, like bananas, potatoes, and onions, for example, which are best kept at just below room temperature).
• Keep your refrigerator at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Reserve the coldest part of your fridge (usually the bottom) for fish, poultry, prepared foods, and other items that are highly perishable. Place items like drinks, snacks, and condiments on an upper shelf or in a door compartment.
• If cans are dented, bulging, or misshapen, throw them out (bacteria inside can cause the contents to swell).
• Store nonperishable pantry items in a cool, dry place—i.e., not in a cabinet above your stove or in direct sunlight.
• Don’t leave perishable foods out (placing milk on a countertop for one to two hours can rob it of a full three hours of refrigerator shelf life).
• Need more specifics? Check out Save the Food’s storage guide for a comprehensive list of tips. 

The 2025 reintroduction of the Food Date Labeling Act is still in the early stages of the legislative process. While previous attempts to pass the bill have failed, Andrea Collins, NRDC’s senior specialist for sustainable food systems, believes it has a better shot this time. “The bill has bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate for the first time,” says Collins. “And it has a lot more support from industry representatives, like the Consumer Brands Association.” 

As we wait on Congress to possibly move the Food Date Labeling Act forward, take some time to familiarize yourself with some of the most commonly used date labels: 

• Best if used by/before or Enjoy by: This is when the product will have the best flavor or quality, not the last day it is safe to eat.
• Use by or Freeze by: This is typically used on products that are highly perishable, like meat or dairy products. The date indicates when the product will be at the highest quality—after that, you should use caution before consuming.
• Sell by: This is used by stores to determine how long to display the product on shelves. You can continue to consume this product by or after this date, if stored properly.