Everyone asks: how can you meal prep without food going bad? Does meal prep even work? How can you eat soggy food? Won’t it go off? As well as many other questions related to storing and reheating food.

This is why we have created this ultimate meal prep storage guide to go through the pros and cons of meal prepping for the week ahead.

To reassure you, the majority of the meal prep recipes are fine to refrigerate for up to 3-4 days or you can freeze for the months ahead.

It’s mostly down to ensuring your ingredients are fresh and storing food in quality airtight containers. There are other factors too such as the type of recipe and how you plan to reheat it.

This guide is focused on the safe storage and reheating of food as it pertains to meal prep and batch cooking. There are often misunderstandings and questions regarding the safety of these practices, and we aim to provide clarity and guidance.

Part one of the guide covers the proper storage of food, while part two addresses the correct methods for reheating. It is essential to follow these methods to prevent contamination and handle high-risk foods properly.

Please note that if you are creating your own meal prep plans or following specific recipes, you may need to manually determine the use by and best-before dates of the various ingredients you are using. It is crucial to pay attention to these dates to ensure the safe handling and consumption of your food.

How Long Food Lasts In A Fridge and Freezer

Here is a list of over 100 foods that you can store in the fridge and freezer, and the number of days it lasts. Main source: foodsafety.gov.

Food	Days (Fridge)	Months (Freezer)
Apples	3 weeks	6 months
Apricots	2 to 3 days	3 to 6 months
Asparagus	3 to 4 days	6 to 8 months
Avocados	3 to 4 days	3 months
Bacon, Uncooked	7 days	6 to 8 months
Bagels	1 to 2 weeks	6 months
Barbecue Sauce	4 months	3 months
Beef Roast Uncooked	3 to 5 days	6 to 8 months
Beets	7 to 10 days	6 to 8 months
Bell Peppers	4 to 5 days	12 months
Berries	4 to 5 days	6 months
Bread	1 to 2 weeks	4 to 6 months
Broccoli	3 to 5 days	12 months
Broth	1 to 2 days	3 months
Brussels Sprouts	3 to 5 days	12 months
Butter	1 to 3 months	4 months
Buttermilk	1 to 2 weeks	3 months
Cabbage	1 to 2 weeks	9 months
Cake	1 week	3 months
Cheesecake	1 week	2 months
Carrots	3 weeks	12 months
Cauliflower	3 to 5 days	8 months
Celery	1 to 2 weeks	12 to 16 months
Chicken, Cooked	3 to 4 days	4 months
Chicken, Uncooked	1 to 2 days	12 months
Chocolate Syrup	6 months	6 months
Cilantro	7 days	6 months
Cookies	2 months	1 month
Corn	1 to 2 days	12 months
Cottage Cheese	1 week	6 months
Cream Cheese	2 weeks	2 months
Cucumbers	4 to 5 days	6 months
Egg Salad	3 to 5 days	1 month
Eggplant	3 to 4 days	12 months
Eggs, Hard Boiled	1 week	6 months
Eggs, Raw	3 to 5 weeks	12 months
Fish, Cooked	3 to 4 days	3 months
Fish, Uncooked	1 to 2 days	3 to 8 month
Frosting, Canned	1 week	3 months
Garlic	1 to 2 weeks	6 months
Gingerroot	1 to 2 weeks	4 months
Grapes	1 week	12 months
Green Beans	3 to 4 days	12 months
Green Onions	1 to 2 weeks	4 months
Ground Beef, Cooked	3 to 4 days	3 months
Ground Beef, Uncooked	1 to 2 days	4 months
Half-and-Half	3 to 4 days	3 months
Hard Cheese (cheddar), Opened	3 to 4 weeks	9 months
Hot Dogs, Opened	1 week	2 months
Hot Dogs, Unopened	2 weeks	2 months
Jams	6 months	6 months
Jellies	6 months	6 months
Ketchup	6 months	Indefinitely
Leftovers	3 to 4 days	3 to 4 months
Lettuce	3 to 4 days	6 months
Lunch Meat, Opened	3 to 5 days	2 months
Lunch Meat, Unopened	2 weeks	2 months
Maple Syrup	12 months	Indefinitely
Margarine	6 months	12 months
Mayo	2 months	3 months
Melons	3 to 4 days	6 months
Milk	1 week	6 months
Muffins	1 week	3 months
Mushrooms	2 to 3 days	12 months
Mustard	12 months	12 months
Okra	2 to 3 days	6 months
Olives	2 weeks	6 months
Onion	2 months	6 months
Orange Juice, Opened	7 to 10 days	8 to 12 months
Parsley	7 days	12 months
Peaches	3 to 4 days	6 to 8 months
Pickles	1 to 2 weeks	6 months
Pie	3 to 4 days	6 months
Pork Roast, Chops or Ribs, Uncooked	3 to 5 days	4 to 6 months
Processed Cheese Slices	1 to 2 months	3 months
Radishes	10 to 14 days	3 months
Ribs Uncooked	3 to 5 days	4 to 6 months
Rolls	1 week	3 months
Rutabagas	2 weeks	10 months
Salad Dressing	3 months	6 months
Salsa	1 month	4 months
Sausage, Uncooked	1 to 2 days	2 months
Shredded Cheese	1 month	3 months
Shrimp, Cooked	3 to 4 days	3 months
Shrimp, Uncooked	1 to 2 days	7 months
Soft Cheese (brie)	1 week	6 months
Soup or Stew	3 to 4 days	3 months
Sour Cream	1 to 3 weeks	2 months
Soy Milk	1 week	3 months
Spaghetti Sauce	4 days	6 months
Spinach	1 to 2 days	1 month
Steaks Uncooked	3 to 5 days	6 months
Tofu	1 week	3 months
Tomatoes	2 to 3 days	12 months
Tortillas	4 to 7 days	2 months
Turnips	2 weeks	6 months
Whipped Cream	1 day	3 months
Whipped Topping	1 to 2 weeks	3 months
Whipping Cream	1 month	4 months
Yogurt	1 to 2 weeks	2 months
Zucchini	4 to 5 days	3 months

How To Store Food For Meal Prep

Here are tips on how to keep food fresh for meal prep and how to keep it stored safely.

Two-Hour Rule

How long should you wait for your food to cool down and store in your fridge or freezer?

If you are cooking a make-ahead meal or have leftovers, you should follow the 2-hour / 4-hour rule, where you allow it to cool down as quickly as possible, and within two hours.

By digging a little deeper, this makes sense once you understand the temperature zones:

• When we cook our food (in the hot food zone – 60°C to 100°C), bacteria are destroyed.
• Bacteria can start to grow in the danger zone (at room temperature – between 5°C to 60°C) and we need to store it in the safe zone once it has cooled down.

This is where the two-hour rule comes into play because it allows food to cool down in a safe zone before you either store the food in your fridge (the cold zone) or freezer (frozen food zone).

While bacteria will not grow in the safe zone, they will not be destroyed either, hence the importance of the two-hour rule.

However, what if after two hours, your meal still feels warm? You should still follow the two-hour rule even if your food is warm or lukewarm.

To reassure you, if you have been told “storing warm food in the fridge is dangerous”, this isn’t exactly true, and it’s safe to keep it stored in the fridge.

Just ensure you leave enough room in your fridge, and it will be fine to store, and even after two hours of letting your food stand, it will not be piping hot to dramatically change the temperature in your fridge and freezer.

It is good to get into this habit of following the two-hour rule, especially with meal preparation because it is easy to lose track of time with the number of recipes you are simultaneously cooking and allowing to stand.

It is simply an efficient way of managing your time and getting into a good habit.

Fridge Temperature

It is advised that you set your fridge at 4°C / 40°F as this temperature is ideal to stop or prevent the growth of bacteria.

This also helps preserve food for a longer time and will keep it fresh for days.

This is the whole point of meal prep because the objective is to cook make-ahead meals which you can reheat during the week ahead and will still taste fresh.

Depending on the type of meals you want to cook, storing them in the fridge can still taste fresh taste and most cooked meals will be fine to reheat after 3-4 days.

Of course, there are particular ingredients that will not keep as well, but recipes on this website are tried-and-tested.

This is why plenty of our readers meal prep every week because they trust these methods, and it helps automate their meal plan from Monday to Thursday, giving them the flexibility for Friday and the weekend to test and cook fresh recipes.

However, what if you only want to cook once a week, or even once a month?

In this case, your best alternative will be freezing your food which can help take your meal prep to the next level.

Freezer Temperature

The best temperature for the freezer is -18°C / 0°F, and it is important to know how to store food correctly in the freezer.

This includes the foods you should and should not freeze.

Generally speaking, storing your meals in the freezer is ideal for increased longevity which is popular with once-a-month batch cooking.

This takes meal prep to another level because rather than cooking make-ahead meals for the week, you are doing it for the month, which ultimately helps you free up your time and save tons of money.

But, is frozen food bad for you? In short, the answer is no, and it can be a smart way to diversify your make-ahead meals.

While some foods will freeze much better than others, with little change in the texture, taste, and nutrient content, other foods are negatively impacted and should not be frozen.

However, freezing your food will not reduce nutrients, and in fact, it will preserve them which you can imagine is great for meats and vegetables.

One of the main advantages of freezing food is that you can dramatically prevent food wastage by storing leftovers in your freezer and maximizing the use of your ingredients that are due to go out of date.

In the UK, it is reported that households waste 4.5m tonnes of food each year, but imagine how much they can be saved by freezing food.

Even when you meal prep for Monday to Thursday, you can have the flexibility to freeze meals in case you decide to change your plans.

When you buy frozen foods from supermarkets, the instructions will be easy to follow on the packaging, but doing it yourself requires you to dig a little deeper, which is why this infographic is so great.

Although you can freeze your food a long time, and at times, longer than the packaging suggests, the quality will begin to deteriorate the longer you keep it stored.

Yes, it will always stay frozen but once defrosted, you will know when it is bad.

So, how do you freeze your food properly?

Again, you should follow the two-hour rule which ensures your food is cooked and safe to freeze.

If you carry on reading, you can learn how meal prep containers help with proper storage.

What about freezer burn?

When food is not stored correctly or has been frozen for too long, you might experience freezer burn, which is when food loses its moisture due to air exposure.

It is still safe to eat, but the quality of the food will be diminished.

If you see parts of your food victim to freezer burn, cut off the affected areas and cook the rest.

This is partly why keeping it stored in an airtight container, such as meal prep container and freezer plastic bags is very handy.

Storing Dry Food Products

It is likely you will have a large number of dry food products and ingredients in your pantry such as pasta, rice, lentils, chickpeas, beans, flour, chia seeds, etc.

They are sold in plastic or paper packaging, however, once they are open, it is essential to use an airtight food storage container which is generally highly beneficial.

One of the main reasons is that dried foods are susceptible to insect contamination and moisture reabsorption, which can be prevented with proper storage.

Also, airtight food containers are a way to keep your ingredients fresh for longer because it keeps air and moisture out of the food, which is a way to reduce food wastage.

It is also a neat way to organize your pantry and keep the space around it clean.

However, if you can, choose a glass food storage container which may seem expensive at first sight, but this is the ultimate long-term winner in terms of quality material that is free of odors and is more durable.

Use By And Best Before Dates

When you purchase a food product and read the label, there are two types of information that will advise you about the expiration date; they are use by and best before dates.

Food producers and manufacturers are legally obliged to include their use by and best before labels on their products, and it is also tested in various ways to help them determine these dates.

The use by date is more strict and is directly informing you that this product must be consumed within the given date, and is most commonly associated with meat products, dairy, and generally fresh food.

This is because it is all about safety and the use-by date can include the number of days you need to consume the food product after opening.

Therefore, you are advised to follow these rules accordingly to the labeling and it is deemed unsafe if you ignore these instructions.

However, by following the label instructions accordingly, you can freeze the product before the use by date and save it for a later date, rather than throwing away the food.

Best before dates are more about the quality rather than the safety, which is why people are more relaxed and can get away with exceeding the BBE date.

These types of foods include frozen foods, dried foods, and tinned foods which you buy from the supermarket.

This also includes eggs which are important to know because you do not need to throw away an egg because the label says so.

Instead, do this:

1. Fill up a bowl with water and add your eggs
2. If it floats it is bad, while if it sinks it is good.

You do not need to go to this extreme but you can be relaxed with the best before dates.

How Long Does Meal Prep Last

Most meal prep recipes will last 3-4 days in the fridge, but you can freeze the meals for months ahead which ultimately varies depending on the ingredients and recipe.

This is why most of our meal prep readers prefer to remain flexible and prepare their make-ahead meals twice a week.

For meal prep, food labeling works differently because you are cooking make-ahead meals, and it can be confusing at first to record your own use by date.

It is the same as guessing how long it is safe to eat leftovers.

Firstly, you need to determine whether you are going to store your meals in the fridge or freezer.

Labeling is essential if you are going to freeze your own cooked meals which can depend on the frequency of meals, and date range, and not to mention, it can be easy to lose track of the dates.

Nevertheless, you need to write down the date when the meal was cooked and follow the information, from the manufacturer’s label, of the food products you have used.

For example, if you are cooking chicken breasts for your meal prep, then it is essential to know the use by date recorded on the packaging.

The good news is that most meal prep recipes are safe to eat within 3-4 days, if stored in the refrigerator, and up to many months in the freezer.

Below is a handy guide to determine your own use by dates for your meal prep.

Meal Prep Storage Containers

Air-tight storage containers are essential if you’re planning to meal prep on a regular basis because they will keep the food fresh and can help you master portion control.

Plastic meal prep containers are cheaper and come in larger quantities, but they have their limitations.

Glass meal prep containers, on the other hand, are more expensive and come in less quantity but are far more superior.

It’s fine to use both because they are designed to keep food fresh and tightly sealed in an air-tight container.

Guide To Reheating Food

Microwave

Microwaving food is one of the most common methods to reheat food for your meal prep, but is it bad for your health?

The answer is a no and if you are worried about the radiation or ruined nutrients, you might have been reading false or misleading information.

Of course, nutrients can go bad in certain types of ingredients, but it’s mainly because foods cooked at high temperatures for extended periods of time will ruin the nutrients.

In other words, it can already be a bad dish before you reheat it in the microwave.

Although microwaving is not exactly a good cooking method, especially compared to grilling or baking, however in terms of meal prep and reheating food, using the microwave helps you enjoy a tasty lunch at work and reheating leftovers to save time in the evenings.

It is safe to use and will not ruin your food but do not reheat it in a plastic container.

Meal prep plastic containers are good for storage and portability but always transfer food into a microwavable plate.

It’s very important to point out that you should totally avoid using plastic containers which are not BPA-free.

BPA stands for Bisphenol A, and this is a chemical used to make certain plastics, such as polycarbonate plastics which are commonly used in food containers.

The problem is that this chemical can seep into your food which contains health effects, particularly for pregnant women and infants.

Should you trust the newer plastic models which are labeled BPA-free? Research has found that chemicals that almost all leached chemicals that imitate estrogen.

If you do have a plastic meal prep container and plan to use the microwave to reheat your food, place it on a plate and reheat instead, which is also good for evenly reheating food.

Otherwise, reheating your food in a glass meal prep container is completely fine.

Defrosting Food

Always plan ahead if you are going to thaw your food because it should be done in preparation rather than last minute.

For best results, you should thaw in the refrigerator from the beginning of the day or the night before, because this will keep it safe in terms of the temperature and will defrost slowly.

The other great alternative is cold water thawing because it works faster but only if you are at home during the day to keep an eye on the food.

The cold water needs to refill every 30 minutes because it must stay cold and you should never use hot water.

Have you ever allowed it to thaw outside the fridge and on your countertop? This is dangerous because temperatures could end up reaching the danger zone to allow bacteria to grow again.

How about defrosting your food in the microwave? Does it have a function for it?

Although you technically can defrost food in the microwave, it is not always a great idea to defrost meat this way, and you should follow the manufacturing instructions carefully.

Reheating Food Guide (Inforgraphic)

Learn How To Meal Prep

If you had concerns about meal prep before reading this post, we hope all this information helps, and that you can begin your meal prep journey today.

We post recipes that are designed to help keep your diet on autopilot and help give you fresh ideas for your next work lunch or dinner.

Most recipes we post are designed to be balanced (in terms of macronutrients), and although we do not follow a specific diet, there is enough variety to filter low-carb recipes or vegetarian recipes.

If you are new to meal prep, our advice is to focus on your own goal, pick recipes for the week ahead, write a shopping list of the ingredients you need, buy some meal prep containers and start cooking.

What Can You Reheat

We have a dedicated page on the foods and drinks you can and cannot reheat. Here are some of the popular guides.

• Lentils
• Chicken
• Eggs
• Jambalaya
• Coffee
• Chickpeas
• Spaghetti Squash
• Meatballs
• Popcorn
• Oatmeal