help with food expiration

[n2dzny]

I bought groceries last Sunday (one week ago) and didn't eat all of the lunch meat & salad that I take for work. I was thinking that I could take the remaining for this week. Is that a good idea? The meat was sliced from the deli & the "sale by" date was the date I purchased it. The salad is spinich lettuce & I mixed it with fresh mushrooms & chicken pieces (the kind that is sold for salads). Anyway, I was wondering if I need to go replinish my supply (Sun night ritual) or if the left over salad & lunch meat would be good. (The salad is @ work in the fridge, the lunch meat here smells good, but I dont always trust that). TIA

 

[chris31997]

I would think it would be okay. Usually, when I get deli meat it lasts about 2 weeks either I throw it out or it is eaten. Everything else should be fine.

 

[Madison'smommy]

I am funny about that kind of stuff and would never eat it after a week. I would eat the lettuce if it looked ok and did not have the chicken in it, otherwise, no way! But, it could just be me. I buy small amounts of deli meat when I buy it... if its not eaten in about 2, maybe 3 days, I get rid of it.

 

[Halbleib1]

It is fine to eat. We eat deli meat after a week all the time and it has always been fine. As for the salad as long as the lettuce is looking good it is fine to eat.

 

[n2dzny]

Thanks!! I kinda thought it would be ok, but I wasn't sure if someone knew something I didn't.

It saves me so much $$ when I have my food already. I am trying so hard to pay off little debts before I get married (Nov 12th) & every little bit helps

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

When I buy lunchmeat from the deli counter, the bags they use say to use within 3 days and while that's probably conservative, a week would be pushing it for me and I'd probably throw it out.

 

[KBW]

For the lunch meat, I would say a week is OK, but I wouldn't go past that. Going forward, what about taking half of the lunch meat out when you buy it and freezing it? My mom does that...and it defrosts pretty quickly

For the salad, I always go by how it looks. Mixed greens look terrible even before the expiration date, but green leaf or romaine leaves usually are fine well past it...

 

[Swimalie]

This is a great site to know what to keep and what to toss. Personally, a week is way too long for fresh lunch meat. I wouldn't eat it.

http://www.stilltasty.com/

 

[MissUndastood]

. Personally, a week is way too long for fresh lunch meat. I wouldn't eat it.

Just couldn't do it. I go to the deli ounter 2x a week for the kids lunches.

 

[4forWDW]

I've invested in some Glass-Lock containers and they have really helped me with saving by not tossing out so much food. One of my co-workers loves them and has gotten me hooked on them also. Just make sure you are buying the Glass-Lock brand. I find mine at Marshall's. I buy turkey from the deli. When I get home I transfer it from the ziplock pouch into a glass-lock and it stays fresh for at least 2 weeks. I also use them for storing bacon after I have opened the package. You will be amazed at how fresh your food stays when no air is getting to it.
Amy

 

[Metsfan520]

I would throw out the deli meat, but that's just me. I don't take a chance with anything that could make me sick. The salad might not make you sick, but it might not be very fresh. That would depend on how it looked & smelled.

And like others have said, if you think you won't be eating all of the deli meat, freeze it.

 

[girli565]

We eat deli meat past a week in my house all the time. As long as it's not slimy or smells off it's fine. We keep it in the fridge and it stays cold so I don't see why it would be bad.

 

[dizkids]

No way sorry i would definitely say TOSS IT.

 

[heatherleigh]

I would not eat it. I am one of those people who toss food out that is one day past expiration, even though it smells okay. I will eat food on the expiration date, but that's really pushing it for me.

 

[cheap traveler]

The salad, if it looked ok, I would eat it. As for the lunch meat, that can really make you sick, so there is no way I would eat it. I shop every Sunday, and by Friday I already won't touch it. Cheese I'll let go for 2 weeks, but not meat

I am another one who tosses everything on the expiration date. With milk, I won't touch it after the sell-by date! I figure the few cents it saves me will probably be eaten up in time lost from work when I have to stay home sick (or with my kids sick- really not worth it!)

 

[ilovemk76]

I would not eat lunchmeat that was a week old and I would not eat a salad that has a week old chicken in it.

 

[VAfamily1998]

When I buy lunchmeat from the deli counter, the bags they use say to use within 3 days and while that's probably conservative, a week would be pushing it for me and I'd probably throw it out.

Same here. I used to work in a grocery store service deli when I was in college, so it's kind of ingrained in me not to let deli meat go more than 3-4 days.
I bought some roast beef on Thursday (5/12) and just today realized we hadn't used it all...I felt kind of "iffy" about giving it to my kids today for lunch, but eventually did. If it was tommorrow, I would have just thrown it out.

 

[Minnesota!]

we use the meat until it's gone - a day, a week, a few weeks. No matter. Been doing it for 33 years and haven't gotten sick

I buy a pound of hard salami once a month at the grocery store - lasts us almost the whole month.

Turkey and ham last about 2 weeks at our place.

 

[squirrel]

Our milk up here has expiration dates. I have had it well past the date-as long as it isn't skim milk it last longer than the expiration date.

I once had a 2% carton that I bought last year for the daycare when I went on holidays to WDW and the sub never gave it to the kids. I eventually decided to try the milk before dumping it. It tasted fine but it was about 2 weeks past the expiration date before I decided to try it. Never got sick.

Now I look at the supermarket for the discounted milk (ones that will expire soon) as long as it's not a huge amount and the price is decent, I buy. I figure it won't start going bad until it's opened and then I try to drink it within a few days.

I don't buy deli meat. If I liked it as long as it smells fine and isn't slimy then I would eat it.

Salad (green, not pasta or potato) I eat past the date if it looks fine. I just finished up some coleslaw that expired the day I opened it. It took me about 6 days to eat the bag.

 

[Poohforyou]

I'm feeling a little queasy just reading some of these replies. I don't keep lunch meat more than 3-4 days. I rarely have to throw any away though since I only buy enough to last that long. I pass 2 grocery stores on the way home from work so stopping for another 1/4 lb of turkey isn't a big deal. I think salami will last much longer than a few days because it's an aged product.