How Long Will Your Produce Last?
A meal plan user emailed:
"How long does food last before it goes bad? When I was preparing the meal plan, I realized I was cooking cereals and vegetables that I would only eat 6-7 days later and I got a little concerned about it."
How long something lasts depends on a number of factors, mainly, how it is stored (air-tight) and if your fridge is at the right temperature. If plant-based foods are stored properly, you should be fine for the week (this is typically not the case for animal foods, however).
If you're batch cooking grains (say, more than you plan to eat that week), you probably want to freeze extras. Rice can be particularly tricky, so I tend to freeze 1 cup (already cooked) portions, then microwave when I need it to go with my meal. (Video on happyherbivore.com and blog post with more details about cooking rice and other grains ahead).
When plant foods go bad, you generally know it from the smell ;) and they usually taste unpleasant long before they are a serious health hazard. I generally toss anything after 6-7 days, and do cook all my meals for the week ahead on Sundays. A lot of stuff can be frozen, too, like soups if you want to be extra careful.