How long does meal prep last?
USDA entries, with each preparation kept separate.
A fridge window is not a safety test.
Cooked leftovers are generally 3–4 days refrigerated under USDA guidance. Raw foods, opened packages and particular prepared foods have their own entries below. Freezer windows concern quality at 0°F / −18°C.
| Food | Refrigerator | Freezer quality | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spice/spices | No official duration listed | No official duration listed | 3–4 years (from purchase); 3–4 years (after opening) |
| spinach | 3–7 days (from purchase) | Not Recommended (general guidance) | No official duration listed |
| Squash | 4–5 days (from purchase) | 10–12 months (from purchase) | 1–5 days (from purchase) |
| Squid | 1–3 days (from purchase) | 6–18 months (from purchase) | No official duration listed |
| Star fruit | 1–2 weeks (from purchase) | 10–12 months (general guidance) | 1 weeks (general guidance) |
| Strawberries | 2–3 days (from purchase) | 8–12 months (general guidance) | No official duration listed |
| strawberry | 2–3 days (from purchase) | 8–12 months (general guidance) | No official duration listed |
| String Cheese | 5 months (from purchase) | No official duration listed | No official duration listed |
| Stuffed, raw chicken breasts | 1–2 days (general guidance) | 9 months (general guidance) | No official duration listed |
| Stuffed, raw pork chops | 1–2 days (from purchase) | 9 months (from purchase) | No official duration listed |
| Sugar substitutes | No official duration listed | No official duration listed | 2 years (from purchase); Indefinitely (after opening) |
| Sun dried tomatoes | 3–6 months (after opening) | No official duration listed | 1 years (from purchase); 3–6 months (after opening) |
| sunflower | No official duration listed | No official duration listed | 12 months (general guidance) |
| Sunflower oil | No official duration listed | No official duration listed | 1 years (from purchase) |
| Sunflower seeds | No official duration listed | No official duration listed | 12 months (general guidance) |
| Surimi seafood | Package use-by date (general guidance) | 9 months (from purchase) | No official duration listed |
| sweet potato | No official duration listed | No official duration listed | 2–3 weeks (from purchase) |
| Swiss chard | 1–2 weeks (from purchase) | No official duration listed | No official duration listed |
| Syrup | 6 months (after opening) | No official duration listed | 1 years (from purchase) |
| Tahini | 3 weeks (after opening) | No official duration listed | 1 years (from purchase) |
| Tamarind | 6 months (from purchase) | 1 years (general guidance) | 1–3 weeks (from purchase) |
| Tamarind paste | 2–3 months (after opening) | No official duration listed | 6–12 months (from purchase); 6 months (after opening) |
| Tapenade | 9 months (from purchase) | No official duration listed | 9 months (from purchase) |
| Tapiocas | No official duration listed | No official duration listed | 12 months (from purchase); 12 months (after opening) |
| Taro | 2–3 days (from purchase) | No official duration listed | 7 days (from purchase) |
| Tea | No official duration listed | No official duration listed | 18–36 months (from purchase); 6–12 months (after opening) |
| Teff | No official duration listed | 8 months (general guidance) | 4 months (general guidance) |
| Tempeh | 3–4 days (general guidance) | 6 months (from purchase) | No official duration listed |
| Textured soy protein | No official duration listed | No official duration listed | 2 years (from purchase); 3–4 months (after opening) |
| Thai red curry paste | 5 days (after opening) | No official duration listed | 2 years (from purchase) |
| Thyme | 2–3 weeks (general guidance) | No official duration listed | 1–2 weeks (general guidance) |
| Toaster pastries | No official duration listed | No official duration listed | 6–12 months (from purchase); 1–2 weeks (after opening) |
| Tofu | 1 weeks (from purchase) | 5 months (from purchase) | No official duration listed |
| tomato | No official duration listed | 2 months (from purchase) | When Ripe (general guidance) |
| Tomato paste | 5 days (after opening) | 2–3 months (general guidance) | 27 months (from purchase) |
| Tomato sauce | 3–5 days (after opening) | No official duration listed | Package use-by date (general guidance) |
| Tomatoes | No official duration listed | 2 months (from purchase) | When Ripe (general guidance) |
| Tortillas | 3 months (after opening) | 6 months (from purchase) | 3 months (from purchase) |
| Tuna | 3–4 days (after opening) | No official duration listed | 18 months (from purchase) |
| Turducken | Not Recommended (general guidance) | 9 months (from purchase) | No official duration listed |
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Choose targets, equipment and exclusions. Get combined groceries, portion counts and a storage plan.
Build a meal prep planCommon questions
Can I use these pages without building a plan?
Yes. Recipe, storage and budget pages are separate references. The planner is optional.
Do the costs include buying full packages?
No. They estimate edible quantities used. Whole packages, local prices, tax and pantry restocking can change the checkout total.
Are the food-storage ranges guarantees?
No. They assume safe handling and correct temperatures. Their expiry, smell or appearance cannot prove an individual food is safe.
How do I find a specific meal or ingredient?
Use the site search for a name or food, or open a meal filter. Source IDs and exact preparations are shown on the relevant page.
Check the sources
- USDA FoodData Central (opens in a new tab)
- USDA FoodKeeper (opens in a new tab)
- USDA August 2026 budget PDF (opens in a new tab)
Retrieved September 30, 2026. Read the calculation method and source dates.