Eating fresh means knowing when to dump old food too

Heart-healthy approaches to eating usually emphasize eating a lot of fresh, rather than processed, foods. That means your refrigerator should be stocked with fresh produce, fresh fish and fresh chicken, depending on your tastes.

But how long can you keep those before they start to spoil, even in the refrigerator?

WebMD has a handy illustrated guide, although the first thing that struck me about it is that we shouldn’t be eating many fo the items covered here — like deli meats, Mayonnaise, butter, most high-fat ground beef and cheese.

Getting past those, you will find some tips on foods you should eat, such as fresh produce — “Common sense is the rule here. Sometimes you can cut away bruised or faded bits of fruits and vegetables. But if it looks — or smells — too far gone, it probably is. Wash all your produce right before you eat it, and if you dry it, make sure to use a clean towel. Store it in the fridge, especially if it’s prepackaged. Toss any that comes into contact with juices from raw meat, poultry, or seafood.”

Also, advice on fish — “Keep it on ice in the fridge…Filets should smell fresh and mild and have no darkness or drying at the edges. Toss fish that looks lifeless, feels mushy, or smells. Wrap any you don’t cook within 2 days in plastic or foil and freeze it.”

Check the WebMD post for more, there are 17 slides there, chances are you’ll find some other foods you regularly store.