When you start doing meal-planning, especially the kind where you cook in bulk, you wonder “is this chicken really going to be safe to eat in 4 days?” These kinds of questions are answered in the USDA’s FoodKeeper app. Available on both iOS and Android, it has a impressive database of foods recommendations on how long they’re good for based on if they’re raw or cooked, or different storage methods. For some foods, it gives recommendations on how to store them or what temperature they need to be cooked to. Unlike most apps, FoodKeeper started in 1985 as a pamphlet and has been updated and added to since then, it’s goal being to promote food safety and decrease food waste.
Features:
- Gives you a range of days for how long food is good for depending on how you store it
- Cooking tips for meat and seafood
- Links with your calendar so that you can set reminders to alert yourself that food will be spoiling soon
- ‘Ask Karen’ feature- the USDA’s 24/7 virtual representative. Provides detailed information about food safety and storage.
Good for you if:
- You ever feel unsure if your leftovers are still good
- You want to know how long leftovers will last if you’re cooking food in bulk
- You always find yourself throwing away spoiled food because you forgot about it
- You are concerned with foodborne illnesses or undercooking meats and seafood
While Strongr Fastr gives you weekly meal plans, it leaves it open for you to decide if you want to cook in bulk or just one meal at a time. FoodKeeper can help inform those decisions and because it’s coming from such a reputable source, we recommend it if you’re looking for more guidance on food storage.