Foods You Can Eat Safely Even Though They’re Expired

Expired food in the pantry? Not a problem. At least not for some foods. I was usually a stickler about throwing away expired food items... but since marriage and kids came along - it's important for me to find every tip and trick to save a dime.

According to Huffpost, these are the safest foods you can still consume after the expiration date. A good tip for all: smell it. If it smells bad, don't eat it.

1. Eggs. Usually only good a few days after expiration, but the smell test is essential with this one, along with milk.

2. Bread. If stored in the fridge, you can eat bread up to two weeks past its expiration date.

3. White Rice. If stored properly, save that stuff for the apocalypse. White rice, stored at a constant 70° F, will store well for up to 10 years. In cooler storage areas rice sealed in oxygen-free containers can be stored for up to 30 years. 30 YEARS!

4. Dry Pasta. Keep it in your pantry up to 2 years after the expiration date.

5. Canned Foods. Same as the pasta, keep it up to 2 years after.

6. Flour & Sugar. Most of the time, using expired flour won't make you sick. Go ahead and wait a few months after the expiration date with no qualms about it.

7. Peanut Butter. According to the Food Network, both smooth and crunchy peanut butter will keep for one year past its expiration date when stored in the pantry unopened. Once it's been opened, both are good for three to four months in the pantry or 6-8 months in the refrigerator past that date.

8. Cereal. Eat it up 6 months past its expiration date, no problem.

9. Bottled Sauces. Condiments have a long shelf life. Unopened? You can enjoy up to 1-3 years after its "expired".

10. Cake Mix. If you happened to stock up on packaged cake mix during a sale and haven’t used it all before the date on the box, don’t throw it away. You can still safely use the mix for 4-5 months beyond the expiry date.

And remember again that you should always check the smell and appearance of the food before preparing to stay safe.

If you don’t want to rush to cook your food before the best-before date, try popping your food in the freezer. Technically, any food that’s been frozen (before the expiration date) is good to eat well after the best-before date.