You actually had time to cook last night?! Good for you! And now you even have leftovers? Amazing! That calls for a guilt free leftover night in your family’s near future!

Leftovers are a great way to re-purpose and avoid wasted food, but you need to properly store all the extras with a specific amount of care to avoid possible food contamination and food borne illnesses.

A few tips about leftovers:

Always make sure that food is prepared to the proper temperature the first time around Avoid leaving food in the ‘danger zone’ as indicated above to avoid bacteria growth

Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold- don’t leave food out for an extended period of time, and toss any uneaten food in the fridge right away

Label and date everything! Foods only last a few days, so avoid any confusion.

And don’t forget, some things are even better the second time around, so enjoy!