Here’s How Long Your Leftovers Really Last

At any given moment, we've probably got a couple of different kinds of takeout in the fridge. But once we've had that late-night pizza or half-eaten container of pad Thai for a couple of days, we're never quite sure how long it will actually stay good. To get some answers, we reached out to food safety expert Marianne Gravely at the USDA. She helped us out with spoilage ranges for some of our favorite Seamless orders and also offered some general advice — namely trust yourself. There are two things that keep us from eating food after it's been in the fridge for days: actual spoilage, or no longer being appealing because it's been sitting around for too long. With whatever leftovers you've got on-hand, watch out for mold, smells, and slimy textures. Plus, if something gets soggy, absorbs too much moisture, or a sauce starts to separate, you probably want to pass on seconds of that, too. Cooked food typically lasts three to four days in the fridge, but that can vary when seafood is involved. Anything raw or at-risk of not keeping well in a cold environment (like a sandwich that can get soggy, or sushi) typically has a shorter lifespan. For a complete guide, check out our cheat sheet below. But remember: Regardless of how many days it's been, if something looks or smells bad, don't eat it!