{"id":62745,"date":"2025-08-06T14:05:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T14:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/62745\/"},"modified":"2025-08-06T14:05:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T14:05:17","slug":"the-popular-pantry-staple-you-should-get-rid-of-asap-according-to-a-culinary-nutritionist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/62745\/","title":{"rendered":"The Popular Pantry Staple You Should Get Rid Of ASAP, According to a Culinary Nutritionist"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Popular Pantry Staple You Should Get Rid Of ASAP, According to a Culinary Nutritionist<\/a> originally appeared on Parade<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are some pantry staples<\/a> that can last months\u2014maybe even years\u2014and still seem okay to eat. Pasta, rice, crackers, trail mix<\/a>\u2026None of them show any real signs that they\u2019re going bad. And especially if you store them in your own containers, there\u2019s no expiration date to go off of.<\/p>\n

Unlike foods kept in the fridge, it can be tricky to know when it\u2019s time to toss pantry foods. They often don\u2019t start to smell, wilt or drastically change color the way produce, milk and even your dinner leftovers<\/a> do. There\u2019s one pantry item in particular that a culinary nutritionist says many people use way, way past its prime.<\/p>\n

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The Pantry Staple You Should Toss<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a very good chance that inside your pantry are spices or herbs that you\u2019ve had for years. If so, you\u2019re long overdue to get rid of them and stock up on new ones. \u201cWhile conventional wisdom says dried herbs last one to three years, I’ve learned through years of cooking\u2014and through what my gourmet chef mother taught me\u2014that for truly vibrant flavor, you want to replace them every six months maximum,\u201d says Jenny Eden Berk, MSEd<\/a>, a culinary nutritionist and eating psychology coach.<\/p>\n

Related: The One Thing to Do Every Single Day If You Want to Lower LDL Cholesterol, According to Cardiologists<\/a><\/p>\n

Spices don\u2019t spoil<\/a> (which means it doesn\u2019t cause physical harm if you eat years-old ones), but their potency does wane over time, which means you\u2019ll miss out on their many health benefits.<\/p>\n

For example, all herbs and spices contain antioxidants<\/a>, which help prevent inflammation and support heart health. Various herbs and spices have their own unique health benefits too. For example, Berk says that one of her favorite herbs is cumin<\/a>, known to help regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels. She also likes cardamom<\/a>, both for its warming taste and health benefits, which include supporting digestion, maintaining a healthy weight and lowering blood pressure. Berk says that some other herbs with a particularly high nutrient density include parsley, oregano, rosemary and basil.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFresh herbs are always your best bet [for nutritional benefits and taste] when possible,\u201d Berk says. \u201cFor spices, the game-changer is grinding your own. Whole spices can maintain their potency for up to four years, while pre-ground versions lose their magic much faster,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

Related: Cardiologists Are Begging You To Add These 3 Budget-Friendly Foods to Your Grocery List for Better Circulation<\/a><\/p>\n

What Happens If You Eat Old Spices?<\/p>\n

It bears repeating that consuming old spices won\u2019t make you sick. But it will cause you to miss out on their health benefits. \u201cThe good news is that old herbs and spices are not dangerous to consume, just disappointing from a flavor perspective,\u201d Berk says. She explains that from a nutritional standpoint, fresh herbs pack the most benefits, and while dried herbs do retain health properties, their potency diminishes over time. \u201cWhole spices hold onto their nutritional value for three to four years while ground spices hold their nutritional value for two to three years,\u201d Berk says.<\/p>\n

Related: Here\u2019s What Happens to Your Blood Sugar When You Eat Pasta Cold<\/a><\/p>\n

How can you tell if your spices have lost their potency? Berk says to examine the color and aroma. If the color has faded and the aroma has diminished, it isn\u2019t as potent as it once was. \u201cThe easiest way to tell if your spices have lost their edge is to trust your nose. If the aroma is weak, the flavor will be too,\u201d Berk says.<\/p>\n

To make your herbs and spices last as long as possible, Berk says to keep them in airtight containers and store them in a cool, dry place. While many people freeze food to make them last longer, Berk doesn\u2019t recommend doing this with spices and herbs. This can cause spices and herbs to lose their flavor and potency and can also cause clumping.<\/p>\n

Instead of being disappointed to learn how quickly you should replace your spices, think of it as a challenge to use them more frequently in your cooking. Not only will your food be more flavorful, you\u2019ll be making your meals more nutrient-rich, too.<\/p>\n

Up Next: <\/p>\n

Related: This Is the Best Daily Habit To Strengthen Your Heart, According to Cardiologists<\/a><\/p>\n

Sources<\/p>\n

The Popular Pantry Staple You Should Get Rid Of ASAP, According to a Culinary Nutritionist<\/a> first appeared on Parade on Aug 4, 2025<\/p>\n

This story was originally reported by Parade<\/a> on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Popular Pantry Staple You Should Get Rid Of ASAP, According to a Culinary Nutritionist originally appeared on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":62746,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[46570,97,46569,46568,269,46571],"class_list":{"0":"post-62745","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-dried-herbs","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-herbs-and-spices","11":"tag-jenny-eden-berk","12":"tag-nutrition","13":"tag-potency"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62745"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62745\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}