text: I started with bucket food, canned meat and veggies, beans and rice. I got into dehydrating and canning from there. The dates on the cans are pretty much for marketing purposes. They want you buying less, and coming back more often. It's pretty easy to make your own, which can be a little easier on some budgets. I still sample some deer meat I dehydrated almost 5 years ago. It's still good, and will be for years.