As far as frozen dinners, vegetables, anything prepackaged goes, there should be an expiration date on either end of the bag close to where it's sealed. Even prepackaged meats, fish, etc. have an expiration date on the package. If you can’t seem to find a date then I would say no more than six months depending on the product. Now if you are buying fresh and then freezing, the shelf life is different. For best results it really is better to vacuum pack your foods – it could extend the shelf life as much as two years for some of your meats (especially if you like to buy in bulk). For a general list of food product shelf life click here and as you navigate your way on the page, at the bottom are hyperlinks to tables of refrigeration and frozen food storage timelines...I hope this information helps!