Never forget about food in the back of your fridge again!
When’s the last time you cleaned out your refrigerator? If you’re anything like us, it’s been a minute. Today, we’re sharing some tips for organizing the part of your kitchen that typically gets left out of cleaning duties.
Why does it matter if the refrigerator is clean and organized? Aside from making it easier to find all your healthiest food, it will also limit throwing away old, spoiled foods, which decreases waste. Storing foods in proper locations also helps prevent bacteria from spreading to other foods. Speaking of storage, click here to read more about where to store certain fruits and vegetables.
Now that we’ve covered where to store certain foods, let’s get even more organized with some other useful tips and tricks.
01 Rotation of foods: First in, first out. Move foods that are older to the front so you know what you need to use before it goes bad. Consider having an area specifically for foods that need to be used soon. Top tip: knowing what foods need to be used first will also help when planning menus for the week.
02 Storage containers, bins, and baskets: Try using clear storage containers so it’s easy to see what you have. If you want to go above and beyond, you can use a mini “lazy Susan” to help find food even faster.
03 Label: Clearly label foods with the date and what’s inside, especially if it’s leftovers. That will help you decide if food should be thrown away. Top tip: Regularly check for expired items to make room for yummy leftovers or new grocery store finds.
04Snacks: Have a specific area for snacks that are easy to grab and ready to eat on the go. (For example, pre-sliced veggies or yogurt)
05 Cleaning ideas: Try lining shelves with easy to clean mats, or place a paper towel in the bottom of crisper/produce drawers to collect little pieces of vegetables so that cleaning is easier. Simply replace it with a new paper towel whenever you put away new groceries. For really messy foods that can leak or drip, you could use plastic wrap that is easy to peel off and throw away.
These suggestions can also be used for the freezer!
- Have a specific area to group food in the freezer. For example, organize food by store-bought frozen meals, desserts, leftovers, frozen meats
- Use clear containers when possible so you can see what’s inside
- Date and label leftovers (oldest in the front, new in the back)
- Freeze things flat if possible so they are easier to stack and take up less space (freezer bags)
