HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR FRIDGE TO MAKE HEALTHY EATING EASIER

Imagine you want to snack on a juicy slice of fruit. You opened the fridge and peered in, but alas! All you can see are processed and junk foods. You tried to rummage through the jam-packed shelves but to no avail. You then ended up grabbing the nearest eatable, a bar of chocolate.  

Having a cluttered fridge is one of the reasons why it is hard for some people to eat healthily.

“If the fruit is in the back of the fridge behind all the meat and you cannot see it or access it, you are not going to eat it,” according to Heather Bauer, founder of the weight loss program The Food Fix.

This is also the reason why a lot of fruits and vegetables usually go uneaten and are thrown away. With this, money and the intention to eat healthy go down the drain.

ORGANIZED FRIDGE EQUALS HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

If you organize your fridge, it will make it easy for your kids to snack on healthy food. This means that organizing your refrigerator can not only save you money but also affect your health.

According to Gilat Tunit, founder of Project Neat, it is easy to establish an organization system in the fridge. 

You just have to invest in a few products that will maximize space and make your fridge more efficient. The goal here is to contain items, categorize, and organize them.  

So what should you do to have a well-organized fridge filled with healthy foods? Read on to know Bauer’s six steps to organize the fridge and make it more efficient and easier to stock up on healthy ingredients, therefore, making it easier for your kids to eat healthily 

1. Clear out your fridge.

Take out the food items that are expired, has been lingering around for a long time, and those that you are not eating anymore.  Clear out everything and wipe the shelves and floors.

2. Evaluate your space.

Measure the length, width, and height of the inside of your refrigerator. This way, when you buy bins and containers to store food later, you will have the correct size.  

3. Categorize your food.

Assign the food in your refrigerator into categories such as dairy (milk, butter, yogurt, cheese, etc.), protein (eggs, mongo beans, tofu, seafood), vegetables, fruits, and meats(pork, beef, fish).

4. Stock up on staples.

Now that you have taken all the food out of your fridge, don’t let any unhealthy food enter it. Bauer suggested that the fridge should always be stocked with staple foods such as eggs, chicken, fruits and vegetables, greens, milk, condiments (mustard, hot sauce, salad dressings, marinade) and other foods that the family always consume.

Bauer also recommends having the following on hand: fish, chicken, fruits and veggies, and organic frozen meals on hand.

5. Bin it up.

According to Bauer, this step is the key to easily organize your fridge. She recommends buying clear bins that can store your newly sorted food. If you organize your food into a clear and easy-to-reach set-up, you will have an easy time assessing your inventory and planning your meal. 

Going the extra mile will be well worth the investment.

6. Label.

Label your bins clearly using a non-toxic marker.  

“It’s a clear way to store food and you know what goes where,” Bauer explained.

According to Bauer, if you know what’s exactly is inside each bin, where everything is, grocery shopping and mealtimes will become more efficient, with less uneaten food and unpleasant smells. 

A well-organized, color-coordinated, and wholesome refrigerator is not just a sight to behold but is also a time and money saver. It will also promote a more healthy lifestyle.

“The more visually pretty your fridge is, the more inspired you’ll be, and your kids will be, if you have kids, to eat healthily,” said Bauer, a registered dietitian nutritionist in New York. 

“If you have the peppers cut up pretty in a nice, ready-to-grab container, you’re going to eat that.”