The Organized Fridge

I apologize for being pokey in posting last week's results (still having a small tech issue with the spread sheet). I had a really fun Friday and Saturday, attending "Be Healthy Utah" at the Sandy Expo center. It was 2 days full of health focused classes along with milling around among countless healthy vendors. It was so much fun. I'll be sharing a bit of what I learned over our next few weeks together but for this week we are going go focus on having a healthy refrigerator.

While we would all like to have an instagram worthy look to our refrigerator what really matters is having fresh and healthy food clean, prepared and easy to grab and making sure nothing gets overlooked and spoils.

How Often to Organize Your Refrigerator 

You should declutter your fridge on a weekly basis—if you do your main grocery shopping once a week then right before that trip is a good time to clean, purge and make room.  This is the time to throw away those things that are part their prime and make plans to use up those getting near that point.  Wipe up spills at this point too. 

The Best Way To Organize Your Fridge 

1.      Edit and Sort Your Food 

   • Take everything out of your fridge and toss any withered produce, leftovers more than 3-4 days old, and expired condiments or dairy products. I don't know about you but I wish it weren't so hard to find the expiration date on condiments.  Periodically go through and check every one. 
   • Deep Clean Your Fridge 
   • To start with a clean slate in your fridge, wash shelves and bins in dish detergent and hot water, and consider a rinse with water and a capful of bleach. Wipe dry with a microfiber cloth. 
2. Organize by Zones 
3. • Put items you reach for most often (or want to reach for more often) within easy reach and at eye level. Have healthier snacks prepared and ready to go and placed front and center so you and your family are more likely to reach for them. Right after unloading her groceries Suzy Robertson (of learntocookhealthy.com) prepares small containers with a variety of cut fruits and veggies and hummus or dip that can easily be grabbed as family members head out the door. She is just a normal mom and realizes real life happens so they often snack on fresh fruits and veggies on the way to a lesson, sporting event or even to dinner at McDonald's. 
   • You might want to group items in the fridge as well- all beverages together, all condiments together, or all the fixings for your go-to breakfast in one easy-to-reach spot, basket or container. 

4. Place Your Shelves 

   • No you don't have to use the shelves configured as the manufacturer pre-set them. You may even decide to remove some of the shelves if you find yourself with a large number of tall items or stacking storage bins that need to be stored.

5. Find the Right Organizing Products and prep right after your get home from the grocery store

• Use clear fridge organization containers to help you easily see last night's leftovers or the pre-prepped ingredients for tonight's dinner. I prefer clear glass. 
• The class I attended taught by Suzy Robertson recommended Progressive International Prepworks ProKeeper Clear Food Storage Container 3 Piece Set with Sealed Tight Lids and Drip Case Base (from Amazon) especially for storing berries. 
• Suzy recommends soaking berries and grapes in a solution of 2 T. apple cider vinegar and 8 cups of warm water (she re-used this same solution with more than one batch of fruit) for 5-10 minutes before putting in containers to refrigerate. She says this will keep your fruit fresh for 1-3 weeks.
  
  
  She also suggested pre-slicing apples to invite family members to grab and munch on them and pre-soaking them to prevent browning (the ratio is 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt to 1 cup of warm water-you can eat with salt rinse on them or rinse right before eating). She even peels her cuties (she has children help with this) and has them peeled in a clear glass container ready to take snack on or grab and go. 
  
  
  I would love it if all of our refrigerators looked like Suzys: sparkling clean, featuring fresh ingredients, with healthy snacks up front, totally prepared and ready to grab. 
  
  
  So our challenge to earn the 35 bonus points for this week is to completely clean out your fridge:
  1. Empty out all contents.
  2. Wash and dry all shelves and drawers.
  3. Check the dates on all condiments and toss and replace what is out of date.
  4. Organize items in a way that works best for you and consider if you need new baskets, containers or food storage dishes. 
  5. Prepare some on the go snacks of fruits, veggies, hummus, dip etc. Have them completely clean and ready and easy to grab. 

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