organizing your fridge

[Tiggeroo]

I've started getting serious about eating healthy. But i've found that the mess that is my fridge works against me. I always throw out lost fruits and veggies after they are liquid. Leftovers never get used unless I freeze them right away.
I have an old school fridge, so no fancy drawers and things. Any tips for organizing things so I eat the fruits and veggies, etc.

 

[Chicago526]

I find if I put the fruits and veggies in the veggie bin, I forget they are there and they just rot without being used. Try moving them to the top shelf so you can see them. I also buy a lot of frozen veggies rather than fresh, they taste just as good and they just stay frozen until I'm ready to eat them. I get bags of the store brand mixed frozen veggies, I think I pay $1 a bag on sale and I get 4 servings out of each bag. Less prep work, too. I just dump what I need in a small serving dish and nuke until hot. No cleaning, cutting, scrapeing or peeling needed!

Also, try to buy smaller quantities of fresh food when possible, no use in stocking up if it all goes bad before you can eat it!

When I make a big batch of something, I just freeze half of it right away. With what's left, I usually have enough left over for one meal, which usually gets eaten the next day. Then next time instead of having to cook again I can just talk out the part I froze and defrost it. Great for nights when I don't have time or just don't feel like cooking.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

We also eat frozen veggies. We do buy fresh, but only if we are going to use it that day or the next (or else we forget about it).

We clean our fridge each week. I go through and throw things away. If I see that something is about to go bad, I tell DH to use it (he cooks). I find that if I don;t do this, I forget what I have, overbuy and then things go bad. Things always get lost in the back of the fridge, so if I go through it, this doesn't happen.

 

[momrek06]

I've started getting serious about eating healthy..

I don't have any refridge cleaning/organizing tips...but would just like to applaud you for getting serious about eating ESPECIALLY this time of year...heck between Thanksgiving, tons of XMAS parties, Xmas dinner and New Years Eve...it can just be so hard to stay on track with healthy eating.

Good Luck, Tiggeroo!!!

 

[PaulaSue]

Oh, where is Binny? I bet she has a lot of tips.

 

[Lisa L from MI]

I thoroughly clean out the fridge every week (night before garbage day)....throw out anything bad and clean the shelves etc. This week though, I cleaned out the freezer......

I think an organized fridge/freezer is the way to go....

 

[DVCLiz]

I'm thinking about Weight Watchers again, soon. I certainly need it!!! I was thinking I might get some smallish Rubbermaid or Gladware containers, and load one up with fresh fruit and the other with fresh vegetables. I was thinking I might even measure out 5 or 6 servings per day and put them together in one container. That would be a good visual for me, and I could see what I needed to eat in a day. Might even help with the constant snacking that is my downfall, if I see that I have two apples, an orange and a banana to eat before bedtime!!