We've all been there before: looking in our fridge for ingredients we need to make dinner, only to be frustrated when they've gone bad sooner than expected! Not only do we now have to find a substitute ingredient (or meal!), money just got thrown in the trash. The average family of four throws out about $50 worth of groceries a month! That's $600 a year! Cringing yet? Here's some ways to keep your fresh food spoilage low.
Choose a day each week to clean out your fridge. Try to choose a day that's just before you go grocery shopping, as generally you'll find your fridge has less items in it. You'll also find yourself sticking to the weekly cleaning if you set it up to be the same day each week - I do mine on Sunday, since trash pick up is Tuesday morning.
Check the seals on your refrigerator door, and wipe it down weekly as well. Not only does this help save on your grocery bill, it will help save on your electric bill as well! Make sure your fridge temperature is set for 38 degrees.
A crowded fridge doesn't allow air to circulate, and means food spoils faster. Be sure that condiments such as ketchup, etc, are stored in the door, and that only one container of each is open at a time. Don't purchase large containers of condiments, or dairy products such as yogurt and sour cream, if you don't use them on a fairly regular basis. You might think you are saving money by purchasing the larger container for only 20 cents more, but if you don't finish that container by the use-by date, you're only throwing that 20 cents away.
Buying fresh fruits and vegetables is what's healthiest for us, but it's also where we are most likely to end up with food waste. Use the drawers in your fridge as they are intended, and take fruits and vegetables out of the cheap plastic grocery bags whenever possible. Are you finding yourself short on time and skipping adding vegetables to your meals, and end up wasting them then? Consider either purchasing the pre-cut and pre-washed varieties, or do like I do: chop and prepare vegetables when you come home from the grocery store. You'll find it much easier to add extra veggies to the meals you are creating this way, too.
Have lots of leftovers on a regular basis? Invest in quality reuseable containers to store them in. Cheap ones may be better on your pocketbook, but they can cause your food to spoil faster - as well as release unhealthy chemicals into your food. Choose freezer safe plastic or glass containers from brands like Rubbermaid and Ziploc. The clearer the containers are, the easier it is to tell what is in them. If leftovers won't be used within 48 hours, keep them in the freezer, where they will be good for at least another two weeks. If you still find yourself throwing away leftovers on a regular basis, it's time to start reducing the amount of food you are cooking at each meal.
Don't be afraid to menu plan those leftovers for lunch, either!
3 comments:
Okay, I will admit you sound much better organized than I! Weekly cleaning of fridge...outch! I try every 4 weeks or so...
I think you get at an age when it feels a lot more than you want to do...Alright, you sound much younger than I! Can I claim being a senior for being more lax?
Blessings,
Good tip on reducing the icky food. I have found that Tupperware's Fridgesmarts keep the food longer, stretching the $$ you buy for groceries.
Great tips! I mostly use Rubber Maid Tupperware and have been pretty happy with it. I don't do an official fridge clean every week, but I try to make sure that leftovers and fresh fruits and vegetables get eaten so we waste as little as possible.
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