Below you'll find my tips to a better organised fridge to minimise food wastage. Don't do what my mother used to. She'd store veggies in the fridge, then after a while she'd rewrap and store again, then do this a few times more before throwing them out. My father called it 'veggie palliative care'. Obviously we weren't big on eating our veggies back then!
FRIDGE ORGANISATION TIPS
It's best to remove everything first and wash all your shelves. Then you're ready to get organised.
- Put similar items together
I use plastic baskets to put all my sauces together. I also use one for dairy products, eg yoghurt, cream etc as these notoriously get lost in the back of the fridge and go past the use by date. These baskets look good, however note they're quite deep so make sure they fit your fridge.
2. Remember to store raw meats at the bottom and separate from other foods
I always put my raw meats in a tray or ceramic dish to avoid any cross contamination, even if it's packaged well.
3. Label dairy and nut milks with the date opened.
Whenever I open an almond milk or yoghurt I write the date on it with a marker pen. This helps me determine when the product is past it's use-by date. Most dairy should be consumed within 5 days from opening, so I simply add five days to my date on the package. An alternative is to write the use-by when you open it but I'm always in a rush and wrtiting the date opened is a simpler way for me.
4. Sit herbs upright in a container with a small amount of water and cover with a freezer bag.
I use leftover yoghurt tubs for this as I find when placing herbs in a tall glass or jar they often tip over. You need something with a wider base. This method of storage will keep your herbs fresh for so much longer.
5. Store food in glass containers
This has been a game changer! You need to store cooked foods, leftovers, chopped veggie sticks etc in containers you can see into. I used to find a zillion bowls with leftovers lurking in our fridge. The beauty of using glass is it can go straight from fridge to oven or microwave. When buying check that the container is 'oven-proof' glass.
My last sneaky tip....
I suggest you keep this tip to yourself but I like to put all the healthy food in the front at eye level (in glass containers) making it the first thing the family see when they open the fridge. Then I put treats or things I don't want inhaled by our boys at the back in bowls you can't see into ;)
'CLEAN OUT THE FRIDGE' FRIED RICE
Every Monday we have a 'clean out the fridge' dinner where I throw leftovers and veggies that are on their way out together to make a meal. Carrots, celery, beans, broccoli, radish, shallots, coriander, chilli, ginger...anything goes. I slice thinly any leftover meat. If I don't have any meat, I'll add canned tuna or salmon. Or quickly whisk 2-3 eggs, fry and slice into strips. I always add a generous dash of soy sauce and put condiments on the table for everyone to add their own kick. You can use chillis, sweet chilli sauce or kimchi.
This is my foolproof rice recipe that works every time.
2 cups rice (I use Basmati)
3 cups water
- Add water to a medium sized saucepan and put the lid on. Bring the water to the boil.
- Add the rice and put the lid back on. Cook for 15 minutes on medium heat. (I cook on 4.5 on my induction cooktop)
This feeds 4-5. If you'd like to make a smaller amount the ratio is 1 cup rice to 2 cups of water.
My order of cooking is:
- Chop all my ingredients.
- Put the rice on.
- Soften the veggies in a fry pan.
- Add the meat.
- Add the cooked rice. Stir well.
- Add soy sauce and stir well.
- You can leave the mix on the stove to cook for longer and add some crunch or not :)
I hope you've found this newsletter helpful.
Nutritionist & Caterer
Adv Dip Nut Med ATMS 50532
wendy@acutabove.com.au
0403 861 117
