Organizing the Refrigerator

Try these tips for organizing your refrigerator:

1. Store like items together. Categories may include: dairy, meat, fruit, veggies, condiments, and leftovers. Condiments may be further divided by use, for example: ketchup, mustard, and pickles together.
2. Put more perishable items on lower shelves, which are cooler and never in the door, which has the most temperature variation.
3. Always put items in the spot assigned. When an area has extra space, resist the urge to put other groceries in that spot.
4. Use containers to keep small items, such as cheeses or snacks, together.
5. Develop the routine of looking through the fridge and tossing food that has lost its freshness. A good time to do this is on the day before garbage pickup.

Some benefits of an organized fridge include, less food will spoil, making a grocery list is easier, because you can see what items need to be restocked, and less time is spent with the fridge door opened, conserving energy.