5 Tips for Organizing Your Refrigerator

When it comes to meal prep, freezer and refrigerator space is a HUGE aspect to consider. You can prep to your little hearts’ content, but all that hard work will literally end up in the trash if you can’t store it properly. Enter today’s blog topic: Refrigerator Organization. Listed below are a few things to consider when prepping, storing, and using your healthy meals.

1. Get to know what the temperature zones are in your fridge.

The door: The refrigerator door is typically the warmest zone. That makes it perfect for items with higher concentrations of vinegar, salt, and preservatives, like condiments.

The drawers: These are usually humidity controlled. This makes them ideal for produce like fruits and veggies.

The shelves: It’s best to store drinks and ready-to-eat foods like prepped meals on the top shelf. This is because heat rises, so the internal temperature will always be higher on the top shelves than the middle and bottom shelves. I suggest you keep any raw ingredients on middle and lower shelves. Even milk, which spoils easily, will have the longest life on the bottom shelf.

2. ESTABLISH A SYSTEM BASED ON WHAT YOU USE MOST OFTEN.

Consider which items you reach for in your refrigerator most often and prioritize their placement. Position them in the easiest and most convenient spaces to grab – think eye-level and front row. See this list for my go-to Refrigerator, Freezer and Pantry Staples.

3. USE CONTAINERS TO MAXIMIZE SPACE AND EFFICIENCY.

If you love organization as much as I do, these containers have served me well, keeping my meal prep fresh and easily accessible. Use mason jars with screw top lids available on amazon to store your pre-chopped veggies, onions, peeled garlic, etc so it’s ready to use for the week. Store meal prep dished, leftovers or salads in clear glass containers  so you can see what’s inside. Here’s a link to my meal prep recipes for inspiration.

P.S. Use a deep container for thawing meat. This prevents a mess if the package leaks and helps prevent cross-contamination.

4. KEEP HERBS IN MASON JARS

Wash your herbs and keep them in mason jars with a little water, it will keep them fresh for weeks.

5. USE A LAZY SUZAN FOR BEVERAGES

A lazy susan makes it really easy to see all your beverages or containers and keep them at arms reach.

Now that your refrigerator is organized, I’d love to see the finished project! @strongerfitness1111 on Instagram and Facebook