Today I challenge you to clean out your fridge AND pantry and maintain it daily!
Yep our next organization challenge is to get your kitchen together! When your pantry and fridge is clean and organized it saves us time when looking for those ingredients we need for our recipes, it saves us money because items will not spoil as often and it creates order and peace from not having so many leftovers and spoiled items left in the fridge for us to fish through every time go in there. Keeping a clean pantry and eliminating all "trigger foods"-or the unhealthy comfort foods we all love will help you avoid unhealthy snacking!
The toughest part is making the time to do a good clean out! A good time to schedule this task is the day before trash day! Empty one shelf at a time and wash with warm water. before putting items back check the expiration dat and to see if it is spoiled. If you empty the whole fridge at once there is a good chance you will want to move out of your house so you don't have to finish the task of putting everything back all at once!! You can wash the refrigerator door seal with a mild detergent and wipe dry. Vacuum the condenser coils. To keep the top of the fridge from getting dusty wipe clean and cover with plastic wrap. Replace every few months. Don't forget to wipe all the bottles of ketchup and syrup before replacing. Don't forget to clean out your freezer!
To organize your fridge-designate shelves for like items. For example the top shelf for waters and drinks, the 2nd shelf for left overs, the bottom shelf for snacks . Use a door shelf for all dressings, one for all other condiments, etc... When organizing the freezer keep in mind freezers work best when they are full! Use clear plastic bags or containers when storing foods. And label with the date you placed it in the freezer.
Clean out your pantry just as you did the fridge. Invest in clear air tight stackable containers. These will make everything look neater and make it easy to see what you have and check for spoiled items. It will also keep your items fresher longer and keep pests put. To prevent pests from getting into your pantry try not to keep foods on low level shelves and keep a bay leaf in each container. Keep a shopping list in your pantry with a pen so you can easily jot down an item when you use the last of it. Place healthy snacks at eye level!
Keep the fridge clean by making a rule to not put new groceries in it each week until you throw away all spoiled items and wipe the shelves down first! Get into the habit of putting items back where you got them-and be sure the fam is on board so your not tidying up after them every time they get s snack or drink! I will post a handy Safe Food Storage Guild in the notes on FB later today!
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