Take a look inside your fridge! Is it something you can be proud of or something that makes you cringe every time you open the door? I know mine was in need of a little TLC! Here are a few tips and reminders for when you clean yours out:
Take everything out and throw away expired or unknown items (I threw away 14 expired items 😳….although I’m happy to have a clean fridge, I’m not proud of all that food waste!)⠀
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Clean the surfaces and drawers and make sure your refrigerator temperature is below 40 degrees F (38 degrees is ideal), your food will last longer. ⠀
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Healthier eating and less waste comes from planning your week of meals ahead of time (don’t shy away from trying new foods or new recipes). Some “rules” we follow at home:⠀
-Meatless Mondays (although we typically eat 3 meatless dinners each week)⠀
-Fish/seafood 1x per week (I’ll be making scallops this week)⠀
-Red meat no more than once per week ⠀
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Stock up with lots of fresh fruits and veggies (the more colors, the better). Your produce will retain the most nutrients if kept in a cold, humid environment (aka the crisper drawers)….does anyone else find their crisper drawers are too small? ⠀
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My freezer isn’t quite ready to photograph just yet but some frozen items I always have on hand include broccoli, cauliflower, corn, spinach, edamame, lots of frozen fruit for smoothies and a gluten-free, frozen pizza, of course 😉! Frozen fruits and veggies are often higher in nutrients than the fresh versions that have been sitting around for awhile. Did you know that fresh spinach only retains about 50% of its folate after 8 days in the fridge? ⠀
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Although many of these tips may seem like common sense, sometimes we all just need a little nudge! Happy fridge cleaning