WHAT FOOD GOES WHERE?
When you get home from shopping, store foods for maximum freshness. Learn which fruits and vegetables last longer inside or outside the fridge. For example, avocados and tomatoes are best stored outside the fridge, but once they’re ripe put them in the fridge to make them last longer. Most nuts and grains last longer stored in the fridge, not the pantry.
Learn more at Save the Food’s Storage Directory.
DID YOU KNOW... your refrigerator
should be set at 40 degrees or below?
This will also help food last longer.
DECLUTTER YOUR FRIDGE AND PANTRY
Have you heard about Marie Kondo and the latest rage to declutter homes? This applies to your fridge and pantry as well. Leave more space and don’t overstuff them. You’ll see what foods you have, which will make meal planning easier and help prevent overbuying. Do a ten-minute "Fridge Reality Check" to see how much food you’re wasting and to make better use of the food you buy.
Learn more at stopfoodwaste.org/resources.
FREEZE IT
Don’t forget about your freezer! It will buy you extra time if you’re already sick of leftovers or have vegetables or fruits that are ripe and you don’t have time to cook them. When freezing in plastic bags, try to remove as much air as possible from the package, which reduces freezer burn, but if freezing liquids (think soups or smoothies), leave some room in the container for the liquids to expand.
TRUST YOUR SENSES, NOT EXPIRATION DATES
Confused about expiration dates? Apart from infant formula, expiration dates on foods are not federally regulated. Most are manufacturer recommendations for when a product is freshest. Not sure if something is still good to eat? Trust your senses. If it looks OK and smells good, taste a little bit before just blindly throwing food out because it’s past the date. Limp vegetables can often be revived with a soak in ice water for 15-20 minutes or sautéed into a side dish.