Kitchen Make-Over — Part 2: Wasteland

Pedro Leon, RD
Sep 4, 2018 · 3 min read

We looked at your pantry, so now let’s get into that dreaded wasteland, better known as your fridge. I am sure there are many times that you have looked in your fridge and thought to yourself “I have nothing to make” or found yourself throwing away food because you didn’t use in time or stored it incorrectly. Well, let’s remedy that situation a bit.

Do I need to throw that away?

Adding flavor to your food is great…but in the form of spices and herbs and not when it comes from organisms growing on your food. The following are some guidelines to bring out the best of the food in your fridge.

  • Freeze frozen foods into freezer as fast as possible
  • Uncooked ground meat: 1 to 2 days
  • Poultry, fish, or shellfish: 1 to 2 days
  • Uncooked steak, veal, lamb, or pork: 3 to 5 days
  • Meat-based leftovers: 3 to 4 days
  • Non-meat based foods: 3 to 5 days
  • Uncooked eggs (in shell): 2–4 weeks
  • Mayonnaise (opened): 2 months

Give it some breathing room

A common mistake made is losing connection with what’s inside your fridge due to over-crowding. Along with not being able to see what is inside, improper spacing of your food will cause improper storage and make some of your food spoil faster.

The right temp is key

  • Spoiler alert: equally important to length of time food stays in and over-crowding, is the temperature inside the fridge. If not controlled you will be inviting some bad boys such as Salmonella and E. coli, that cause food borne illnesses, to grow in your fridge.
  • Fridge to = 40 degrees & Freezer to equal = 0 degrees. If you’re not sure if fridge/freezer is pumping out the right temp, purchase a fridge thermometer. Check your manual to see the maintenance rules and regulations. You might find out that you’re suddenly in the market for a new fridge.

Lean and Mean

Staying lean and mean depends on which proteins that you stock in your fridge. Replace high fat meat sources with lean animal or plant-based types. Here some types to choose from:

  • Chicken: Free-ranged, antibiotic free, grade A
  • Greek Yogurt: reach for the full fat version: it’s easier on your stomach, lower in sugar, leaves you fuller, and controls your appetite better
  • Tofu: Its vegan/vegetarian friendly, low in saturated fat, packed with calcium, and by choosing extra firm type makes it more versatile for different recipes
  • Pasture-raised Eggs: give you all the essential amino acids, and a wide range of vitamins and minerals

Lastly some staple food stuff and stuff

Vitamins, minerals and fiber are key to round out your nutrition profile, improve taste, control your blood sugar levels and keep you satisfied to eliminate mindless eating.

  • Stock vegetables to make almost anything: carrots, beets, celery, bell peppers, sweet potatoes
  • Fruity goodness: green apples, berries and pears
  • Nuts and seeds: variety and raw are key, use for snacks or toppings
  • Plant-based milks: almond, hemp, cashew
  • Hummus: use as a dip or spread
  • Hot sauce: give your meals that added kick
  • Leafy Greens: spinach, bok choy, kale are just some but there are many
  • Fresh herbs: this is what gives food flavor and the right ones have healing power as well

There you have it…get up and take a look at what’s going on in your fridge.

Pedro Leon, RD, LDN

Co-founder / Chief Dietitian

Kitchry Health

Health. Optimized.

Pedro Leon, RD

Written by

Registered Dietitian. Areas of interest functional nutrition, lifestyle behavioral modification. Chief Wellness Officer & Co-founder at Kitchry Health.

Kitchry Health

Health. Optimized.

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