Solutions that Work: Food Storage

Today begins day 1 of the Solutions that Work series. And first, we will tackle food storage.

Organizing your food is more than making your pantry and refrigerator look more appealing. It is about maximizing your storage space so you can find things easily, consume foods before they expires and you, ultimately, save money by eating the food you have instead of dining out.

Here are a few steps to get the process started:

Go through your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry and discard any food that has expired.
Take a moment to wipe out each shelf and compartment. And wipe or mop the floor of the pantry, too. (Hint: you could use the hose on the vacuum to clean out bins and shelves.)
For repacking the refrigerator, Real Simple provides this easy to follow outline that ensures food are stored properly to maintain their freshness.
Parents magazine outlines how to organize your freezer so you can quickly access meals.
With the pantry, there are many creative ways to store dry goods. Here are a few things I’ve done in my pantry:

On the floor in a plastic bin, I store all unopened dry food. I also have my large boxes of snacks on an upside down basket for easy access and out-of-my-way storage.

I’ve added removable wire shelves for more extra space.

I also purchased three small wire baskets from the dollar store to corral the drink mixes and protein bars.

I do store all my baking ingredients in the lazy susan by the stove. But with the extra space I’ve created here, I may have to move them.

Once you have taken the time to get organized, now you can easily assess what you have to make a meal and what is needed at the store. For me, an organized system for food allows for easier meal planning.

Read the Solutions the Work: Meal planning

Check out all the Solutions that Work Series posts.

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