02/24/2026
Fresh foods like fruits and veggies are the foundation of a healthy, well-balanced diet, but they have a limited shelf life. How can you keep these nutritious foods at the ready, and still reduce food waste? We've got some tips.
๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง. Having a concrete plan is key. Anderson's Nutrition has an app-based meal planning program that eliminates the guess work. See the link in our bio to learn more!
๐ฅก ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ. FIFO stands for "first in, first out." Keep older foods closer to the front of your fridge, and the newer foods towards the back.
๐๏ธ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ. "Use by" and "Best by" dates refer to when the food producer thinks the food will be at peak quality. So, these dates are about taste and quality, not safety. Use common sense instead. Food that has a funny smell, is slimy, or has a change in texture (like lumpy milk) should be tossed. Everything else? Make a decision based on your senses.
๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ค ๐ข๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ. Take five minutes each evening to go through your fridge. Make a mental note of what's in there, and make sure there is a plan for utilization. For example: strawberries on their last legs? Wash, dry and toss them in the freezer, or serve them as a side for breakfast tomorrow morning.
โ๏ธ ๐
๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ณ๐๐ซ. Freeze leftovers when they are still fresh and you'll have a convenient, healthy meal at the ready for a later date. Wash, dry and freeze produce that's about to go bad, and use it in the future.
๐ฅฆ ๐๐จ๐ง'๐ญ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ฒ. An overstocked fridge makes it tough to see what you have. Plan to make a second (quick) grocery run later in the week to replenish perishable items like produce, if you need to.
