October 12, 2008
Refrigerator Refurbish
Chillin' means more than just being cool. There's a whole lot of possibility in the design of the modern fridge.
This is the third in ReZoom's series about turning your kitchen into a veritable cornucopia of possibility for cooking vibrant, healthy meals.
Shop Around the Perimeter
You do your best to avoid fried foods, limit sweets and cook sensible meals at home, so now make it easier on yourself with a healthy refrigerator makeover.
Stock your kitchen with food items purchased around the perimeter of the grocery store (produce, dairy, meats and seafood). By making healthy foods the focus of your fridge, you're less likely to eat high-fat, high-calorie and high-sodium "fast" foods. From top to bottom, here are some of the best diet and healthy lifestyle changes you can make to your refrigerator.
Top shelves
The top shelf is the coldest place in your fridge, making it an ideal spot for storing covered leftovers, large containers of 100 percent fruit juice, water or low-fat milk (trading out whole milk for skim, ½ percent or 1 percent saves 60 calories per glass). And while portable low-fat yogurts work well for lunches, avoid sweetened varieties, which can have up to seven teaspoons of added sugar.
On the shorter shelves, store smaller condiments, fat-free cottage cheese, trans-fat-free margarine and eggs, plus a requisite box of odor-absorbing baking soda. Keep a container of egg substitute handy if you plan on eating more than three yolks a week.
Deli drawer
Buy reduced-fat cheeses and snack-friendly string cheese. Store turkey, roasted chicken and lower-sodium lunchmeats in a plastic container instead of their original deli bags to extend shelf life.
Bottom shelves
Whole wheat breads, tortillas and wraps last longer in the fridge than on the countertop. Despite their additional cost, pre-cut fruits and vegetables save time in the kitchen and will likely having you turning to healthier snacks if they're easily accessible toward the front of the shelf.
Store any raw meat, chicken or fish on the lowest shelf as it's essential to keep raw foods below ready-to-eat foods to avoid any cross-contamination caused by leaks. Any meat not cooked within a few days should be moved to the freezer.
Produce bins
Use the fruit and vegetable crispers to keep these items readily accessible for more efficient meal prep. Purchase the freshest fruits of the season and preserve water-soluble vitamins by waiting until just before cooking to wash produce.
Studies have shown that Americans throw out nearly 15 percent of all food brought into the home, wasting about $600 each year for the average family. To prevent spoilage, be sure to eat delicate fruits first and veggies like asparagus, bagged lettuce, broccoli, corn, green beans and mushrooms within the first few days of bringing them home.
Refrigerator door
Mustards are a fat-free flavor enhancer, as are salsas and vinegars. Keep ketchup, barbecue sauces, fat-free dressings and marinades, light mayo, chutneys, jams and jellies organized in the doors.
Freezer
Keep frozen fruit bars, fat-free ice cream, bags of mixed vegetables and no-sugar-added fruits for smoothies. Store fish filets, chicken, seafood and meat in dinner-ready portions (3 ounces is the recommended serving size). Label leftovers for easy identification.
Whether your fridge is stainless steel or disco-era avocado, it's what's on the shelves and inside the bins that can make or break mealtimes. Stocking your refrigerator with healthy foods and organizing them the right way can really help you keep to your diet or healthy lifestyle plan.
See 1st & 2nd installments of our Healthy Kitchen Redo series:
Coming up next: Understanding the Elements (cookware)
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