So today is National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. Not sure about the origins of this holiday, but it’s good timing considering Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. Gotta make room for all those leftovers!
Now before we start tossing everything in the trash, I’m sure we have plenty of useable things hanging out in there. I find some of my favorite recipes come from fridge clean outs.
I try to use up at least 90% of what’s in the fridge before I make a trip to the grocery store. This saves me quite a bit of money, and prevents a lot of food waste.
Here state side, we waste tons of food every year this is still edible. To decrease my contribution to this problem, I try very hard not to throw food away.
- Buy Frozen. Instead of buying everything fresh. I split it about 60/40, frozen to fresh, respectively.
- Only buy what you need. Going to the store with a plan in mind prevents unnecessary purchases. This is where having a general idea of my menu for the week is important.
- If you realize that you’re not going to use something quick enough, move it. When I realize I’m not going to use my bananas quick enough I put them in the fridge to hold them longer. I buy several packages of tofu and freeze most of them, taking them out when I need them.
These three habits reduce my trips to the grocery store to about twice a month. It also keeps my food bill reasonable.
What is your favorite random recipe from refrigerator clean out day? My favorite is roasted veggies over rice or quinoa!
Christyna