Nutrition challenge: Fridge Confessions

Grocery shopping is an art, but maintaining a balanced assortment of healthy foods in your refrigerator is definitely a science. I try to keep things fresh, but functional. I cook a lot so I usually have one or two meals in my fridge that are left over from the night before, and these are usually gone by lunchtime. Sometimes these are healthy items (Paleo Pad Thai, but often they’re not (Patxi’s Chicago Pizza delivery in SF). Regardless, at least I’m not spending $10 on a sandwich or a salad.

Cooking usually means keeping a stocked fridge. I’m no where near as good at this as my mother is (ever go home and wonder how she can keep a fridge that looks like a grocery store?), but I try. Here’s what mine looks like today (I made a handy diagram).

So, my fellow dailymilers, my challenge to you is to take a picture of your fridge, post it below, or to your dailymile profile. What we keep in our refrigerators tells a compelling story about what we’re putting into our bodies, and how healthy we really are. I believe it’s just about the most honest glimpse into a person’s daily diet (that and the pantry, but that’s for another time). Let’s share our secrets, tips, and tricks for keeping a healthy kitchen!

I keep a running list of things I buy on a regular basis, so when I run out of something, that goes on the grocery list. When I’m at the store, I pick up items that will restock what’s typically in my fridge. Luckily, I live a block away from my grocery store, so if I’m planning a new meal it’s not hard for me to pick something up. If you’re not like me then it’s good to plan ahead with your recipes and go with an actual list in hand (even thought I live close to my store, I still take hand written lists).

Staples I try to keep on hand:

Typical meats you mind find in there:

Some condiments: