The last time you cleaned out the fridge, did the contents resemble a science experiment?
Of the leftovers you threw out, would have you eaten them if you had realized they were in there?
Have you ever considered tracking leftovers to help reduce waste?
Approximate read time: 2 minutes
When my niece was about 4 or 5 years old, on one of her visits, she looked in my refrigerator and made a very sincere offer.
“Aunt Micki, if you need help with your refrigerator, my mom could probably help.”
She knew trouble when she saw it.
Keeping a refrigerator organized is no easy undertaking. We tend to believe that if we could simply keep our refrigerators organized, the matter of leftovers gone bad would be solved.
The truth is, if the goal is to reduce or eliminate leftover waste, you will need a way of tracking leftovers.
If you don’t track leftovers, there is a high chance they will land in the trash.
Throwing out leftovers is a waste of both money and time. The monetary waste is apparent. Food down the disposal equals money down the drain, literally.
However, there is also a waste in terms of time.
Using precious time to make a meal is not on my list of fun things to do.
Making yet another meal, instead of utilizing available leftovers, is a complete waste of time.
After performing yet another throwing-out, garbage-night ritual, I made the intentional decision to find a way of tracking leftovers and other food that lurks in the refrigerator.
The answer to effectively tracking leftovers is a simple 1-2 punch.
One: On the front of the refrigerator, in bold letters, post a paper that asks, “What’s in the fridge?”.
(To give you an assist, I have created a printable available at the end of the post 😊)
Each time you place leftovers in the refrigerator, take a moment to write and date it on the paper.
In addition to leftovers, I have discovered that it’s a good idea to write down anything you want to make sure gets eaten.
If no one knows pineapple is an option, it’s a guarantee that no one will go searching for it.
Two: This idea was an afterthought, inspired by the post An Inexpensive Way to Mark Cups and Glasses.
When you put something in the fridge that you want to make sure gets eaten, label it.
Use a sticky note, painter’s tape or washi tape as a label. On the label, write what’s in the container and the date. Stick the label on the outside of the container where it’s easily seen.
Anyone who can read that opens the refrigerator door will immediately know what’s in each container without so much as opening a lid.
At least if the food doesn’t get eaten you will have a better idea of when it should be thrown in the trash.
A note of caution is called for.
When implementing this, or any, plan to help track what food’s in the fridge, make it easy and convenient.
Keep your labels and pen or pencil within an arm’s length of the refrigerator.
If it gets complicated, you will quit before you even have a chance to get started.
Do you want to ensure that what goes in the fridge as food doesn’t emerge looking like a science experiment?
By implementing these two simple steps, you will be ninety percent of the way there.
Download “What’s in the Fridge?” Now!
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Good ideas! My problem would be finding a writing utensil. Lol. In order to keep a pencil handy you could clip it with a magnetic clip and put the pencil on the fridge beside the list.