4. Restock
When restocking and replacing cleaned items to your refrigerator, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, if your goal is to eat healthier, restock with nutritious choices that are visible and easy to access. Store colorful produce front and center as snack options. Keep prepared meals in a tidy, easy-to-grab stack for your daily nutrition, and have healthy beverage options readily available.
Second, organize items in a way that maintains food safety. Take a page out of professional kitchens’ playbooks and organize your food in order of required cooking temperatures from top to bottom, with the top food items needing the lowest cooking temp. For example, use your top shelf for already cooked leftovers, beverages, or dairy items like yogurt and cheeses. Use middle shelves for raw ingredients to be added to recipes, and use the very bottom shelf for raw meats. This way, any drips that occur won’t result in contamination, since the lower foods have to be cooked at higher temperatures.
Also, with food safety in mind, the door is the warmest part of any refrigerator, so avoid storing milk, eggs, or other highly perishable items here. Condiments are fine in this location.