- Designate 1 shelf for storing the dishes in Pyrex (or glassware). Use an additional shelf if needed, but it helps to have one that is solely for meals.
- Snack Bin – Designate one draw for prepped snacks, sandwiches, yogurts, fruit etc. already portioned out and ready to grab. Cut up fruits and veggies in Ziplocs, small yogurt containers, string cheese, rollups, etc. Keeping little hands in one place helps to prevent the refrigerator from ending up in chaos!
- Condiments – Throw away any condiments you have not used in the last 4-6 months. Keep only what you use on a regular basis (jams, nut butters, ketchup, mustards, mayo, soy sauce, etc.). Purchase specialty items only at holidays or as needed. Just like your wardrobe, if you haven’t worn it in a year, get rid of it!
- Functional Freezer – Only freeze meals and food that you will use in the next 1-3 weeks. Assuming you will defrost Aunt Betty’s lasagna 6 months from now is not efficient planning. Keep your freezer space free for functional foods only – frozen fruits, veggies, any items that get cooked regularly for the kids (chicken nuggets, pizza dough, etc.). I do not recommend freezing things like raw meats for more than a month unless you have a second freezer with the space for it. Buy it fresh and leave the science projects in the classroom.
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