Yoghurt & Veggies recipe here.
________________________________
When I was studying health coaching, my nutrition lecturer had a saying…
‘Full fridge, empty pantry’.
In that we should be aiming to eat lots of delicious fresh food.
So today we’re going to dive into some fridge (and freezer) love.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN TODAY:
- Why your fridge and freezer are key for Low Carb.
- How to Organize Your Fridge & Freezer.
- Low Carb Fridge Ingredient Ideas.
- Low Carb Freezer Ideas.
Why Your Fridge and Freezer are Critical for Low Carb Success.
It’s a simple equation.
When you start eating less processed high carb food, you need to replace it with something.
Right?
So that means more home cooked meals using real food ingredients = more fresh vegetables, more meat and more fish.
And where do you store this fresh produce?
Your fridge and freezer!
How to Organize Your Fridge & Freezer.
1. Keep the ‘most in need of using’ items visible.
It’s so easy to forget what you have.
So my first rule is to place anything that needs ‘eating up’ where you can’t miss seeing it each time you open the fridge.
It’s a small thing but makes a HUGE difference to how much food I waste.
2. Keep like things together.
This is just how my brain works. I have separate places for my cheese, fresh veg, my raw meats, prepped ingredients, my fermented veg and of course my kombucha!
3. Have a regular place for different ingredients.
This just makes it easier to find what you’re looking for. So I know that half used jar of curry paste will be in he fridge door instead of having to rummage around to find it.
4. Really look once a day.
This way I remember what I have and get heaps more ideas for what to cook.
Plus I can move things that really need eating to a more visible position so I’m less likely to waste food. Win win!
5. Keep things covered.
The air in the fridge is really dry.
So the number 1. cause of food spoilage is dehydration, especially for fresh produce.
So I keep all my fruit and veg in plastic bags either in the crisper or on the bottom shelf. It doesn’t look so pretty but really makes a difference to how long things last.
For leftovers and my prepped ingredients I use glass containers with plastic lids.
Low Carb Fridge Ingredient Ideas
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking your pantry is only about the store cupboard ingredients stored at room temperature.
The marvel of modern refrigeration makes ‘pantry’ staples out of many different fresh ingredients.
- cheese – parmesan, ricotta , goats cheese, halloumi, cottage cheese, other hard cheeses
- other dairy – butter, Greek yoghurt, coconut yoghurt
- condiments – mayonnaise, pesto, miso paste, pickled veg, mustard, sauerkraut, kimchee, capers, olives, harissa, wasabi.
- shorter life Low Carb vegetables – salad leaves, baby spinach, snow peas, asian greens like bok choy, asparagus, spinach, kale, chard, other greens.
- longer life Low Carb vegetables – cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant (aubergine), zucchini, summer squash, fennel, celery, celeriac (celery root), kohlrabi, radishes, green onions (scallions / spring onions), ginger, swedes & rutabagas.
- protein – smoked fish, eggs, cured meats (bacon, prosciutto, salami), dried chorizo, packaged tofu, cryovacced meat (only keeps for about 2 weeks).
Low Carb Freezer Ingredient Ideas.
Frozen produce can be just as good, and in the case of frozen peas even better than ‘fresh’ produce from the supermarket.
Here are some some ideas.
- vegetables – onion, peas, broad beans, spinach, kale, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, other greens.
- fruit – berries, cherries.
- protein – meat, sausages, fish, poultry
- herbs – rosemary, thyme, sage, kaffir lime leaves, curry leaves.
- spices – ginger, fresh turmeric, chillies.
- other – low carb bread, stock / bone broth.
SUPER IMPORTANT!
Please don’t feel like you need to rush out and buy everything on these lists. They’re designed to give you ideas and inspire. Not to overwhelm you.
SUMMARY
Here’s what we’ve covered:
- Eating Low Carb = more fresh food = more need for your fridge and freezer.
- To organize your fridge and freezer keep like items together and really look once a day so you don’t forget what’s there!
- Ideas for Low Carb ingredients to keep in your fridge and freezer.
ACTIVITY
Organize your fridge and freezer.
Schedule time to organize your fridge and freezer. You can do it all together or just start with one shelf. Follow the steps above.
See you tomorrow when we get into the meaty topic of Meal Planning.
Don’t worry it’s not as hard as you’d think.
Cheers,
Jules x
ps. If you have any questions or comments about your fridge or freezer (or anything else!) head over to the Ask Jules page or leave a comment below.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Low Carb Love 28-Day Program is where I share my personal journey of managing my blood sugar eating (mostly) Low Carb. I am not a doctor and this information is not intended as specific advice. Please discuss with your doctor or dietician before changing your food intake. Especially if you’re on medication or have any special medical concerns.
Leave a Reply