What does your fridge say about you?

How would you feel if a stranger took a peek inside your fridge? Would they see it stocked full of neatly arranged fresh veggies and fruit with lean meat stored safely, or empty shelves bar a bottle of wine or two, and a drawer with some limp salad? The key to healthier eating might well start on your refrigerator shelves!

Nutritionist Emma set herself a challenge: to take a look into one of our member's fridges and analyse the contents. Here's what she found:

Janett's Fridge Contents

Top shelf

Sweet potato & ginger soup, salad leaves, rice salad.

Second shelf

Sautéed kale & spinach, eggs.

Third shelf

Sweet potato pie.

Bottom shelf

Pistachio nuts, whole milk, infused water.

Drawer one

Oranges, lemons, yogurt.

Drawer two

Cucumber, pepper, mushrooms, carrot.

Bottom draw

Chicken, soft cheese, butter, sausage

Emma's first impressions

Meal planning

Janett's fridge indicates she's an organised person who takes care of her diet and plans ahead. Her fridge is well stocked without being too full – suggesting Janett likes to plan a few days ahead but doesn't overbuy - which is sensible to avoid throwing away food. Her fridge is filled with healthy food, with little evidence of treats or snacks too (we'll assume these are all hidden in her cupboards 😉!).

Home cooking

I notice some leftover meals, which indicates Janett likes to cook from scratch and uses plenty of fresh ingredients, which is great. One of the best ways to improve our diet is to prepare our own meals to ensure we control exactly what's going into the food we're eating. Saving leftovers is also a great way to save time and to avoid food waste – win, win! Tip! It's quick and easy to calorie count your homecooked meals using the Nutracheck App. Just open the App and tap 'My Meal', enter the ingredients and our recipe creator works out how many calories per serving.

Organisation

Another thing I noticed with Janett's fridge is that she stores her foods correctly. Ready to eat foods should be closer to the top – which they are – and raw meats placed at the bottom, well-sealed to avoid contaminating other foods which won't be cooked – which they are too. Plus, fresh fruit and veg should be kept in separate draws to avoid contamination. My only comment would be to put the soft cheeses and butter at the top of the fridge away from the raw meats.

Top tips

Janett has a good mix of nutrients and plenty of fresh foods in her fridge, which reflects well for her overall diet. My top tips for additions or swaps would be:

1. Add some fish where possible, ideally oily fish to provide that all important omega-3.
2. Swap high fat dairy foods such as whole milk and butter for lower fat versions to keep her saturated fat intake down.
3. Keep any ready to eat foods towards the top of the fridge, away from raw meats to avoid any potential contamination.

If you'd like Emma to 'emma-lyse' your readers' fridges, give us a shout!