How to Create a Healthy, Colorful Fridge   

In many ways, your refrigerator is the cornerstone of any healthy eating plan.  How you stock that fridge can make a huge difference in the success or failure of any healthy eating plan. From what foods it contains, to where they are stored, the refrigerator can be vitally important to healthy eating.

Here are some quick, actionable tips to transform your fridge into your secret weapon when transitioning to a healthier lifestyle!

1. Take Stock Of Your Fridge: Taking stock of the contents of the fridge should mean a monthly review of everything it contains. The first step should be to take stock of just what the refrigerator contains. Taking stock of the fridge means more than just throwing away those foods that have begun to turn green or grow hair. During this review, separate the healthier foods from the others.  It is important to make sure that you have more low fat, high fiber and low sugar foods than high fat low fiber and high sugar ones.  If the ratio is off, try to shop for healthier foods or not shop for them at all.  
2. Out of Sight, Out of Mind: To keep a healthy refrigerator, hide the less healthy foods.  Try hiding the desserts and other such foods in the crisper, where they will be out of sight and not constantly tempting you.  Since fresh fruits and vegetables tend to dry out if they are not used right away, store them in plain sight to increase their likelihood of being eaten.  Hiding cakes in the produce drawers, and prominently displaying the fruits and vegetables, is a smart way to keep a healthy fridge.  
3. Organize Your Fridge: Organize the refrigerator into different sections, and segregate those sections into Sometimes Foods (unhealthy choices) and Everyday Foods (healthy choices).  Try to place the healthier foods in the front of the refrigerator, while relegating the unhealthier choices to the back.  
4. Experiment With Substitution: There are low fat and nonfat versions of literally hundreds of different foods.  Try substituting skim or 1% milk for whole milk, soft margarines for fattier butter, and low fat sour cream for the full fat varieties.  Try replacing fattier meats with leaner ones, or with chicken and fish.  Even a simple change, like substituting a soft margarine for butter, can result in significant savings of saturated fat.  
5. Healthy Habits Start Young:  For those families with young children, it is important to involve the entire family in healthy eating lifestyles.  The habits children learn in childhood often follow them throughout their adult lives, so it makes a lot of sense to get them off to a great start.  Try decorating healthy foods with fun stickers, stars, or other colorful items.  
6. Store Bases & Toppings Side by Side: Stickers and stars are not the only way to make healthy foods more appealing.  Try storing healthy foods with attractive, delicious toppings to make them more interesting and appealing.  Try storing a container of berries next to the low fat yogurt, or a bottle of chocolate syrup with the 1% milk. Mixing these foods together is a great way to create healthy snacks quickly.  
7. Bring Leftovers Back to Life: Another key to creating a healthy refrigerator is to use leftovers wisely.  Leftovers can be very useful, and healthy meals make healthy leftovers.  Try using leftovers as lunches, or as healthy snacks for the next day.  
8. Meal Prep on The Regular: Ready to eat meals are a great way to encourage healthy eating.  Try this handy trick – when you return from your weekly grocery shopping, take the time to create some quick single serving meals and stack them in the fridge.  In addition, try making some quick snacks by cutting up fresh fruits and vegetables and storing them in single serving containers.  
9. Take Advantage of Your Freezer: Using the freezer space in your refrigerator wisely is important as well. Freezing foods that won’t be used right away is a great way to make your food dollar go further and to provide quick meals for your family.  Try freezing foods in portion sizes.  This will make it easier to eat healthier meals, and it will help ensure everyone gets their favorites. The freezer can also be a great way to create fun fruit snacks for the entire family.  Freezing healthy fruits like grapes, orange slices and bananas make great snacks for children and adults alike.

If you want to learn even more ways to organize your fridge and find success on your healthy eating journey, then join our private Healthy & Happy by Body Wisdom Community on Facebook—it’s free!