How healthy is YOUR FRIDGE?

Keep food fresher for longer – and save money, too, with these top tips

- ALI HORSFALL

Take a peek inside your fridge and what do you see? Is it neatly packed with nutritious meal options for the week, or are you faced with days-old leftovers, sticky jars and soggy fruit and veg stuffed in the bottom drawer?

A disorganised fridge won’t inspire you to eat more healthily, nor will it help you to save money. In fact, it’s estimated the average UK household could pocket around £700 a year by buying only what they eat and reducing the amount of food that’s thrown away*.

‘If you have a spruce-up of your shelves you can keep track of ‘use-by’ labels so you’re not eating anything beyond when it’s safe or having to dump out-of-date food that’s been lurking at the back,’ says nutritionist Jenna Hope. ‘It’s also easier to plan meals and make better food choices when you have an orderly fridge.’

Ready to get organised? Follow these tips to safely store your chilled food items.

Door

‘Natural preservatives, such as jams, condiments and pickles, can be stored in the fridge’s door shelves,’ says Jenna. But, despite many of us doing so, it’s best to avoid keeping milk or eggs here. The door is the warmest part of the fridge and has a fluctuating temperature due to it opening and closing often, which can cause milk and eggs to go off much quicker.

Top shelves