Fridge Organization and Restock Ideas
We’ve all seen the viral fridge organization and fridge restock videos showcasing the empty and lackluster before shots and then a full pano to the aesthetic fridge goals after shot highlighting fridge organization at its finest.
In this guide, I share my top tips on fridge organization, along with my recommendations for the best food storage containers, so that you can get the most out of your fridge and reduce food waste through organization.
What are the best fridge restock tips and ideas?
Fridge restock is a routine task that can be done efficiently with the least amount of food waste if you follow an organized approach.
These fridge organization tips and ideas can help make the best use of the fridge space so that meal time is enjoyable rather than a frustrating hassle.
Remove your produce from their original packaging
Once I started to remove my produce from their original packaging, I realized that there was more space in the fridge.
Packaging can take up a lot of space in volume that isn’t useful or necessary.
Bags especially take up air and volume and wasted negative space can be reduced with decanting.
Decanting is a process of removing the contents of a container into another storage container.
By removing the packaging, I also stripped the foods of any visual distraction making it easier to find exactly what I needed to make a meal.
Take time for food prep
After taking our foods out of their packaging I like to carve out time for food prep.
Taking the time to
- wash,
- process, and
- chop any vegetables
ahead of a meal makes a huge difference in making recipes really quickly and it also saves space in the fridge.
Having prepped and pre-chopped veggies can also ward off any excuses to get take out or eliminate the option for food delivery services.
It does take some dedication to carve out the time for food prep and make it a part of your routine schedule, but it is well worth it because you know that you’re going to be busy during the week ahead.
Use the right fridge restock containers
Not all fridge restock containers are created equal.
When it comes to investing in food storage containers, I highly recommend going for quality rather than quantity because you can use the container for years to come if you spend a little bit of money on the front end.
I gravitate towards glass containers because you can see through them and they can be run through the dishwasher.
Sturdy plastic containers are also a nice option because they are see-through as well.
Below are some ideas for food storage containers that I use every day in my own household.
Fridge Restock Containers Option #1: Reusable snack bags
Grab and go options are essential in a busy household.
In a conscious effort to minimize single use plastic waste in my home I started to use silicone reusable bags for my kids’ snacks and lunches.
But these bags go beyond just snacks and lunches.
I store any number of fruits and veggies and other food items.
The zipped pouch keeps our foods fresh and doesn’t leak or cause any spills.
For alternate uses my family has filled them with water to make extra ice packs and have even used them for travel to store our bathroom essentials and toiletries.
There is so much flexibility in the product and that’s why it’s one of my favorite options for food storage.
Click on the image above to see a video on how to use these silicon bags.
Fridge Restock Containers Option #2: Ball Canning Wide Mouth Mason Jars
Wide mouth mason jars are a favorite in my household because they are reasonably priced and so multifunctional.
Products that have multiple functions are high value items that I will continue to purchase and use over and over again.
The simple glass design for mason jars makes it the perfect food storage solution because they are easily stackable too.
I’ve used them as
- flower vases,
- jars for propagating plants,
- and storing various different items around the house.
There are hundreds of ways to use a wide mouth mason jar so it’s an excellent option for fridge restock containers and beyond.
Fridge Restock Containers Option #3: Reuse food glass jars
Reusing glass jars from food products is one of my all-time favorite ways for food storage.
Not only is it practical and cost effective, it is environmentally conscious as well.
Some favorites that I use again and again for repeat product purchases are
- pasta sauce glass jars
- glass salsa jars, and
- even glass jars containing yogurt.
The glass pasta jars from Classico are great because they are more square than cylindrical which saves more space in the fridge.
These contain quite a bit and also look great for fridge organization if you are into a certain fridge aesthetic.
Fridge Restock Containers Option #4: Additional food glass jars
For glass salsa jars I’m in love with the ones from Trader Joe’s because they are the perfect size for most of my home-made
- dressings
- and sauces.
The wide mouth makes it easy to store different fruits and vegetables, thus making it my preferred choice.
I’m also a repeat purchaser of yogurts from Oui and these jars are the cutest and I make use of them in both the fridge and the pantry.
These jars are the perfect size for smaller items such as spices or little candies.
You can even purchase Oui yogurt lids for them making it a really great reusable and low-cost option.
What are the best fridge organization ideas?
Fridge organization is part art and part strategy.
There is absolutely a method to organizing the contents of your fridge.
Week after week you are faced with challenges on the best way to fridge restock with odd shaped foods in different packaging.
These simple tips will help you keep order and organization in your fridge.
Group similar items together
One of the fundamental concepts of organization is to group like kind items together.
This also applies for food storage and fridge organization.
When we group similar items together and keep them together, you are able to see the volume of one type of item.
Visually seeing the volume helps with knowing what and how much to purchase on your next grocery trip.
Also, when the similar items are stored together you are able to use up what you have on your next meal.
Store foods for accessibility and visibility
The number one and two priorities for storage and organization in the fridge is
- accessibility
- and visibility.
When our items are both accessible and visible, we will actually reach for and use up these items.
A big challenge for fridge organization is the amount of food waste that can occur week after week.
Foods that are not visible don’t get eaten.
It’s that simple.
Putting our foods that quickly perish front and center in a way that is visible and accessible will make meal time easier and will help to reduce food spoilage and waste.
Purchase what can get consumed before the next grocery trip
The idea isn’t to stuff your fridge full of fresh fruits and veggies that will spoil quickly. It’s important to purchase what you reasonably will consume rather than stock piling your groceries.
This is important for two reasons.
- First, over buying will ultimately contribute to food spoilage.
- Second, having too much food stuffed in your fridge will be an organization nightmare.
Just like a stuffed dresser drawer in your bedroom, clothes shoved in the back won’t get worn. The same happens in the fridge when it is packed to the gills. Food shoved in the back of the fridge won’t get eaten.
No amount of organization can solve an overconsumption problem. Keep this in mind on your next trip to the store.
What are the best ways to store vegetables and fruits?
As a long time vegan and veggie lover, I have had many years of experience with storing fruits and vegetables in the most efficient manner with food waste top of mind.
These are the best ways I’ve been able to minimize waste and manage the fridge restock process on a weekly basis.
How to store carrots, celery, cucumbers and radishes
Bulky vegetables such as carrots and celery tend to take up a lot of space in the fridge.
I like to cut and preprocess the vegetables right away so that my family can enjoy fresh cut foods as snacks or for lunch prep.
Carrots are
- peeled,
- cut down to size and
- stored in a glass container full of water.
This storage method keeps the carrots crunchy and preserves the freshness. The same is done for celery, cucumbers and even whole radishes.
How to store cilantro, parsley, and green onions
In my fridge I store ample bunches of cilantro, parsley and green onions as these are staples in most of the recipes I cook.
To preserve and minimize waste for cilantro and parsley, I remove the rubber band keeping the bunch together and then put the stems into a jar filled with water just as you would for a bouquet of flowers.
Use a plastic bag to cover the bunch and then use the rubber band to close off the plastic at the base of the jar.
This hack works wonders and keeps the cilantro and parsley fresh for several weeks.
Apply the same method for green onions.
How to store broccoli and cauliflower
A large bunch of broccoli or cauliflower take up quite a bit of space in the fridge making it a bit of an organization challenge.
This is why I like to cut the stalk off the vegetables soon after my grocery store trip.
Removal of the stalk and storing the crowns will minimize the space taken up in the fridge.
- Carefully use your knife to cut about a half inch below the broccoli crown.
- Store the prepped chopped pieces in a glass storage container for later use.
The broccoli stems don’t go to waste because I like to reserve them for salads and other recipes.
How to store berries
Berries can set you back several dollars depending on when they are in season so you want to use this method to preserve and keep this costly fruit fresh for as long as possible.
Soak your berries in a mixture of water and vinegar or a bath of water and baking soda.
Don’t worry about the vinegar affecting the taste of the berries.
If you soak the fruit for a short period of time you won’t run into any issues. This hack helps to remove any debris on the fruit and washes them. After soaking for about 20 minutes, drain and rinse the berries.
I like to dry the berries on a towel before carefully storing in a dry container.
I’ve used a few different berry bins that do the trick.
The Home Edit Berry Bin
You’ve likely seen The Home Edit berry bin all over TikTok and for good reason. It’s a very well-made product that has a beautiful design which is stackable and clear.
It comes with an interior container that is slotted to drain any water from the berries and comes with a matching clear lid.
I like the interior feature, but don’t really use it as I started to wash then dry my berries before storage in the fridge.
While the exterior piece is sturdy, I did find that the interior piece was a bit more flexible. It is durable and I don’t think it would break, the quality may be a bit lower than the exterior piece.
Divided Berry Bin
This option is great because it is sturdy in construction and it is clear so that you are able to see how much you have on hand which makes meal prep and planning easier.
The product features an inside basket with holes so that washing and storing berries is a breeze. It also comes with a divided section to separate different berries which is a nice benefit.
Wide mouth Mason jar with plastic lid
The wide mouth glass mason jar is a favorite of mine because it is the jack of all trades in terms of versatility.
It’s the perfect size for any sauces and dressings or any food prep items such as chopped carrot or celery sticks. It also works well for berries of all types.
While mason jars usually come with the metal canning tops, I prefer the wide mouth plastic lids because these do not rust and keep the foods fresher, longer.
Fridge Restock Videos
Interested in getting extra motivated with aesthetic fridge restock videos? Here are a few options to get you inspired to tackle your own fridge.
These are my viral videos on food storage and fridge organization. Please take a look by clicking on the photos below. Enjoy!
Fridge Organization and Restock Summary
I hope these tips and suggestions will help you keep a more organized fridge that is easy to restock.
The options mentioned here can easily get you started with the best ways to fridge restock and get organized in the kitchen.
Choose the options and ideas that best suit your lifestyle and your household. That’s the best way to keep up with the organization practice.
I encourage you to be open to trying these new ideas and if some don’t work out, try out other ideas mentioned in this article on future trips to the grocery store. Trial and error are our best teachers for finding the right solutions.
Let me know in the comments below how you organize your fridge and what areas you get stuck on in getting organized. I’ll respond and share my expert advice to help you get organized!
Tidy on and tidy strong, my friends!
Frequently Asked Questions for Fridge Organization and Restock
Got a question on fridge organization not answered above? Here are several frequently asked questions that may help on your tidying journey.
We drink plant-based milks such as oat and cashew milk which we store on the fridge door. Dairy based milks should be stored inside the fridge on the shelf to reduce the chance of spoilage.
It’s tempting to store your eggs in the refrigerator door, because there is a dedicated space and shelf for it, but resist the urge in favor of food safety. The temperature on the door is generally lower than the inside of the fridge. To be on the safe side, store eggs on the shelf of the fridge towards the back.
There has been a recent explosion of product restock videos circulating on social media platforms. These videos showcase the process of restocking foods, or any number of things when stock becomes low.
Restocking is the process of replenishing an item when inventory is low or the products have been all used up.
I have many guesses on why fridge restock videos are popular, but most have to do with the satisfying nature of having full stock.
When you enter a grocery store, it’s not very appealing when you see and come across empty shelves with picked over products.
Visually, when you see neatly arranged rows of like kind products together it looks tidy and organized. A bit of psychology may play a role here too where restocking videos relate to abundance rather than scarcity.
In general scarcity is less appealing for most.
Restocking videos have become a form of entertainment in the social media landscape. It’s a chance to see how other people live by viewing the products they use and how they organize and store their items. There is a visual element and appeal that is connecting folks all over the world through these viral videos.
It may not have been visible in the videos shown above, but all leftovers are left on the fourth shelf of the fridge. As a general rule I don’t store large awkward sized items in the fridge because it’s not efficient to store. Leftovers are mainly stored in square of rectangle glass containers.
This question was the second most popular items asked. My entire family of four are plant-based vegetarian/vegans. We consume a lot of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis and we do eat all the food in the fridge. Very little food goes to waste and that has been because I can now see everything in the fridge.
Prior to getting the food storage containers, we would often have fruits shoved in the back of the fridge not visible or accessible and at times we would forget about it and the foods would spoil. Since using the new products I can see everything very easily which has made a big difference in consuming all foods.
My household consumes a lot of berries. This is largely because it’s our favorite type of fruit and it’s also the lowest on the glycemic index. Based on my personal experience the berries are plump and juicy until about day 5. On average my family consumes all the berries by day 3-4 so we barely ever have a chance of reaching day 5. There are tips for processing that I researched beforehand that may make a difference in the longevity of the fruit, but in my experience prior to day 5 is a good rule of thumb for my berries.
I wash my berries in a solution of 1/5 vinegar and 4/5 water. After several minutes in the mixture I swish it all around with my hands and then leave it soak for several more minutes. If you look carefully, you may see bits rise to the top. That’s when I know the berries can be drained, rinsed and patted dry. After drying the berries I put them in the containers and enjoy them during the week.
More Food Storage Options
Listed below are the specific product details and a quick summary of the pros and cons of the products.
Divided Fridge Bin
Divided Fridge Bin is also from The Container Store’s line of The Home Edit. I really like the divider especially since I like to contain like kind items together. The design is stackable and that’s a plus for me in our fridge. The handle on the front and the hole on the top lid do allow air inflow. I don’t love this for that particular reason as it limits what I store in this container. This works fine for my whole strawberries or peppers and I don’t have a problem.
Divided Drawer Bin
The Divided Fridge drawer is great for items that you can grab straight from the fridge. I simply pull out the handle and grab what I need, making it one step less to get to my foods. The con of this product is that the exterior piece is bulky and takes up a bit of space. If you have space challenges in your fridge, consider this before buying. I do like that these are stackable shelves as well.
Multi Purpose Bin
The multi purpose bin is exactly as the name suggests. It is a solid bin with two comfort handles on each end. I really like this container for storing larger fruits and vegetables. You can group your items together and the clear bin allows you to also see how much you have in stock so there is less spoilage. It’s also a great size for containing other items in your home.
Turntable
While I didn’t specifically showcase this product in my video, a turntable is a really great option for storing food items in the fridge as well. You can put your condiments on the tray and then grab what you need with ease rather than taking literally everything out of the fridge just to grab the bottle of ketchup in the way back. It does take up space in a different kind of way because of the circular shape, but you do solve the issue of visibility that you might not otherwise get.
Narrow Bin
The narrow bin is well, narrow as the name states and measures 4 inches wide. I like this feature and purchased this intentionally as my fridge is a bit awkward and this was the only product that would fit a particular space in my fridge. It also has a matching lid and functions similarly to the other products within the line.
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