8 Smart Ways to Keep All of Your Leftovers Organized
8 Smart Ways to Keep All of Your Leftovers Organized
And avoid forgetting (and having to toss) last night's dinner.
Create a Must-Eat Box
Put soon-to-expire items in a box so your kids will know what they should hunt through first when looking for an after-school snack — plus, you'll remember to start there when making dinner.
Use a Dry Erase Crayon to Label
Instead of permanently marking up your plastic storage containers (or piling on a new piece of tape every time you want to label something) use a white dry erase crayon on a black lid, then wash it off after you're done and re-label all over again next time.
Freeze by Serving Size
Nothing is worse than wasting most of your just-opened can of tomato paste, because your recipe only calls for one teaspoon. But if you freeze your paste instead of tossing it, you can create divided portions that are made for the small quantities.
Include Leftovers in Your Weekly Menu
Face it: Part of the reason you forget to eat yesterday's chicken parmesan is because you forget about it while you're meal planning. But if you include leftovers on the list you keep on your fridge, they won't be so easy to overlook.
File Frozen Goodies in Bags
If you want to fit as much food into your freezer as possible (but avoid the annoyance of having to rummage through cold items to figure out what everything is) then freeze bags flat, then add labels on the sides so you can read 'em with ease.
Dedicate a Specific Area in Your Fridge
In this case, zone five is the area where leftovers go to be stored until eaten. Even better? This makes cleaning out your fridge a breeze, because you know where to look first for items that are most likely to have gone bad.
Make Sure Your Containers Optimize Your Storage
Admit it: Half of the battle of storing leftovers is figuring out the puzzle that is fitting all of the containers into the fridge. But these tubs prove that stackable storage is the way to go.
Use Sticky Notes for Labels
We're all for using office supplies around the house and your fridge is no exception. Sticky notes let you mark containers with the date it was made and won't leave any annoying marks on your plastic afterwards.
And avoid forgetting (and having to toss) last night's dinner.