Call it a fridge-lift, a refriger-vention, or how about a fridge-tox…
Yup, I like that one!
If you’re getting serious about starting a healthier lifestyle, I promise you, your fridge is the best place to start!
A Clean & Organized Fridge is Worth Your Time & Effort
Just like a clean desk increases your productivity at work, a clean fridge will help you be more productive at adopting your healthy lifestyle.
You’ve heard of Marie Kondo’s The Life Changing Magic of Tidying by now, right? Well, when I really started being purposeful and deliberate about how I set up my fridge I found that I stayed on-plan, wasted less food (cause I could actually see what I had), and felt more in-control!
Yeah, it’s worth your time to do this, trust me.
What you have in your fridge today says a whole lot about your lifestyle and who you are. Just take a look at this famous photolog documenting random people’s fridges from around the US.
Take a moment and think: What does your fridge say about you? Is your fridge set up and oroganized to serve your health and life goals?
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- fridge organization inspiration
- recommended refrigerator storage finds (glass food storage containers & bins)
- deep cleaning & maintenance cleaning
- fridge organizing strategy
- the 6 key items you need in your fridge now for better health
- how I share my fridge with my non-nutritarian family
Here’s what you get:
- master fridge shopping list
All right, I’m pumped! How about you?
Let’s do it! Let’s set up your fridge for clean-eating success on the Eat to Live plan, or any healthy lifestyle you’re aiming for this year!
Get Your Weekly Fridge-spiration Fix
If the thought of cleaning and reorganizing your fridge sounds like the absolute-last-thing-you’d-ever-want-to-do this week, month or even year, then you might be needing some fridge-spiration!
I’ve been sharing my fridge on social media for years now and so many readers have messaged me to let me know that it inspires them to take action–so it’s time for you to get in on the fun! Here’s an easy way to get fridge-spired: follow me on Instagram @hellonutritarian and check out #52fridges and get the inspiration you need to turn your fridge into the clean-eating-machine you always dreamed it could be.
I also have a few Pinterest boards set up specifically for fridges (here and here)!
The Best Fridge Storage Containers
When it comes to fridge storage I’m a big believer in using what you have on hand right now and just start already!
But I also want to give you the tools you need for success if you’re ready to focus on setting up your fridge to maximize your health!
I’ve taken this section and created a post all about the food storage and containers I use in my fridges and recommend most.
Click here to read The Best Food Storage Containers for Your Fridge post!
You’ll learn about:
- Mason jar storage guide (the 3 sizes you need most & how to use them)
- the 2 snap-lock glass container sets I recommend most
- my favorite fridge storage bins
- re-purposing jars & containers you already have
Okay, now you should have a fridge storage container strategy in the works! So let’s dig into taking action making your fridge your healthy-eating focal point…
How to Have a Fridge-Tox
You know that famous commercial line: “What’s in your wallet?”
Well, just imagine Samuel L. Jackson heading over to your fridge right now and documenting (to the television audience at home) what he found: “Hot-damn, woman! This buffalo sauce expired in 2013!”
The point is, if you’re neglecting your fridge you’re neglecting your health. And, that is no longer acceptable.
I won’t let you do it!
So get ready to grab some cleaning spray and put on your favorite tunes because it’s time to get cleaning! It’s essential that you empty it out, clean it down, and purge the junk.
Let’s take a bit of time to overview the two types of cleanings you want to incorporate into your fridge routine:
- deep cleaning
- weekly organization & wipe downs
The Deep Clean
It’s always best to start with a deep clean.
That means you clear every item out of your fridge (if you have a cooler handy, you can store items int here as you clean) and take out every shelf, drawer and door compartment that you can.
You can wash everything down with warm soapy water and dry with hand towels.
Now that everything is out of your fridge it’s a great time to get a lay of the land. Identify where the air sources are in your fridge. Keep in mind that every fridge is different and you could have multiple sources.
You’re going to want to make sure that you allow for ample space around your airflow sources when you reorganize your fridge.
What to Ditch During Your Deep Clean: Spark Health
If you have a Netflix account, I highly recommend watching Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. It follows different families through the process of creating a deeper, more intentional and meaningful relationship with their stuff.
And you better believe that you can use the same concept when it comes to what you’re going to put back in your deep-cleaned fridge.
I want you to hold every item that you took out of your fridge (check the expiration date) and then ask yourself: Will this improve my overall health? If the answer is “no” or you’re not sure–ditch it!
You only want items in your fridge that are going to help you create the healthy lifestyle you want to live moving forward. You may be following a different program, but if you’re gearing up to develop a nutritarian lifestyle using the Aggressive Weight Loss Plan, here are some items to ditch:
- butter
- cheese & yogurt
- deli meats & bacon
- sodas & juices with added sugars
- pickles and condiments that include oils, excessive sodium, added sugars or animal products
If you don’t feel comfortable throwing away food, give it to a good neighbor or local food bank (if they accept perishables).
Weekly Fridge Organization
Weekly Fridge OrganizationWhen you open up your fridge you should easily be able to identify your next 3 to 5 meals.
You want to organize your fridge according to this principle: Put your best food forward.
That means that healthy grab-and-go items are at the forefront of your fridge (and we’ll get into exactly what kind of foods those are in the next section).
Think of organizing your fridge in one dimension instead of three. Once something gets pushed back in your fridge it’s chances of getting spoiled and ignored (and wasted) are infinitely higher.
Start practicing bringing your food forward in your fridge and avoid going more that two items deep in your main shelves.
Organize drawers so that when you pull them out you can easily see everything in the drawer.
Weekly Wipe Downs and Condensing Items
When you set up your fridge every week, ideally after you go food shopping or do some preps for the week, you want to do a decent wipe down of your mail shelves.
This maintains your deep clean and helps you monitor food that’s gotten pushed back or forgotten.
Mid-week you will want to focus on condensing down the size of your storage containers.
For example if you cut up a pineapple at the beginning of the week and have been eating from that container for the last 3 to 4 days, you will want to put the remaining pineapple into a smaller jar.
The simple act of downsizing your food storage containers during the week, as you eat through your food and preps, will help prolong food freshness!
How Often Should You Clean the Fridge?
Aim to do a deep fridge clean/detox twice a year every quarter.
Maintain those deep cleans with weekly wipe-downs and you’ll be enjoying a clean, fresh, and beautiful fridge all year long!
Okay, so your fridge is about to be insanely-sparkly clean! Now, what in the heck are you going to put in it…
The 6 Key Items You Need in Your Fridge Now For Better Health
My fridge might not always look this organized, but I can promise you, I always have these items on hand (or I’m on my way out to the store to get them):
1 – Beverages, Liquids & Juices
This is the first fridge category we’re going to tackle because a lot of fridge real estate is dedicated to liquids.
There are four types of liquids I recommend keeping in your fridge:
- low-sodium veggie broth
- coconut water
- non-dairy plant milks
- citrus juice
Veggie Broth:
On Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat to Live plan you don’t cook with oil. Instead, you do your sauteing with low-sodium vegetable stock.
I know! It seems extreme, but it’s really easy to do and you’d be surprised how little you actually miss the oil!
Don’t believe me? Try out one of my favorite oil-free recipes: Un-Fried Rice–we eat this at least once a week!
Coconut Water:
This is my go-to, green-smoothie-making liquid (you can find my favorite green smoothie recipe here). If you are going to use coconut water for your smoothies, just remember, check the labels to make sure it does not have added sugar!
I don’t drink coconut water by itself, only in smoothies. It adds extra magnesium and potassium and little extra depth of flavor.
Non-Dairy Plant Milks:
My favorite non-dairy milk of choice is Trader Joe’s Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk. I also use TJ’s unsweetened, non-vanilla for savory recipes.
Recently I started making my own almond milk in the Vitamix–and it’s sooo much yummier (there will be a post and recipe on this soon).
So, why switch to non-dairy milks?
The reason is milk (and other dairy products and animal products) elevate the levels of IGF-1 in our bodies.
IGF-1 is an insulin-like growth factor that is one of the body’s most important growth promoters during our infancy and childhood because it accelerates the aging process. Now, that we are adults “accelerating the aging process” ain’t so good!
Elevated IGF-1promotes the growth, proliferation and spread of cancer cells later in life. Make sure to read this article for more information.
There are so many delicious, non-dairy milks to chose from like soy, coconut, hemp, cashew, and almond. This is an easy area of your life you can change and reap immediate cancer-prevention benefits.
Citrus Juice
I always juice a bag of lemons or limes to use in recipes throughout the week.
Since you don’t cook with oil on Dr. Fuhrman’s plan, citrus juice is perfect for roasting veggies, creating dressings and sauces and I also have a mug of hot lemon-water in the mornings to help wake up my lymphatic system, you can learn more about this morning ritual here.
2 – In-Fridge Salad Bar
If there’s only one healthy eating habit you’re willing to adopt it needs to be to eat a large salad everyday!
I try to eat a salad as my main course for lunch and dinner. You will be amazed at how good you will feel if you start adopting this into your lifestyle.
I have a free get-started plan for you: The 7 Day Salad Cleanse–Just sign up for my weekly email chats and I’ll send you link to download straight away! LEARN MORE HERE
The easiest way to ensure you’re meeting the recommended 1 pound of raw veggies daily when you’re following the aggressive weight loss plan is to create an in-fridge salad bar.
This can be as simple as keeping salad bar ingredients stocked in your fridge or you can take the time each week to pre-chop your toppings for easy-breeze salad-making throughout the week!
Recommended salad bar:
- organic salad greens (butter lettuce, mixed greens, romaine, curly kale, leaf lettuce)
- carrots
- grape tomatoes
- bell peppers
- onions (green, white or red)
- cabbage or broccoli
If you’re not quite ready for a salad bar or you’re not planning on following a nutritarian lifestyle then focus on keeping loads of veggies on hand in your fridge…
Fresh Veggies For Days
The fact is the more fresh and cooked veggies you eat the healthier you are–that is an irrefutable fact!
I try to have ready-to-go veggies at all times. Taking a half-hour to cut up veggies for the week can really save you time during the week.
- chopped eggplant (to quickly roast or saute)
- red bell peppers
- celery
- red cabbage
- sugar snap peas
- cucumbers
3 – Fresh Fruits
Not only do I have two kiddos who are bonafide fruit-a-holics but I, personally, have fruit with every meal.
I like to put clementine oranges, pomegranate seeds and sliced strawberries in salads. I like to have oranges, grapes or an apple after lunch.
Dr. Fuhrman advises to eat at least 3 whole fruits a day because of all of their body-beneficial phytonutrients and antioxidants.
Fruit also satisfies our sweet-tooth and is literally the perfect dessert–cause fruits are the very sweets our bodies were designed to eat!
Try to have your fruits ready-to-go and visible in the fridge. Wash and cut strawberries, melons, pineapple, etc… We like to have chilled apples and oranges in the warmer months.
4 – Tofu
This is one of my major protein sources (along with beans, seeds and nuts) and I always have it on hand.
I know there’s a lot of conflicting information out there about soy products being safe. I highly recommend you review these articles:
Tofu has tons of plant-based protein, calcium and iron–so, go on and give it a try!
Be sure to check out two of my most popular tofu recipes on the blog:
5 – Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a healthy fridge must-have because they are a dietary superfood!
They induce weight-loss and reduce blood sugar, they have these things called angiogenesis-inhibitors that actually attack fat and cancer cells, they enhance immune function and promote healthy gut bacteria! You can read a ton more about how freaking-amazing mushrooms are here.
Bottom line is you need mushrooms in your life and in your fridge! Sauté them in veggie broth, sprinkle with no-salt seasoning and keep them in the fridge to put on salads, pitas or add to cooked dishes.
6 – Batched Food Preps
I’ve been focusing on weekly batch food prepping since 2016 (it’s kinda a big deal I have a whole program on nutritarian food prepping here) and I shared all about it one of the most-popular posts here on Hello Nutritarian: The Eat to Live Food Prep Guide.
If you haven’t read that article already, now’s the perfect time!
The point is you need to have ready-to-go meals in your fridge. You decide the time commitment you can handle and start making at least some of your food ahead of time.
At a bare-minimum you want to focus on these three areas:
- no-oil, no (or low)-added-salt condiments
- soup for the week
- ready-to-go whole grains
The Right Condiments
Condiments can sneakily add extra calories, salt, sugar and fat to your diet. During your fridge-tox, you should have already read your condiment labels and purged accordingly. Anything with too much salt, fat or sugar needs to go!
I like to keep apple cider, balsamic and rice wine vinegar on hand when I just want to use them as a simple dressing on their own.
Ditch processed, store-bought salad dressings and make your own oil-free versions instead! You can use orange juice, lemon juice, liquid aminos (a lower-sodium soy sauce substitute), Dijon mustard and tahini to make your own dressings.
Use juice as a condiment rather than a stand-alone drink (Dr. Fuhrman recommends eating whole fruit instead of fruit juice so you get that beneficial fiber instead of only the sugars).
Learn how to make 2-Ingredient Refrigerator Pickles here!
Favorite Salad Dressings:
- No-Oil Extra-Creamy Hummus (with Balsamic vinegar drizzled on top, like this)
- No-Oil Walnut Vinaigrette
- No-Oil Beet Hummus Dressing
- No-Oil Carrot Ginger Dressing
- No-Oil Tofu Ranch Dressing
Favorite Sauces:
- No-Oil Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
- No-Oil Herb Tahini
- No-Soak Nutritarian Cheese Sauce
- Cilantro Cashew Cream Sauce
- Tahini-Date Sauce
Select a Soup
Taking the time to make a soup for the week is one of the best things you can do to keep yourself on track!
Dr. Fuhrman has called this the “soup and salad” diet and that’s really how simple it can be! Make a double-batch to store in the fridge and eat throughout the week!
Choose one of these favorites:
- Sweet Potato Split Pea Soup
- Golden Cauliflower Cream Soup
- Pho Noodle Soup
- Roasted Asparagus & Pea Soup
Batch-Prep Your Whole Grains
I like to make a batch of brown rice and some bean pasta to use throughout the week.
Since you get up to 1 cup of whole grains daily, it’s easier to measure that serving out when they are already cooked and add them to your soup, salad or other dish.
This is what your fridge can look like when you follow my 6-week Prep Program!
How amazing is it going to feel to open you fridge doors every day, knowing exactly what you’re going to eat? Learn more about the program here!
I’m not the only one who eats from this fridge!
Just in case you were wondering (which everyone does).
My family is not nutritarian like I am.
I keep most of my hubby’s and kiddos’ foods in the deli drawer, the insides of the fridge doors, and the freezer.
My hubby will eat nutritarian meals with me, but he has chicken and more processed vegan “meats.” He also loves store-bought sauces like Tobasco, BBQ and ketchup.
My kiddos are not nutritarians yet (bwah-ha-ha!). I limit their dairy intake and they eat tons of veggies (raw and cooked). They also have two meat-free meals weekly, so they are getting there.
We all enjoy the fresh fruit, veggies and whole grains you see in my fridge pics.
How to Share Your Fridge With Non-Nutritarians
Yes, I take up about 75% of the fridge real estate but I’m usually the one who is cooking and therefore using the fridge the most–I have organized the fridge to promote MY healthy eating prerogative!
The main point I wanted to make here is: arrange your fridge to maximize your healthful eating success!
Health is a priority that should be reflected in your fridge. And guess what? By default, the other people in your home are going to be eating healthier too because it will be readily available!
I’m giving you complete permission to have designated areas in your fridge that are yours. Consider them your safe zones.
Famous French gastronome Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote, “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.”
I’ll add to that, show me your fridge and I’ll tell you who you are.
This is just simple common sense, but when you really stop and think about it: what we choose to put in our fridge will ultimately make up our bodies.
I want you to aim to have a mindful and purposeful fridge and I hope I shared some highly-doable ways to let your fridge be a tool for your healthy-eating success!
Make sure you download the Eat to Live Fridge Shopping List below, so you can get started creating the fridge of your dreams!
Download it here: Eat to Live Fridge Shopping List 2019
I really hope that you enjoyed this Eat to Live Fridge Guide!
I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below.
And if you end up implementing some of these fridge tips in your own life, I’d love to see them in action–make sure to tag me @HelloNutritarian so I can check them out and cheer you on!
Thank you so much! This is a great post. I love the printables and how comprehensive this post is.
Yay Mary! I’m so glad it was helpful for you! Thank you so much for letting me know you liked it!
This is your best post yet. Comprehensive, inspiring, and a great way to highlight tasty recipes that may have otherwise gotten lost in other posts. I especially enjoyed the tofu section: I’m only now convincing myself that I like tofu, and have been experimenting with it in a lot of different ways over the past week. Can’t wait to try your scrambled “eggs!” Keep up the great work, Kristen!
Hi Tracy! That you so much for the feedback! I’d been working on this post for a while and I really wanted it to be great–so glad you enjoyed it!
I have a lot more fun up my sleeves that I can’t wait to share! if there is any topic in particular that you’d like to see more info about, please let me know!
xo, Kristen
I FINALLY had a chance to read your post…and I LOVE it! Thank you so much for your advice, insight and suggestions. I actually love to clean out my fridge and try to do it weekly, but I just learned I have a lot more to do! I need to replace my store-bought salad dressings with the homemade ones…they look delish!!
Yay, Jen!! I’m so glad you liked it!! Wow, weekly cleanings are awesome!! I totally agree, making your own dressing will make a huge difference in eating healthy!
All these items look very healthy…but you need to check which items should be stored in the fridge and which should not. Some of these items such as vinegar have no expiration and require no fridge. Others such as tomatoes and onions should not be in the fridge or stored together. the stems of the bananas should be wrapped to help extend shelf life. There are lots of great sources for this info as well as state and federal websites.
Hi Rae! Lol, I’ve gotten a lot of flack for having my bananas in the fridge–really it was a way to fit some more fruit in the picture 😉
I keep my vinegar in the fridge because I like it to be cold when I use it as a salad dressing. Same with my fruits and veggies–I make a lot of salads (2 a day) and I just like them to be as as cold as I can get them!
xo, Kristen
I am looking forward to switching to some of these items.
Yay!! Let me know how it goes!
How do you keep your eggplant from turning brown?
Hi Whitney!
I haven’t had a problem with them turning brown in the fridge. Putting them in usually makes them last longer for me, but I usually eat them within a week of buying them! Where do you usually keep them?
xo, Kristen
I haven’t in the past used them much…I just thought they turned brown when sitting 🙂 I am loving your articles. Very, very helpful. Cutting up my produce for salads and prepping stuff for the week has been so helpful in keeping me on track…but not only that it has made healthy food readily available to my kids….now they grab veggies/fruit much more often than in the past….
Thanks so much for the great post and awesome printables!
My pleasure Tiera! Thanks so much for the lovely comment!
xo, Kristen
Great post! Very inspiring!
Thanks so much, Mom! Love you!! xo, K
OK, I love love love that you have the exact same fridge as me! See, it’s fate! hahah Thanks again!
Woo hoo!! LG fridges are in the house!!
Love, love, love this fridge with all my heart! When we opened the floor model we felt like we were in a disco–lol!
xo, Kristen
I am so psyched. I have gained a lot of weight due to knee issues and the lack of movement that ensued from those knee issues. I have never been this heavy- even during my two pregnancies. I have read the Furhmann, Hyman and other plant-based diet books but NONE of them made it seem so doable!!! Thank you for compiling all of your awesome knowledge into one place in order to help people. I very much want to be part of your community. Do you at all touch upon exercise? I just got your email last night so I have not yet looked at everything.
Thanks so much, Kristen!!
Hi Ellen!
So happy you found the site and it has been helpful for you!
When I started my first 6 weeks I did not exercise. I always encourage to follow Dr. Fuhrman’s advice which is to focus on eating nutritarian and lose your first 25 pounds then layer on the exercise.
I plan on adding more in the site about exercise for those who are more experienced nutritarians–it’s coming!
So happy you’re here!!
xo, Kristen
I just finished reading Dr. Furhman’s Eat to Live (I’m dangerously overweight). I looked up recipes on Pinterest and thankfully arrived at your glorious wealth of blogs! I feel so blessed and thankful for the timing. That you have shared all of your hard earned success and wisdom so that newbies like me have an ever greater–and I bet more enjoyable–transition to a healthier lifestyle. This post is so helpful and I’m actually excited about ditching my bad habits and exchanging them for this. Just…thank you so much! Keep sharing!
Hi Marissa!
So happy you found the site through Pinterest and you are finding it helpful–you have no idea how happy it makes me to hear!!
I will be here to root you on and I’m so excited you are starting your nutritarian journey!!
xo, Kristen
LOVE YOUR SITE!!!! We have been Nutritarians coming onto 5 years in August, and have found many of the things you have–you are what’s in your fridge. We live in So. Cal, and shop at the Farmer’s Market, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and a local Korean market, and prep our foods weekly. Beautiful posting, and congrats for holding the line even though there are non-nutritarians in your world. GREAT WORK!!!! I will be sharing your site in a presentation I’m doing this weekend on learning and nutrition. I hope my audience checks out your site. I will DEFINITELY be promoting this as a GREAT resource for people starting out.
So wonderful to meet you Marga!
I’m so, so glad you found the site and thank you so much for sharing it–that’s the greatest compliment I can ever receive! I’ll be down in Newport Beach this weekend for Dr. Fuhrman’s getaway and I’m soooo excited!
Thanks so much again!
xo, Kristen
You mentioned soya sauce and balsamic vinegar , you have to be careful because some of the brands out there also contains sugars.
Hi Nathalie!
Yes, that’s right, some brands do contain sugar. I don’t recommend soy sauce, but I do recommend Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or Coconut Aminos!
xo, Kristen
Love this post and now I don’t feel so weird with how my fridge looks lol. I’ve been transitioning to a more nutrarian way of eating and have discovered I just can’t fit everything in, along with the rest of my family’s stuff :p I need get creative because it’s a bit out of hand and my husband is starting to grumble because every time he opens the fridge he gets hit by some sort of vegetable lol. He’s putting up with my ‘craziness’ but the man literally does not eat any veggies or fruit, so he doesn’t appreciate all my pretty produce :p
One ?-where do you get coconut water and why do you use that over almond milk in your smoothies? I have a green smoothie every day and use 1/2c unsweetened almond milk and 1c water as the base. Wondering if there’s any benefit to switching out the almond milk.
Thanks-Sara
Hi again Sara!
Lol!! I totally relate! My hubby says we have the whole produce isle in our fridge–I’m like: WORD.
I do coconut water in my smoothies just for extra electrolytes. I have a heart arrhythmia and the extra magnesium and potassium are always helpful int hat regard!
Almond milk works just as well!!
xo, Kristen
Thanks for the reply! Since I commented I did some more research on coconut water and liked what I saw, so I’ve modified my go-to green smoothie recipe and now use 1/2 cup coconut water and 1 cup unsweetened almond milk as the base 🙂 I’m learning so much from your blog!
Hi Kristen! I’m so glad that I came across your post! The information that can often feel overwhelming is organized in a non-overwhelming way here, so thank you! Question – I don’t see any of the whole grains listed on the shopping list. Is that by design? Thanks!
Hi Sarah,
So wonderful to meet you and I’m so happy you’ve found the site helpful!!
Yes, totally by design! I kept this list fridge-specific, but you can check out my Pantry post here and there is a “dry” shopping list attached there!
xo, Kristen
This is really interesting, but i have to unsubscribe. Lots of pretty pictures, but I wish there were labels as to what is in all those pretty pictures! Basically, I have to buy the book and I just can’t right now. I’ll figure something out on my own
So sorry to hear that June!
I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to look around the site but I have tons of free resources that can help you get started!
Head to the Daily Menus section here and you’ll get over 50 daily plans with recipes and a free printable shopping list for the most recent days!
My fridge has weekly batch preps many of which you can find in my free guide here: The Eat to Live Food Prep Guide. You can also get a free sample week and printable schedule!
xo, Kristen
Hi Kristen! I love this article! I’m very much all about organic, healthy foods and your refrigerator is a dream. I’d love to do this with my own fridge. Could you tell me where you found your Ball food containers? They are absolutely darling.
So lovely to meet you Kelsey!
YAY!! I love hearing that this has inspired a fridge-tox!!
Yes, I have it all linked up in my shop page here!
xo, Kristen
Kristen,
I absolutely love this site!! I want to be a nutritarian so badly! I’ve read the books and totally believe this is the best way to eat!!! I feel totally alone with this way of eating because none of my friends or family are on board. Your blog makes this lifestyle seem much more do-able. Thanks for your insight, the free printables and all your creative ideas! I’m hoping I can get it right this time!
Love this website !! Thank you very much
Kristen thank you so much for your beautiful sharing heart. I share a frig with my carnivore husband and critters. We have two refrigerators but I am trying to get organized enough so that I have one frig. ( We will be moving and less clutter is less clutter ). My poor honey still has fruits and veggies jumping out at him. I stumbled across your posts on Instagram and Pinterest. I recently purchased Dr. Furman’s books after listening to him on the Food Summit. Your comprehensive lists, pictures, recipes, etc., are AMAZING!!!!!! Thanks so very much. I have been a haphazardly buying organic food (canned, fresh, and dry) for years and wasting quite a bit sadly. I have been blaming it on my Fibromyalgia and multiple surgeries as of late. This will keep me on track and food won’t be wasted. Thank you thank you
I have trouble keeping fruits and veggies fresh, so your ideas on this would be welcome in future posts. My husband is a carnivore who does not like most veggies. Also we eat out a lot so it takes me longer to use up fresh foods. And I don’t want to eat the same thing right away so half a melon often goes to waste; eggplant can be a problem, etc. I do what I can. I generally wash and dry lettuce when I buy it, and wrap it in paper towels in plastic bags. I pre-cook grains and dry beans and freeze them.
I’m hoping you can re-motivate me to eat to live! After mostly following Dr. Furhman for a year or so, I found myself really tiring of salads and craving some carbs.
SO nice to meet you, Meg, and welcome back to your nutritarian living!!
Will definitely be talking about freshness in an upcoming fridge post!
You’ll find lots of motivation and inspiration here! And listen to your body, if you need more carbs then add an extra serving each day–this is even more doable when you’re at your ideal weight or working out regularly.
xo, Kristen
Hi Kristen, found your Blog via Pinterest. I have been researching some healthier ways of eating – looking into Nutritarian but also Ketosis. They don’t agree on much, LOL! My problem is that I live in Thailand and many ingredients for recipes are not available here, or are very expensive if they are. But, I am inspired by your beautiful photos of colorful, fresh food, and also by your articles on prepping ahead and organizing the fridge. I already get a weekly organic CSA delivery here in Bangkok, and another delivery from a company with lots of seeds, nuts, broth, and meat. I think next week I will order three times as many greens and commit to the main meal salad every day, even if my family (hubby and two kids) only eat it as a side! Thanks for sharing that your hubby and kids are not all on the same eating plan as you; I always get overwhelmed thinking I have to change all 4 of us, but that’s not the case.
Hi Kristen! Thank you so much for sharing your insights on making it all happen. I LOVE Dr. Fuhrman and Dr. Gregor, but I haven’t been able to stay committed to the nurtitarian lifestyle. I am wholeheartedly a believer, but I get going and then give up. I am a home-schooling mom of 5 kiddos and I just find there is a lot of prep work for the cooking and I’m usually running behind in my day. Usually I am just worn out by the end of the day to chop and cook – UNTIL NOW! I love the Sunday prep day and I think organizing my fridge and pantry will be super helpful as well. Now I can attack with a plan that is prepared ahead of time instead of flying by the seat of my pants!! You have re-motivated me! It’s amazing that after experiencing the nutritarian lifestyle for 6 months and loosing weight and feeling great that I would return to my old ways, but I did. I am ready to jump back into healthful living! Thanks so much! You are an answer to my prayers!
Absolutely wonderful to meet you Audra!!
Wow, I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to leave a comment and share your story with us–you have no idea how this one comment can help so many people who are in your same position!
Oh, I completely “get it,” thought admittedly not the super-hero-momming-status that I give you for homeschooling 5 kiddos!!!
As moms we tend to put ourselves last and derive quite a bit of our self-worth by the accomplishments and progress that our kiddos make instead of us. I promise you that taking the 3 to 4 hours a week to prep for yourself so you can stay on the plan that makes you feel amazing is going to make a huge difference in your life!!
I’m so excited to help you in any way and cheer you on as you reset your nutritarian journey!!
And thank you dearly for your very kind words!!
xo, Kristen
This is great! Where did you get your food containers from?
So glad you liked it Adriyanna!
I have them all listed in my shop here!
xo, Kristen
Hi Kristen,
I’ve seen several people asking on Instagram as well as a few on your site regarding where you get the storage containers holding the apples and kale on the bottom shelf in the picture. I cannot find the answer anywhere and it’s not on your shop page. I’ve looked around on Amazon and the container store but don’t see them. Thanks!
Hi Natasha!
They are from Home Goods, I don’t remember the brand, but they were $8 for the large one and $6 for the medium one! I got them about 2 years ago!
Thanks so much for reminding me that I need to add that info to the post!
xo, Kristen
Frig pics are very exciting. It would be nice to have the containers labeled so we can see what’s in them, what’s fresh and what’s prepared or cooked. Then we could match the items for the week. It’s hard to decide what to cook, how much and what should be washed and chopped.
Your guide would be easy to follow and make the same refrigerator.
Hi Jacque!
You will want to read through the Food Prep Guide here to see more of what’s cooked and what’s fresh! That post goes through more of a system with an in-fridge salad bar, roasted veggies and a soup for the week!
The fridge post is more about what to get rid of and what to keep!
xo, Kristen
Absolutely love this site. It’s, my go-to on a daily basis sometimes. Down 32 pounds, feel wonderful and will eat this way forever ’cause it’s just plain delicious! Thank you for you posts!
Oh that’s just so wonderful to hear, Sue!!
I love knowing that you are going nutritarian for life and that the site has helped you!!
32 pounds is just AMAZING!!! Thank you for sharing your journey with us–absolutely inspiring!
xo, Kristen
Hi Kristen!
Loooovveee your posts!
I was just wondering where you get these awesome fridge storage containers!! I’m so jelly!
Thanks 🙂
Hi Casey!
So wonderful to hear you are enjoying the site!!
I have my food containers and jars linked in the shop and I got the plastic bins from Home Goods a few years back!
xo, Kristen
Hi!
I can across your blog today via Pinterest and I am totally excited to try this way of eating! I was just wondering, can you have minimal amounts of animal product? I really like eggs lean meat and cheese and I don’t know how I would remove them from my diet completely? Would this impact my chances of losing weight though if I kept them in my diet?
Hi Nicole!
So wonderful to meet you and welcome!
Yes, you can have animal products in the nutritarian plan–that would be following the basic guidelines and not the aggressive weight-loss plan. Weight loss will be slower but will still happen because you will be crowding out the animal products. Dr. Fuhrman advises using animal products as a condiment mainly for flavoring. He recommends limiting your animal product to, preferably, not more than 5 percent of total caloric intake. You can read up on the Nutritarian food pyramid here: https://www.drfuhrman.com/learn/library/articles/57/dr-fuhrmans-nutritarian-pyramid
Personally, I’d say to start by getting in all the recommended foods for the day and then have those eggs, lean meats, and cheese–make them the last thing you eat because you’re not going to eat much of them. A great place to start this lifestyle is with “The 7 Day Salad Cleanse”–my free ebook you get when you register for Hello Nutritarian emails here! Follow the green pace and see how much you can lose just by adding more healthful foods into your current diet, then move on from there!
xo, Kristen
Hello! This is the prettiest fridge I have ever seen and I’ve looked online here and there, or maybe a little more 🙂 But you win, hands down! I am so inspired! I do have a question about the temperature that you keep your fridge on. I was afraid of keeping certain veggies and fruits outside of the crisper drawers. But I can only fit like two things in because they are tiny… apartment fridge 🙁 Just wanted to see if you have a post about which veggies to store where and how. Meaning always chop celery & store in container or leave it in the open fridge on the shelf. I just feel overwhelmed because I am not able to get to the store more than once a week and don’t know how to keep the expensive organic foods from spoiling or wilting. Hope that makes sense. Thank you so much for the inspiration!! Hugs
Hi Kristen! I’ve tried making my own almond milk in my Vitamix and… it was, honestly, so bad I threw it out. LOL I used a recipe from a great blog that’s never failed me before.. so I’m betting it was user error! Have you posted your recipe? How long does yours stay good in the fridge?? Thanks! 🙂
Oh! Also– do you make your vegetable stock??
THANK YOU!
So where can we buy the containers you have in the fridge? Like the one you have the apples in. This is awesome I need to try this.
Love this! SO awesome. Thanks for the help. 🙂
i love to use Romaine in my salads but hate the bagged ones, so I buy my own and use when I need them; which is the worst part of making the salad for me. What do you suggest in making this easier to use for the week? Would it turn brown or lose it’s crisp if I washed them all and break them into bite size pieces? Have you had any experience in this? Thanks.
Thank you so much for your time and energy on your gorgeous, sinpiring site. Who knew the insides of a fridge could be so beautiful??????!!!!!!!!!
A question: do you really store your greens loose and uncovered on open shelves? Does it have to do with your fridge settings? Mine really doesn’t have settings . . . and your apples and oranges are also OK sitting uncovered? I will be so happy if I can get all of the awful plastic bags out of my fridge!
I hope you are enjoying your vacation!
Best, and thanks again for everything,
Susan
Thanks so much for the great tips!! I’ll be implementing some of these for sure!
I just wanted to comment on the baby carrots you talked about. It’s my understanding that baby carrots are soaked in a chlorine solution as a preservative. If they sit long enough in the bag, they get a white film that develops which is the chlorine coming out. My grocery store also sells organic multicolored baby carrots, but I don’t know if those are processed the same way, so I’ve started only buying regular carrots and cutting them down. I know it’s a few extra minutes of prep, but I think it’s worth the effort. Plus, the skins are very nutritious, so sometimes I just wash them and leave them on!
Hi,
I was just wondering what containers you use? I love the organization! ,😍😍😍
Hi Sandra,
You can find links to all the containers I use here!
xo, Kristen
How much fridge space do you need for four adults to follow the nutritarian diet? How often to shop for produce? How much fridge volume do you need per person? How to store nuts and seeds in the fridge in a way that doesn’t make them get affected by moisture? What tips to look for when buying a fridge? One tip i have is to avoid fridges with the fish cheese deli meat drawers unless you eat tempeh or similar. I hope for these problems to be solved and the information to be free for all. Emcountering a paywall when trying to avoid repeating the mistakes others have made hinders conversion of people to the nutritarian diet. Peoples’ health is at risk as they stay malnourished trying hopelessly to follow the vegan diet.
Hi Arthur,
I plan on doing a post about fridge produce storage in early 2019–so stay tuned!
K
I love the pictures of the nutritarian fridge. I was interested in knowing what the sizes of the containers are, what are they made of, and where can they be purchased?
Hi Dennis,
I have everything I use in my fridge organization linked up in my shop here! And to read more particulars about the glass storage sets I like best be sure to read my Eat to Live Food Food Prep Guide here!
-K
Your fridge looks great! I’d love to know where you got the jars with the white lids – not the typical mason jars.
Hi Stephanie!
They are wide-mouth Mason jars with white plastic, screw-on caps! You can find them linked up with all my other storage recommendations here!
xo, Kristen
I tried and really like the idea of storing washed vegetables and herbs in upright jars at eye level but the temperature is a bit too chilly. Any thoughts on this?
Hi Heidi!
I’d recommend adding a plastic bag over the herbs and making sure the veggies have a lid! Also, your temperature settings can be adjusted. Start by lowering 1 single degree and see the difference. Also keep them on a shelf away from the primary airflow!
xo, Kristen
Fantastic post, really inspired me to overhaul my fridge (and actually be excited to do it)! Can you please link where you purchased the storage tubs you’ve filled with leafy greens in the pictures? The one’s you’ve linked all have handles and I want something closed in. Thanks x
What fridge do you recommend for this life style. Do you recommend a back up fridge to back things up to make the fridge easy for the family to access the main fridge?
Hi Michele,
So I started the first 8 years of my nutritarian journey with one shared fridge. It is a 2013 LG French door fridge and is still our main fridge in our home. Then I started writing my book Fridge Love in 2020 and we got two more fridges (a standard freezer top by Frigidair and a side-by-side by Kitchen Aid). You don’t need an extra fridge to be successful on this lifestyle but if it’s something you want to level up to after a certain amount of time–it would be great to use it as an incentive!
Best,
Kristen
Whoa, I love this website. I appreciate how thorough and well thought out everything is. I have a brain that is habitually asking questions as it reads, and it’s so nice how in depth you go! Makes my brain feel good. I am maybe starting my diet-reboot (not for weight loss) and I hope someday I can become half as organized and intentional as you. Do you ever use a foodsaver vaccuum sealer to pump air out of the mason jars?
Hi Mike, I’m so happy to hear that you’re enjoying the site and I appreciate you taking the time to let me know that it’s been a helpful resource for you on your journey! I have not tried using a vacuum sealer yet but recently a few companies have reached out and asked me to give theirs a try–so we will see!
I have a question. I have switched from soy sauce to coconut aminos. Is that OK?
Hi Lisa,
Yes! That’s a great swap because there’s less salt in the coconut aminos!!
Hi Lisa! That’s a great substitution! Definitely okay!
This is my first time visit at here and i am really happy to read everthing at one place.
So happy that you made your way here and that you’re finding the site helpful!
Are there any tips on cutting up fruit/veggies before putting it in the Ball mason jars? I bought a bunch and am worried about my fruit/veggies getting mushy. Any advice would be great! Thank you!
Hi Tricia, yes! I wrote a whole book called Fridge Love and I give guidance on storing chopped produce in the 80 page Produce Prep and Storage Guide in the book!
Hi Kristen. My husband and I are four weeks into the six week challenge, and doing pretty well. I’ve found that I really love using about 1 tsp of liquid aminos (with about 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast) as a salad dressing. Am I cheating because of the sodium in the aminos?
Huge congratulations for being 4 weeks in, Robin!
I think that 1 tsp of added sodium for each salad is not a problem!
where do i get the bins with handles order on amazon? is there a code
Hi Wendy! I have them linked up in this article: Fridge Love Cookbook
I have just decided to begin this new journey. I am glad I stumbled on your website. I am still new , but I am willing to learn along the way.
So happy that you made your way here, Keoki! Wishing you all the best on your journey!
This is great information, I’m just now finding you. Love it! I would love for my fridge to look like yours. I’m on board!
So happy that you made your way here, Patrice!
Hello,
I’m day 1 with this new way to live. Seems the skills here to acquire are not wasting money or food. So just starting out on a BUDGET I’m finding this to be expensive. Not complaining believe me, this to me is the best health insurance for I haven’t any, really. So I need guidance so I don’t waste food or make,buy, unnecessarily starting at literally day 1. I’m a single live alone. I’m doing inventory, this is eh, overwhelming. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Hi Les,
Congratulations on going nutritarian! I have a start up page that I recommend here! I also recommend downloading my free 7 Day Salad Cleanse plan to begin with–you can find more info on that here!
The important thing to remember is you don’t need to change your life overnight. Read one of Dr. Fuhrman’s books (if you haven’t already) and start by incorporating 1 large salad with an oil-free dressing each day. After a week or two of that add in a large steamed green veggie daily. Then grow out your practice from there!
Wishing you all the best!
Kristen
I just want to thank you for all you do. This information is very valuable to me!
I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know that the website has been helpful for you Charlene!