Here’s my list of the top “must-have” items for your refrigerator. These are items you will use often. Buy only what you need for the week, as refrigerator life on many foods is very short. Keep an eye on expiration dates on fridge food.
Make an effort to use up all butter, eggs, milk, etc., before buying more. Keep in mind that many backups can be frozen and brought out as needed. Of course, everything depends on what you and your family like to eat. My husband is the king of salsa and puts it on everything. I keep a big jar handy in the fridge.
- Butter (Keep an extra box in the freezer. Salted for most uses, and unsalted for baking.)
- Milk (Whole milk for cooking, but 2% or skim is better for drinking.)
- Buttermilk: (Only if you plan on using it during the week — it also comes in powder.) You can also make your own buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk.)
- Pickles: (Dill and bread and bread and butter) Pickles are great low-to-no-calorie snacks, but also serve well in making sandwich spreads (tuna, chicken salad, etc.)
- Creams (If you plan on baking — half-and-half, light cream, heavy cream, sour cream)
- Cheeses: Cheddar, Cream Cheese, Mozzarella, and Parmesan
- Dijon Mustard
- Yellow Mustard
- Eggs
- Fresh Fruits
- Fresh Protein (Chicken, Meat, Pork, Bacon)
- Garlic: (Minced in a jar.) Fresh garlic bulbs are best stored at room temperature.
- Lemon Juice
- Mayonnaise
- Milk (Skim or 1%)
- Orange Juice
- Salsa
- Yogurt
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Hot Sauce
- Crisper: Lettuce, Carrots, and Cucumbers are good staples. There are a lot of great bagged salad blends available. Kale is very popular as a green; however, leafy greens like kale, butter lettuce, spinach go south quickly, so buy these when you intend on using them in a few days.
- Selection of Your Favorite Salad Dressings
(Refrigerator storage tip: Buy a smaller non-stick cookie sheet to put on your bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Use this to put packages of meat, like hamburger, pork, or raw chicken, on. This will catch any meat juices that might leak out from getting on the shelf. Put this in the dishwasher at least once a week or when you take out the meat to use and notice there has been spillage.)
