The Skinny Girl's Guide to Stocking a Healthy Fridge
People always want to know what's in my refrigerator. I love food, but I've managed to stay fit and thin into my 50s. The fact that I exercise (hard) most days of the week certainly helps. But I'd like to think that my skinny fridge plays a role as well.
What's Inside a Skinny Girl's Refrigerator
An organized refrigerator is the cornerstone of a healthy diet. If you always have nutritious low-calorie foods on hand, it becomes simple to make diet-friendly meal and snack choices. Most of the time, my refrigerator looks empty. But I always have lean protein, healthy fats, and enough fruits and veggies to make meals for 2-3 days. Of course, that means that I go to the grocery store more often, but it cuts down on food waste and grocery bills.
My refrigerator has two doors on the top and freezer on the bottom. I organize it like this:
Right Side:
Top Shelf: Eggs (raw and hard boiled), whole grain bread
Middle shelf: Fresh berries in season, grapefruit, bananas
Lower shelf: Tomatoes, onion, avocado
Drawers below the shelves: Seasonal veggies and spinach
Left Side: I keep all of my healthy beverages on this side so they are easy to grab. This includes 4-6 filled water bottles that are ready to grab. I also keep my SodaStream in the refrigerator because I have very limited counter space. In the left door I keep pre-filled SodaStream bottles that are ready to be carbonated. I also keep a bowl of lemons, limes and other fruit that I use to flavor my fizzy water.
In the right side door of my refrigerator, I keep higher-calorie or higher-sugar foods including one variety of cheese, Greek yogurt, milk or almond milk, and occasionally butter. In my freezer you'll always find frozen chicken breast, frozen fish fillets and frozen peas.
What's NOT Inside a Skinny Girl's Fridge
It's not really what's in my fridge that makes it different from a typical refrigerator—it's what's not in my fridge that helps keep my diet lower in calories. You'll never see any of these things in my refrigerator:
Salad dressing
Condiments of any kind
Juice, soda, sweetened teas, or lemonade
Lunch meat
Sliced cheese products
Jams or jelly
Sour cream
Cream cheese or spreads of any kind
Mayonnaise, mustard or other sandwich spreads
Whipped topping
Dip
Healthy Meals with Less Food
Almost everything I eat comes out of my fridge (my pantry is nearly empty as well) but with a nearly empty refrigerator, I am able to cook a wide variety of meals.
I usually have eggs, avocado toast, and grapefruit for breakfast. I might also make an omelet with spinach or seasonal veggies and cheese. For lunch I usually make a healthy smoothie with some combination of fruit, spinach, Greek yogurt and chia seeds. For dinner, I grill a chicken breast or roast fish and eat it with steamed or roasted veggies. I might also make a grilled chicken sandwich with cheese and spinach and have a bowl of berries for dessert.
Does this plan work for everyone? No. But it works for me and it might work for you too if you give it a try. If you share your refrigerator with friends or family, use half or one quarter of the fridge and make it your own. Make sure you start with a clean, refrigerator space, then buy healthy food and organize it in a way that make healthy eating easier.
(Pssst..if you give this a try, let me know how it works for you. Hop on over to the Weight Loss Forum and post a comment.)
