Recipes for when fridge is looking lean

WITH Netflix showing The Home Edit, home organisation has become trendier and more enjoyable. There are many ways to declutter and improve your home to make it more functional. A good place to start is with your fridge. Instead of just a spring clean around the home each year, a seasonal clean every 12 weeks can be worthwhile and the fridge is a great place to start.

There are three things to focus on when cleaning out your fridge and pantry. —

Minimalism and decluttering

Throwing out (or giving away) the unhealthy things

Using up those ingredients that have been stored in your kitchen for too long

You may like to stock up on some new or recycled glass jars, storage shelves, spice racks, baskets and containers so everything has a place before you start. Labels can be useful and look smart, for example ‘‘short dated items to use up first’’. Try to use glass containers for food storage, if you can.

Remove everything and thoroughly clean the fridge. Vanilla extract or lemon essential oil in water is great to freshen up inside your fridge. Most shelves and baskets are detachable so can be washed, dried and put back in.

Decide if you will keep the food and jars, throw them or give them away. Check the useby dates. You may like to check ingredients in bottles and jars — dressings often contain emulsifiers, additives and sugar so making your own can be a better alternative. Olive oil, apple cider vinegar, seeded mustard and a chopped garlic clove make an easy dressing, full of nutrients, without the nasties.

Plan how you will organise your fridge and pantry so things are easy to find and get to and put everything back into place.

When the fridge has been decluttered, the night before shopping day can look like slim pickings. Here are some easy, nutritious meal ideas which can usually be made with remaining staples.