Content provided in partnership with

Fridge work: eating right doesn't have to be a chore. Follow these nine simple guidelines and you'll always have the freshest, best-tasting grub available

Men's Fitness, Sept, 2004 by Samantha Heller

1 MILK

Keep enough on hand to drink a glass or two each day. Each sip of the creamy nectar provides a megadose of vitamin D--important since the National Institutes of Health warns that 25% of men don't get enough of that nutrient. Buy 1% or 2% rather than skim. You'll get more calories but also more CLA--a good fat that helps your body burn calories more efficiently.

2 COLD CUTS

Lunch meat is a good source of leucine, a nutrient that stimulates muscle growth. Buy your meat freshly sliced and store it in air-tight containers--not the bag the deli counter guy provides. You'll know your sandwich stuffing has gone bad if it smells sweet or has a slippery coating.

Most Popular Articles in Health: Fuel your workout: exercisers who eat before they work out have more energy ...; Soothe a dry, itchy scalp: 5 easy expert solutions; Cocktails and calories: Beer, wine and liquor calories can really add up. ...; The sour truth about apple cider vinegar - evaluation of therapeutic use; The, six best supplements you've never heard of: these secret weapons can ...; More »

3 BUTTER

If you must have it, opt for butter over margarine. (The saturated fat in butter is a lesser evil than the trans fat in margarine.) Margarine is only acceptable if you buy a tub of trans-fat-free spread.

4 EGGS

Stash the whole carton on a shelf instead of using those tiny egg craters on the door. The changing temp from all that opening and closing of the fridge--when you don't know what you want to eat, for example --can turn a good egg bad before its time.

5 PRODUCE

Keep fruits and vegetables on the top shelf in your fridge so they're the first thing you see, rather than shoved in drawers you never open. (Most Americans waste $10 a week on food that spoils before it can be eaten.) Produce should be kept in containers or plastic bags, where it will stay slightly moist but not wet. (Never wash vegetables or fruit until just before you eat it--damp produce is likely to sprout mold.)

6 THE CRISPER

Use your drawers to store cheat foods: snacks you shouldn't buy but do anyway, such as cheesecakes, pies, and puddings. Or make them a depository for your beer and soda. (If you're not going to forget to eat something, it doesn't matter where you stash it.)

7 FRESH MEAT

Tightly wrap any meats you plan on eating in the next day or two--grocery-store plastic may not be enough to keep air out and juices in--and store them on the lowest shelf of the fridge, where there's no chance of drips falling onto other foods. If you haven't eaten the meat within 24 hours, chuck it into the freezer to keep it from going bad.

8 LEFTOVERS

Store 'em in clear, single-serving containers that you can quickly throw into your lunch pail. (Never wrap food in foil. It only leads to home science experiments.) And as tempting--and easy--as it may be, don't just stick leftovers in the fridge. Uncovered eats can putrefy and poison the air circulating through your fridge. (Meaning, that doggie bag of garlic loaf on the bottom shelf may end up tainting the ice cubes in the freezer.)

9 DAIRY PRODUCTS

Make the center of your fridge the dairy aisle and pile it high with yogurt and cheeses (cottage, ricotta, and regular block). Yogurt is good for up to two weeks past the sell-by date. Hard cheeses stay fresh for months; if they should get moldy, it is OK to lop off the fuzz and eat the cheddar underneath. Moldy or discolored cottage cheese, however, should be tossed.

Fridge work: eating right doesn't have to be a chore. Follow these nine simple guidelines and you'll always have the freshest, best-tasting grub available

Men's Fitness, Sept, 2004 by Samantha Heller

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: Health

Most Popular Articles in Health

Most Popular Publications in Health