This month we are talking about the food cycle in your living space. Almost every household runs into a hiccup with this one – especially during times of stress or busyness – but there are a few tips that can get you right as rain and make resetting after these seasons a breeze.
First, WHAT even IS the food cycle?
A load of groceries (or an order of prepared food) comes in and goes into the refrigerator, freezer, and or pantry/cupboards. From there, some types of food will involve preparation necessitating an accessible stove, toaster oven, microwave and/or counter space (but we’ll tackle that under cleaning.) After consumption, there are usually leftovers to contend with and, eventually, items that expire or go bad that must be tossed out. Then the trash and recycling have to be handled (but again, that’s on cleaning.) And then, of course, new food must be purchased. Naturally this is an ebb and flow cycle that can be constant if you have multiple shoppers and/or multiple mouths (with different tastes and or dietary restrictions) to feed.
There are a few places in this cycle where we can go wrong. “Let’s say you’ve just brought home a carload of groceries, and as you go to put them away, you’re faced with a crowded pantry overflowing with cans and boxes of food that you’ve accumulated over time. All of a sudden, what was a manageable task (putting away the groceries) starts to feel like an ordeal…” says Dr. Robin Zasio in The Hoarder in You. This is a major repeating stressor for many of my clients and the reactions can range from overstuffing fridges and pantries/cabinets to simply giving up and parking new purchases on the kitchen floor.
Here’s how to fix it:
I recommend starting with temperature controlled food first. In half an hour, you can grab a trash bag and sort through at least your freezer – and quite possibly – your refrigerator and do a quick spoiled or expired food sort and toss. Doing this often (depending on how frequently you shop) will help increase awareness about your grocery purchasing habits (e.g. do I really eat baby bell peppers or do I just buy them because I think I SHOULD be eating baby bell peppers?) and cut down on waste. If you have a regular shopping time or delivery, maybe build in this clearing out time to happen right before you go or your order arrives.
Next, (and it is okay if you are short on time so “next” is the next day or two!) go for your less perishable items and do the same. Here you may find items that are not spoiled or expired but that you or your loved ones tried out and didn’t like. You can drop off unopened items to a food donation spot near you and round up the opened items to either list them on your local Buy Nothing group, drop off to unhoused individuals, or if you don’t have time (or takers) – give yourself permission to toss these as well.
Once you’ve cleared room, designate specific areas of your food storage for specific types of food. Please listen to me when I say that I am NOT recommending that you color coordinate your fridge or fill it full of acrylic containers! Just a general zoning of fruits and vegetables versus proteins, etc. For some households, it works best for each person to have their own zone (baby, child with medical dietary restrictions, parents, etc.) so do what works best for you to make sure that everyone knows where to find what foods they need when they need them.
At this point, you will know what you have and what you need more of so make a list, check it twice and only buy what you need on your next shopping trip. This isn’t new advice but it’s always a good idea to have an ongoing list (maybe on the fridge or in a shared app on your phone) that household members can contribute too. Be very honest with yourself. If you don’t actually use coupons, don’t clip and save them. Also look out for sales tricking you into buying more items then needed “to save” – as the excess will just go to waste.
Finally, please consider NOT decanting. While there are a few food items that can benefit from the practice, in general most foods come in a container that is appropriate for the particular food, labeled clearly with an expiration date, and recognizable by all. So, if it isn’t broken, why “fix” it by making more work for yourself? That said, if decanting is a meditative, relaxing, or satisfying practice for you, then by all means go forth and decant – just please remember to look for Mother Earth friendly products and recycle the originals.
