Along with your favorite book, your fridge should be stocked up with items that will not only make your tummy happy, but be healthy enough to keep your body functioning. Everything from cold cuts to guacamole depend on your fridge for consistency so it’s important to pick the right items considering most of us have limited fridge capacity. We often think stuffing our fridges with absolutely everything is the best method for surviving the next apocalypse, but that theory is completely wrong. Just because you have barrels full of wine and toilet paper, doesn’t mean you'll be ready when things go apocalyptic.
According to the leading national public health institute of the United States, the best way to prepare for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is to create a household plan which consists of buying the right nutritional food items. What does that exactly mean and how does your favorite icecream relate to that? The right nutritional foods should be the ones that not only have a good shelf life, but offer value towards your bodies. While your favorite gelato or ice cream might seem like an essential, it doesn’t necessarily add any nutritional value towards your diet and can probably be skipped on your next shopping trip. Check out our list of the healthiest things you should have in your fridge right now.
Protein
Stockpiling the best ribeye or Wagyū beef isn’t necessarily a priority, but we’re not judging. Items like canned beans or frozen fish are a great way to get your protein up just in case a lockin happens in your area. You should also looking for protein items that have a long shelf-life. Eggs for example can last a few weeks in your fridge and are a great resource for protein cooking. Here are some protein options with their respective duration times:
- Canned Beans like Lentils, Black Beans and Others - 3 to 5 years
- Eggs - 5 weeks
- Gourd Family Members like Squash, Pumpkin and Melons - 1 to 3 months
- Beef Jerky - 1 to 2 years
- Frozen Fish - Up to 6 months
- Frozen Meats like Omaha Steaks, Chicken or Burger Patties - 3 months to a year
- Cheese - Up to two weeks and above
- Milk - 4 to 7 days past its printed date
- Cauliflower (and Cauliflower Powered Foods like Frozen Pizza) - 2 weeks up to a year for frozen items
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables can be a good source of vitamins and essential supplements for keeping you active and healthy. They are able to fend off harmful things like cancer and heart disease and depending on how you store them, can have a long shelf-life making them perfect for stocking up on. Frozen fruits and vegetables extend their shelf-life by a million and make them perfect for those long-haul ins.They are also extremely delicious. Who can live without guacamole? Seriously?
- Apples - Up to 2 months
- Potatoes - 2 to 3 months
- Alliums - 6 to 10 weeks
- Carrots - 3 to 4 weeks
- Oranges - 3 to 4 weeks
- Cabbages - 2 months
- Beets - 2 weeks
- Eggplant - 7 to 10 days
- Broccoli - 3 to 5 days
- Small Tomatoes - 2 weeks
- Guacamole (Unopened) - 1 to 2 weeks
- Packaged Salads - 3 to 5 days past printed date
- Grapes - 7 to 14 days
- Bananas - 5 to 7 days
Misc.
Items like dark chocolate and tortillas are perfect for stocking up your fridge with. Ontop of being delicious, these items have longer shelf-lives and are perfect if you want to combine with other food groups. Tortillas alone can last up to a month and can be converted into crêpes making them a winner in our opinion. Keeping ice in your fridge/freezer is also another good idea. If things hit the fan, having a bag of ice can help you preserve the items in your fridge for a good amount of time after lights out.
- Dark Chocolate - Up to 5 years
- Tortillas - 3 to 4 weeks
- Ice - Forever
- Hummus - 7 to 10 days
- Butter - 6 to 9 months
- Ketchup - 2 years
- Frozen Bread - 3 to 6 months
- Canned Jelly - 3 months to a year
- Frozen Milk - 3 to 6 months
