Ina Garten's Simple Strategy For Keeping Your Fridge Uber Organized

From her exquisite dinner parties in the Hamptons to simple meals at home for her husband, Jeffrey, Ina Garten is known for pulling out all the stops in the kitchen. It makes sense that the Food Network personality and former owner of The Barefoot Contessa specialty grocery store would have top-notch organizational skills, as she always seems to pull off one event after another without a hitch. Garten recently shared how she keeps her pantry in tip-top shape, but she's also shared how she does the same for her fridge. 

Getting a super-organized fridge starts by creating categories for the items inside it and making a space for each group. Keeping your meat items, dairy items, and vegetables in clearly defined areas can make it easier to find what you're looking for (and can make it less likely that you'll lose track of a bag of carrots you should have thrown away a week ago). She also recommends making sure that labels face forward — this makes it easier to take stock of what you have and what you need to replenish. By the time you're done turning all the labeled items in your fridge forward, you should have a setup similar to a Garten-approved refrigerated grocery store aisle.

Whether you're preparing for an Ina Garten-level Hamptons soiree or you're simply trying to organize your fridge so that you're not left wandering the aisles of the grocery store trying to remember whether you have your favorite salad dressing at home, keeping your refrigerator organized can help make it easier to truly enjoy your kitchen. One way to declutter your fridge (and actually keep it organized): stock up on some clear bins. Use one for dairy products, one for vegetables, etc. This makes it easier to stick to Garten's grouping method and to see what you have in stock. Seeing all of your produce in one place can also help you seriously cut down on food waste.

Another smart way to make sure your fridge stays super organized is to tape a simple sheet of paper on its door that lists leftovers and the date they went into the fridge. This can help you keep track of what needs to be eaten, so you and your family don't forget about the two-day-old casserole that needs to be enjoyed. Just be sure to cross out items as you finish them off to keep your list up-to-date.