Moms, keep your groceries fresher for longer with these handy tips!

There’s nothing more frustrating than having to throw out half the groceries you bought just a week ago. Not only do you end up wasting money, you now need to go to the shops again which takes time. Time busy moms don’t always have.

Here’s some handy advice on how to store your groceries to make them last longer.

Foods that should be stored in the fridge

• Eggs can be stored either inside or outside the fridge, but they’ll last longer when refrigerated.
• Foods that can be easily contaminated, like meat and fish, do need to be kept in the fridge.
• Because fruits like avocados, apples, bananas, lemons and berries can change taste and texture inside the fridge, think about how quickly you plan to eat them and whether they need refrigerating.

Foods that can stored in the cupboard

• Vegetables like tomatoes and onions can be stored in the cupboard.
• Bread can be kept in the bread bin.

ALSO SEE: 4 must-try hacks to keep your food fresher for longer

What temperature should my fridge be set to?

The million-dollar question! To keep your food fresh and safe to eat, set the temperature of your fridge to 4°C, or slightly below. Too warm, and meat and fish will contaminate. Too cold, and you’ll freeze your fruit and veg, leaving it inedible.

Which food goes where in the fridge?

• Meat and fish need to be kept on the bottom shelf where any juices won’t spill onto other foods.
• Dairy products, like milk and cheese, can be stored on the middle shelves, while vegetables will stay fresher for longer in the most humid part of the fridge like veggie drawers. Fruit, on the other hand, needs lower humidity.
• The best spot for any ready-to-eat food is the top shelf (which conveniently keeps it away from hungry little hands too). And the fridge door is the perfect place for your tomato sauce, mayonnaise, mustard and other condiments.

How should I store food in the fridge?

Knowing where to keep certain foods is one thing, but having an understanding of how to store it is another trick worth learning. A well-organised fridge allows cool air to circulate more evenly, which keeps food fresher. It’ll also make your life easier when taking things out to cook.

While fruit and vegetables can be kept fresh in the built-in drawer, you might want to think about storing meat, fish, dairy and even leftovers in see-through containers. If you can, avoid stacking containers on top of each other – you’ll struggle to get things out when you need them.

Tips to store food in the freezer

Navigating your way around a packed freezer drawer can be a nightmare. Stuffing everything back in once you’ve finally found what you’re looking for isn’t much fun either. So, organisation here is key.

Try packing food into storage containers or even old takeaway tubs that you can label. And when freezing meat, fish, sauces and even soups, keep everything in Ziplock bags to save space. You can then flatten these when defrosting, which will help food thaw out quicker.

ALSO SEE: 10 quick and easy freezer-friendly meals to save time

Tips to minimise food waste

First and foremost, try not to buy too much. It’s easy to overestimate how much food you actually need, but it’s also a simple problem to solve. Next time you’re about to do the food shop, take a look in your fridge first and note down specifically what you need for the week ahead.

When it comes to minimising food waste, the sooner groceries are refrigerated, the better.

LG’s improved InstaView refrigerator has LINEAR Cooling and DoorCooling features which create optimal conditions to keep food fresher for longer. It also uses the power of light to improve health and hygiene. Its UVnano technology harnesses ultraviolet LED light to disinfect the water dispenser outlets once every hour (or you can do it manually at any time) to remove bacteria from the fridge.