Domestic Details: 13 Items to Stock in Your Fridge

Stocking your fridge can be a daunting task, which I’m guessing is why so many of you seem to avoid it. I’ve noticed recently that most of my friends’ refrigerators contain some combination of booze, cheese, hummus, baby carrots, and old milk, which is both weird and gross. It’s also not the most inspiring ingredient list for a quick meal, which perpetuates some very expensive Seamless habits.

When questioned, these fridge offenders often say something like, “Whatever, Serena. I’m not going to spend my money buying like a million things I’m never going to use!” I find this to be very melodramatic, since you only really need 13. And once you stock your fridge with the essentials, it will be infinitely easier to conjure your inner domestic god(dess) and whip up awesome meals on the reg.

For your convenience, I’ve compiled a handy list of items to keep in your fridge at all times. Obviously, this is an omnivore’s list, but it can easily be adapted to accommodate almost any diet. Think gluten-free tortillas, soy cheese, veggie sausage, etc. Please read it and then go shopping…

10 Items to Stock in Your Fridge:

1. Eggs. I easily go through a dozen eggs a week. Eat them solo or put them on toast, pizza, salads, and hash for added protein. Make frittatas, bake them in skillets, or serve them over rice and noodles. Oh, and you’ll obviously need them for most of baking ventures, so it’s best to be eggcellently prepared…

2. Milk. Whether it’s regular, almond, soy, or coconut, milk is a necessity, friends. How else will you eat cereal? Or make healthy smoothies and chia pudding? WHAT WILL YOU DRINK WITH COOKIES?

3. Butter. I’m all about using olive/coconut oil over butter in day-to-day cooking, but sometimes you need the real deal. Especially when it comes to grilled cheese and certain baked goods. Fact.

4. Cheese. Please. Cheddar and Parmesan are two good staples, but I also like to keep a small amount of goat cheese and part-skim mozzarella on hand for salads, sandwiches, pizza, and casseroles.

5. Fat-Free Greek Yogurt. Yes, it makes a great breakfast, but Greek yogurt can also be put to work in many other fancy ways. Try it as a healthy replacement for sour cream, use it in baked goods to cut fat, and add it to dressings, dips, sauces and marinades.

6. Kale. I usually have a forest of leafy greens in my fridge (I’m so virtuous!), but if you choose to stock only one green, go with kale, which somehow keeps for more than two weeks. Kale salads 4 lyfe.

7. Chicken or Turkey Sausage. Sausages are a great way to add healthy heft to everything from soups and pasta to grain salads and omelettes, and they take less than five minutes to cook.

8. Whole-Grain Tortillas. Because everyone knows quesadillas, tacos and wraps are gloriously simple go-to meals. You can also make other cool things with tortillas like bite-size snacks, pizza, and baked chips. Just throwing that out there.

9. Lemons/Limes. To garnish cocktails. You might also want to use them in salad dressings, sauces, baked goods, and to add fresh flavor to almost any meat, fish, or vegetable. Citrus rules.

10. Dijon Mustard. You’ll need it for sandwiches, sauces, salad dressings, burgers, and more. Pass the Grey Poupon.

11. Sriracha. This sassy chili sauce is a gift from God, people. Whether added to stir-fries and Asian-inspired dishes, whisked into dressings and sauces, or simply drizzled on some avocado toast, Sriracha has magical powers. Get some.

12. Booze. Please keep a six-pack of beer and a bottle of white wine chilling in the fridge in case you have unexpected company. (Or a bad day.) I like to have a bottle of champagne on hand as well for impromptu celebrations, but that’s more of a friendly recommendation than a necessity.

13. Baking soda. Keep an open box in your fridge to magically soak up any weird smells. It’s a total lifesaver for those of you who aren’t the best about throwing things out…