The fridge that served 17 million people.
The internet is funny. If you told me 10 years ago that a picture of my refrigerator would go “viral” and reach over 17 million people or more… first of all, I wouldn’t know what viral meant. Second, I wouldn’t believe you because the internet does weird things that we don’t expect. But it did. So here I am answering some of the thousands of questions that have been asked of me over the last three weeks.
What is a self-serve snack fridge?
After grocery shopping I always wash and prep all of the food that is considered self-serve in our house. Self-serve for my kiddos means help yourself without asking and it’s always an okay snack (any time of day, bedtime snacks, etc.) It also helps me when I’m packing lunches and snacks, or as a side dish when dinner doesn’t include something they will definitely eat or if we have a busy/late night. There’s something about having things truly ready to grab that makes kids eat it. I could leave the baby carrots in a bag or leave the grapes on the stems but they wouldn’t eat it.
What containers do you use?
The top row of containers in the photo are from the Dollar Tree! I bought them last year for snacks in the pantry and they are not air tight so our food was getting stale. Now I use them on the fridge door because they fit perfectly. You can view them online here, or start visiting your local Dollar Tree stores to see if you can grab them. They do still sell them, they just aren’t always in stock.
The closest I can find online is these OXO containers which cost WAY more than Dollar Tree (affiliate linked here). Any smaller cereal container would work- the size is 6 inches long (and about 1.5L) to fit on the fridge door nicely. The bottom row of containers is just quart size deli containers! I buy them at a restaurant supply store but you can find them on Amazon too (linked here), or if you get enough Chinese/deli takeout you’ll have them. These are way more affordable than the OXO and are multi-purpose! You can also use old, washed out quart size containers like from a quart of yogurt, ricotta cheese, etc. The taller and wider the container, the better it fits items like cheese sticks and yogurt tubes. It’s also a perk if the containers have an easy flip top for little hands to open and close independently.
Do you cover the vegetables?
Yes! In the original photo I posted I removed the covers so it would show what foods were on the inside. Man, the internet went wild, worrying about contamination and the food going bad. The only foods I leave uncovered are things like oranges, apples and mini bell peppers. Any fruits and vegetables that have been chopped definitely get covered.
Do the vegetables go bad?
Some do. The cucumbers need to be used up within 2-3 days, but in our house that is the favorite vegetable so it goes fast. The peppers and carrots can last a week or more. Berries, fresh fruit tends to go but also get eaten first so it’s not usually an issue. If something is going bad toward the end of the week, I will serve it as a side dish with dinner or I will use it in another recipe, throw it in a salad, etc…
Why do you keep your oranges in the fridge?
I keep some in our fruit basket on the counter as well, I just like to have them on the fridge door because it’s the go-to place for snacks so I like the kids to see them and be able to reach them alone.
Do your kids eat it all in a day?
No, they don’t. I have found the opposite to be true. Since it is always accessible, they don’t overdo it. The snacks are there when they need/want them but the novelty of having everything in reach wears off.
What age can I start doing this?
Any age depending on what you choose for the foods! In the photo I shared on social media, that is for age 4 and up because of the baby carrots, grapes, cheese sticks, etc. all being choking hazards. Some ideas for kids under 2- applesauce or yogurt pouches, cut up cheese cubes, small berries like blueberries or raspberries, cucumbers, cottage cheese cups. Every kid and family is different!
Where do you keep condiments if you use your fridge door for this?
When I started doing this, I purged a ton of old condiments and salad dressings that we never used. Now I am crazy about using up a condiment before opening a new one, and not letting our fridge become filled with 7 kinds of mustard that nobody eats. I use these fridge bins to organize the other sections of our fridge, which helps items to not get lost or spoiled. One of the bins is for condiments.
If you want to read about the viral fridge frenzy- you can check out these articles below and catch my segment on Good Morning America’s 3rd hour this week! I’ll share all about that experience after it airs!
You can also follow me on Instagram @theeagerteacher and Facebook @theeagerteacher for more ideas!
