When your fridge is stocked with groceries, the hardest part is remembering which things to eat first. There's nothing more wasteful than throwing away the delicate arugula I bought because it spoils before I had the chance to eat it. But I'm not someone who thrives under the confines of an organized meal plan. I like to stay open to last minute cravings and whims while working what's already in my kitchen. So in order to maintain that flexibility while keeping things fresh in the fridge for up to two weeks, I make sure to include long-lasting fresh ingredients in every grocery haul, as well as keeping my pantry fully stocked with non-perishables.
How to Stock Your Kitchen for the Coronavirus Era (and Other Emergencies)
When properly stored, the following ingredients will last for at least two weeks in the fridge, ready to be turned into meals whenever you want them:
1. Beets
When trimmed of their greens and stored in a plastic bag, beets can stay fresh in your fridge for several weeks until you're ready to roast them, grate them into salad, or boil them into a bright pink soup.
2. Carrots
This kitchen workhorse is always worth keeping in your fridge, and it'll stay fresh in a plastic bag for a couple of weeks. If your carrots start to go a little limp, quickly turn them into soup before they spoil completely. Until then, they're there for all your aromatic vegetable bases, to be roasted as a side dish, or sliced into crudités pair with your favorite creamy dip.
3. Citrus Fruits
I find it almost impossible to cook dinner without reaching for a lemon at some point in the process. Luckily, lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits will all stay fresh in the fridge for two weeks, and they are all lifesavers for adding instant flavor to almost anything, from dressings to co*cktails to desserts and braises.
4. Cabbage
Oft-maligned cabbage deserves a place in your fridge, and not just because it stays fresh for a shockingly long time before you slice into it. While a box of salad greens will barely last four days, cabbage will last for weeks, ready to be turned into a quick crunchy slaw or braised with bacon for a hearty side. Or—my favorite—added to a noodle bowl.
Fully cooked sausage in the fridge means dinner can be ready in ten minutes. Here it's combined with broccolini and cherry tomatoes for a simple skillet dinner.
5. Fully Cooked Sausages
An unopened package of fully cooked sausage can stay fresh in your fridge for two weeks, but once you open it you have to finish it within five days. It's a good thing to have on hand, though, for super-fast dinners: toss it with pasta, pan-sear it and serve it with some of that braised cabbage, or slice it up into a simple skillet dinner.
6. Bacon
Just like sausage, unopened bacon can stay fresh for two weeks, and then another five days once you open it. If you open the package and know you won't finish it within those five days, wrap it tightly and pop it in the freezer, where it will keep for a few months. Bacon is a very good secret weapon to keep around for last-minute dinners: it can turn a skillet of greens (or cabbage!) into something that feels more like a full meal (add some white beans and canned tomatoes and it's one of my favorite weeknight dinners). And of course you can fry it up with eggs for breakfast anytime.
7. Eggs
They're breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They're healthy protein and fat. Is there any other reason to love eggs? Yup: They keep fresh for about a month in the fridge. Need I say more about this wonderful food? Okay, fine, I can say more: here are 13 ways to turn eggs into an easy dinner.
8. Yogurt
A tub of yogurt can be eaten for breakfast, of course, but it can also be turned into a marinade, a sauce, a baking ingredient, a smoothie booster, and the base of a creamy salad dressing. Full-fat plain yogurt is my favorite to keep on hand, but plain Greek works too—either way it'll stay fresh for a good two weeks.
9. Hard Cheeses
Parmesan, Pecorino, Manchego, Gruyère, and other hard cheeses won't spoil within a couple weeks, and are great for snacking on and shaving over salads or pasta.
