Used in most restaurants, by applying the FIFO method at home you will be able to have a more organized pantry and refrigerator, you will consume food on time and you will also save money at the end of the month.
Although it is normally a management methodology typical of restaurants or warehouses to manage products, the FIFO method is so useful, easy, and fast that as soon as you discover it you will want to put it into practice at home as soon as possible. By applying it in both the pantry and the refrigerator, you will maintain control over the food, you will use it when it is in perfect condition and you will also reduce waste.
What does the FIFO method mean?
From the acronym in English “First In, First Out”, the FIFO method is an organizational technique in which the first thing in is the first thing out. In fact, it is the method used by establishments such as supermarkets or restaurants to move and rotate the different food products they work with without running the risk of them expiring or the ideal date for their sale.
How to place food with the FIFO method
The most important thing to apply the FIFO method is to store the products properly so that when you open the pantry or refrigerator you take the products that have the closest expiration date, even if this means moving all the food every time you shop to reorganize it. all.
How to apply the FIFO method in the pantry
The best way to apply the method is to organize the pantry so that the oldest products are at the front and are the most accessible. Place the new products in the back and leave the front for the older ones. This way they will be the first ones you see when you need any of them.
How to apply the FIFO method in the refrigerator
To apply the method in the refrigerator, we recommend that you first clean and check all the food you have stored. Discard those that are no longer useful and use those that have been started or have a near expiration date. Once this is done, as before, place the new ingredients in the back of the refrigerator, leaving the ones that have been open the longest and in the front. This way you will use the oldest foods first making sure you don’t have to throw away any food.
Tips for applying the FIFO method
Now that you know what the FIFO method is as well as the correct way to apply it in both the pantry and the refrigerator, we propose a series of additional tips to ensure that you consume food before it spoils and minimize food waste. food at home.
Label products
To keep track of the FIFO method, the first recommendation (and what chefs do) is to label and date the products. In the case of packaged products, they generally already have both the label and the expiration date, but if we cook at home it is best to put the date on which each item was made or purchased. You can do this in two ways: with removable stickers or using a whiteboard marker that you can easily erase.
Group them by categories
Organizing foods by categories will help you have greater visibility of them, keep both the pantry and the refrigerator more organized, and optimize space. In addition, this way it will be much easier to plan your daily meals. In the pantry, you can store products as you see fit.
Check its expiration date and clean it regularly
Although we have a foolproof method for preserving and rotating our food products, it is vitally important that we regularly check the pantry and refrigerator to make sure we use them before they expire. For example, by cleaning the refrigerator and pantry weekly you will ensure that all the food is in perfect condition and you will kill two birds with one stone. Furthermore, by applying this simple gesture you will know exactly what you have in one place as well as in another, preventing you from forgetting any food in the back of the room.