TICKET – My cupboards and freezer were so full that I wasn't sure what was in them. To change my diet and start the year off right, I set myself the goal of taking part in a fridge emptying challenge. Here's how it went and what I remember.
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Why I did this challenge
My boyfriend and I have a habit of hoarding commonly eaten foods when they are at their lowest price. For us, it's a great way to save on all our purchases and avoid having to repurchase groceries when they're not on sale. It should be mentioned that we have the luxury of having a large kitchen with plenty of storage space as well as a large vertical freezer.
By the end of December we had accumulated quite a bit of food. We then thought that doing a fridge emptying challenge would help us switch up foods.
Above all, we wanted to avoid wasting food that we had already spent money on. This is neither good for our planet nor for your wallet.
January and February are generally the months of the year when grocery store discounts are worst. It's also the time of year when there are no or almost no fresh fruits and vegetables from Quebec. Another good reason for us to take on this challenge at this time of year.
Our rules
To make sure we really limit our grocery shopping, we decided not to spend more than $60 a week. For us, it was an amount that wasn't overly restrictive but allowed us to prioritize what was necessary.
Genevieve Abran
A grocery store where I emptied my fridge for a week.
Our grocery store consisted mostly of fresh fruits and vegetables (which we much prefer to their frozen counterparts), eggs, and soy milk (our favorite plant-based milk). Since we had several types of bread in the freezer, we prioritized this. We could afford an extra or two if it fits our budget and we don't already have an equivalent at home.
Planning our meals had to be based on what we already had at home and what we wanted to prioritize. We then looked at the weekly discounts on fruits and vegetables to complete the meal organization.
How did that happen
Small grocery stores
At the beginning we noticed that it was difficult to break through this buying reflex in anticipation of the next few weeks, as we have been used to for a year.
I have to admit that we were still happy not to have the mental burden of buying more than we would need for the next few days. (Read here: The bags were light and easy to carry on foot.)
To make sure we didn't go over budget at the grocery store, I took the time to calculate the price of my groceries as I placed them in our cart. This step took a little longer to get the grocery shopping done, but we wanted to limit our purchases and respect our budget.
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Lots of creativity
Aside from the very small grocery bills, the best part of my challenge was that it forced me to be creative when planning my meals.
Genevieve Abran
For example, I had a large bag of raisins with about half left. Instead of baking endless oatmeal pancakes, I made Mediterranean-style couscous. By adding sliced almonds, several spices, chicken, and two or three vegetables, I had a complete meal from what I already had at home.
I also took the opportunity to try out a recipe I saw on TikTok: crispy rice paper rolls. Even though the result wasn't as good or easy to prepare as TikTok sold me, I enjoyed trying something other than fresh spring rolls like I'm used to with this food. This experience was a good reminder that not every meal has to be exceptional to be enjoyed.
Genevieve Abran
We also used white fish fillets and shrimp from the freezer and a leftover can of curry paste to make a curry. We were also able to make several batches of an excellent stir-fry using the leftover Asian noodles we had for a long time.
Edamame is used in combination with tofu or chicken to make poké and banh mi bowls. We made various sandwiches from leftover bread.
We also had chili, shepherd's pie, and bolognese sauce cooked in the fall, which made great quick meals. Clearly we haven't run out of meal ideas – or food!
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Conclusion – what I learned
This challenge reminded me of the importance of several habits I had already established. I'm mostly thinking about meal planning before going to the grocery store, but also planning based on what we have at home and then the discounts in the flyer.
I was really amazed at how much we were able to cook with what we had at home and a very small grocery bill. We've managed to eat a good portion of the priority foods, but there are still a few we want to eat soon.
Genevieve Abran
The challenge of emptying the fridge also made me realize that prioritizing what I already have at home (and what I've already paid for) is the best way to save money (and limit food waste). Although we set a goal of $60 per week in grocery shopping, it generally costs us between $35 and $50 per visit.
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However, to achieve this, it is essential to plan meals very carefully.
We were already in the habit of planning dinners based on discounts. To overcome the challenge we also had to think about dinner and lunch, which we like to improvise. It's a habit we'll probably keep because it allows us to limit the budget and always have something on hand.
Since the challenge was over, my friend and I have a better idea of what we buy at the supermarket and how much we actually need.
I really enjoyed this fridge emptying challenge and it's definitely an experience I would do again if I felt the need to.