If your moving day is just around the corner, you may be wondering what you should do with all the food you have in your pantry and fridge. Fortunately, there are things you can do to ensure that the food in your kitchen doesn’t go to waste.
The Southern California movers at Affordable Quality Moving and Storage have put together several tips and tricks so you know what to do with your food when moving.
Take Inventory of Your Food
Before you decided what to do with your food, you should assess how much food you have. Once you know how much food you have, you should be able to figure out how much of it you'll eat while you are still there. It will also help you decide how much of it you will need to get rid of.
You can take inventory by categorizing foods into several 'buckets,' including:
- Frozen foods
- Refrigerated perishable foods
- Canned foods
- Foods in glass bottles
- Boxed items
- Expired foods
We recommend limiting your trips to the grocery store before you move and start getting creative with the contents of your pantry and fridge. Consider avoiding eating out and saving money by finishing off leftovers.
Throw Away Expired Foods
This one should go without saying, but don't bring expired or stale food with you. It's just extra weight, so purge your pantry of all the old, dusty, moldy food you've still got lying around. You should also remember to recycle any glass containers, cardboard containers, and get rid of any perishable foods you don't plan on eating.
Use Your Perishable Foods
If you have food in your pantry or refrigerator that hasn’t expired – yet – you can plan to use it before you move. When you’re cooking or grabbing a snack from the kitchen, try to focus on foods that are going to expire first. When you go grocery shopping, try to only buy foods that you will actually eat. Doing these things can limit food waste as you near your moving date.
Donate Non-Perishable Foods
A great thing to do with undamaged non-perishable food is to donate it to a nearby shelter or food bank. Non-perishable foods include any canned goods, dried pasta, nuts, etc. To donate these foods, they shouldn't be expired and shouldn't be opened. You can contact your nearby food bank for more additional information on the specification of the food you can donate.
Pack the Food You Want to be Moved to Your New Home
If you have food that will not expire and can be moved to your new place, you’ll want to pack it in clear plastic bins and boxes. Because they’re heavy, put canned goods in small cardboard boxes. Dry goods like pasta, sugar, rice, flour, and grains can be packed in plastic bins or boxes. If they’ve been opened, be sure to seal them up tight. Glass jars and bottles should be packed in packing paper and carefully placed in moving boxes, along with packing foam or paper to fill in gaps and provide extra cushioning.
Pack a Cooler with Food You’re Taking with You
If your new home is not too far from your old one and you are driving over, you can pack a cooler with perishable items from your fridge and freezer. You’ll want to pack the cooler, take it to the new house as soon as possible, and unpack it into your new fridge and freezer. This is particularly helpful if you want to avoid having an empty fridge right after you move in!
Let Our Southern California Movers Handle the Rest
Whether you are moving locally or internationally, the experienced Santa Clarita movers at Affordable Quality Moving and Storage are ready to help you. We’ve been helping customers across Southern California since 1996 and offer complete packing and unpacking, moving, and storage services for home and office moves of any size. We have years of experience in the moving industry, and we are committed to customer satisfaction. We are always here to help our clients have a stress-free move where we take care of their items and help their move go smoothly.
Let our Southern California movers help you with your move and call us today for a free in-home estimate at (661) 622-2636!
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