Healthy Food That Doesn’t Need To Be Refrigerated

Last Updated on November 7, 2022 by

Living without a fridge may make it seem like you need to rely on food from restaurants and fast food, but luckily this isn’t true. You can eat healthy at home even without access to cold storage! In this article we will walk you through some of the main ingredients to rely on if you don’t have a fridge.

I used to live by the rule that if you want something to last, you put it in the fridge. Everything from bread to tomatoes went straight from the grocery bag to the refrigerator.

But, turns out, there are actually many foods that don’t keep well in the fridge. In fact, the refrigerator can cause certain foods to deteriorate prematurely, losing both flavor and nutrients.

Before you unload your latest grocery haul, make sure you’re not storing these items in the fridge.

Healthy Food That Doesn’t Need To Be Refrigerated

1 Tomatoes

One easy way to make your produce last longer is to keep tomatoes out of the fridge. They’re best stored in a cool, dry place at room temperature, where they’ll maintain their moisture.

2 Bananas

To keep bananas fresh, store them at room temperature with plastic wrap around the stems. The plastic wrap will stop them from releasing ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process.

3 Citrus Fruit

Citrus favorites like lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits are all great examples of food that doesn’t need to be refrigerated. These juicy fruits are best preserved in a countertop fruit basket instead. If you don’t think you’ll get around to eating your fruit for a few weeks, carve out a cool, dry, well-ventilated place, like your cupboard, for them to hang out in until you’re ready to gobble ’em up.

4 Avocados

Unlike fully ripe avocados, which should be stored in the fridge, underripe berries (yup, the green superfood is technically a berry) should be kept at room temperature. Not sure whether an avocado is ripe yet? Avocados that are ready to be turned into guac will yield to light pressure.

5 Hot Sauce

Capsaicin, the compound that gives chiles their signature kick, has been shown to increase body heat, boost metabolism, and decrease appetite. Oh, and it has an addictive fiery taste that makes everything from chicken to popcorn tastier; there’s really no wrong way to eat the stuff. But there is a wrong way to store it. After opening a new bottle, most people pop it in the fridge. But according to Frank’s RedHot, an uber-popular hot sauce manufacturer, that’s almost always an unnecessary move. Check the label of your favorite brand to see if you can get away with keeping it in your cabinet.

6 Butter

There are two distinct camps of people in this world: those who would rather eat a chip off the floor than use butter that’s been out all night, and those who wouldn’t dream of storing their butter any other way. Since butter is a dairy product, it’s easy to see why most people think it needs to be kept cold. But that’s not actually the case: It turns out, butter can be stored safely outside the fridge in an airtight container.

7 Cake

While some cakes need to be stored in the fridge, frosting-free cakes and those topped with ganache or buttercream will be fine for up to three days stored in an airtight container on the counter.

If you’re worried that a whole cake will spoil before you can eat it, cut it into small slices and store them in the freezer, where they will be less apt to dry out.

8 Bread

In warmer climates, many people store their bread in the fridge as a means of keeping it away from hungry ants. Though it’s a decent strategy, it’s one that will leave your loaves of rye and whole wheat harder than a rock. Unless it’s a variety that’s supposed to be frozen (like Ezekiel bread), store your bread in a cool, dry place. If you tend to take a very long time to polish it off, opt for freezing your bread over refrigerating it. And make sure to let it thaw completely before eating or toasting for the most enjoyable texture and flavor.

9 Basil

Think about it: This leafy green herb grows just fine on a sunny window sill, so why could it possibly also thrive in an icebox? After trimming off its ends, store this flavorful plant in a glass or mason jar filled with fresh water, where it will thrive until it’s ready to be used.

10 Potatoes

Stored inside a paper bag in a cool, dark place like your pantry, potatoes should last for about three weeks. Popping taters in the fridge will cause their starch to convert to sugar, resulting in spuds with an unpleasantly sweet taste, according to the United States Potato Board.

11 Sweet Potatoes

Like regular potatoes, these root veggies are best kept in a cool, dark place that isn’t the fridge. If you notice your potatoes are sprouting, it’s a sign that they might be getting too much light. In addition to being one of the foods that don’t need refrigeration, sweet potatoes also need to be kept in the dark so they don’t spoil.

12 Melon

Watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew are all filled to the brim with antioxidants like vitamin C, zeaxanthin, lycopene, and beta-carotene, which neutralizes cell-damaging free radicals. To preserve these health-protective nutrients, store melons whole—as opposed to sliced—on your kitchen counter. Chilly air will break down their delicate antioxidants.

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