Making the most of your fridge to store items for your care client

Working in Live Out Care London way for companies such as https://www.guardiancarers.co.uk/services/live-out-care can see you perfroming a variety of tasks such as helping with household chores and preparing meals. Planning meals can be essential to ensure that the individual that you are providing care for gets the right nutrients and the fridge will become your best friend in keeping items cool and safe from bacteria and viruses

There are a number of different items that can be kept in a fridge, some of which, such as ready meals, may make your life a little easier.

The fridge should be kept at a temperature of 5° C or below to prevent food from spoiling or causing a health hazard, so check the temperature from time to time as a part of your weekly checks around the house..

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Cooked meats

Processed foods such as unopened packages of luncheon meat and hot dogs can safely be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Once they are opened, the time limit decreases, and hot dogs should be used within a week and luncheon meat within three to five days. Other processed meats can be kept for similar times, but check the packaging for specific details. Leftover cooked meat and poultry can be safely kept in the fridge for three to four days.

Ready meals

Chilled prepared meals are very convenient and are available in many varieties. According to the Chilled Food Association food quality and safety in the chilled food industry is second to none, but few preservatives are used in UK chilled ready meals so they must be kept at the correct temperatures. Typically prepared chilled foods will keep from one to ten days in the fridge.  Commercial refrigeration units all have appropriate shelving for each compartment. It is important that the meals you serve to your care client are nutritious and there are some great well balance ready meals available on the market.

Eggs

Raw eggs in their shells will keep for an amazing three to five weeks in the fridge, whilst hard boiled eggs can be stored for up to a week. Raw egg whites and raw egg yolks are safe for two to four days and foods such as quiches and pies made with eggs can be kept in the fridge for three to four days.

Of course, if you find you have egg whites leftover, these can be frozen and kept for up to twelve months to be used at a later date for meringues or soufflés.

Raw Meats

Raw meat cannot be kept as long as cooked meat in the fridge, and the Food Standards Agency stresses the importance of storing food in the correct position in the fridge. Raw meat and poultry should be stored at the bottom of the fridge and in sealed containers so that other foods do not become contaminated with harmful bacteria. Fresh lamb, pork and beef can be kept for up to five days, but you should only keep turkey and chicken for two days.

Drinks

Milk can be kept for several days in the fridge, and bottled water is more refreshing when drunk straight from the fridge. Fruit juices are also best stored in the fridge, for taste as well as safety and these can help to provide extra vitamins to for your care client.

Storing food in the fridge is largely a matter of common sense, and as long as you follow government guidelines on food safety, you can save time and money by batch cooking and planning your meals in advance. This will then give you more time for other tasks that you need to complete or to spend some precious time with your care client.