What to Put in a Mini Fridge – Essential Snack & Food Ideas!

Updated: | Author: Brad Javernick | Affiliate links may be present.

A mini-fridge sounds like a great idea but often we do not quite know what to put in them.

These little fridges have less space inside than their bigger counterparts but also require less electricity to run and are easier to clean. Some even have little freezer compartments.

In this article, I’ll discuss which snacks, food, and beverages to keep in your mini-fridge and what you need to consider before shopping or when storing these items. Focus is given to the optimization of space, benefits to you, and tips to make items as easy to use as possible.

Since you’re dealing with limited space, it’s best to store only the essential snacks, food, and beverages in your mini-fridge. Apart from the typical beer and soda cans, these can include fruit juice and fresh fruits like apple slices and grapes, cold meats, granola bars, hummus or tortillas, sliced cheese, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, and chocolates.

Ideas For Your Mini Fridge

It is important to take a good look inside your fridge before you start shopping. Space is limited and you must buy the right size bottles, containers, and amount of fresh and frozen items.

Some mini fridges have very small to no freezer sections. So, pay attention to the size of your specific model to avoid unnecessary buying. Buying less more frequently is the key to a fully stocked and fresh mini-fridge.

Preparing snack packs and buying snack-sized items are a good idea if you are on the go and need to eat in your stride, but still want to eat healthy and well.

Here are a few essential food and snack ideas for your mini-fridge.

Cheeses and Cold Meats

Sliced cheese and cold meat make for the perfect snack on the go. Grab a slice or two and you are off with a healthy snack. You can always try string cheese as a lower-calorie snack that is also fun to eat.

Keep your cheese and meat on the top shelf in little containers to prevent other items from dripping on them. Keeping sliced items in a plastic bag is great as the size of the container shrinks as the cheese gets less to minimize the space it takes.

Keep them together with the olives and other condiments to whip up a quick cheese and cold cut platter on demand.

Yogurt Servings

Buy individual serving yogurts to pack around your fridge as they fit into additional spaces easily. Yogurt makes for a great snack and breakfast, especially with berries, granola, and even chunky peanut butter mixed in.

Plain Greek yogurt is high in protein and drizzled with honey makes an awesome dessert. It is also full of calcium and has fewer calories.

Various Dips

You can dip anything into hummus and a well-made dip. They are also great for making wraps. Hummus is universal and can be used on vegetables, crackers, and crisps.

Make your own dip with the last bits in your condiment bottles to prevent wastage.

Water

There is nothing as refreshing as a glass of cold water on a hot day. The health benefits of drinking water are well known and having cold water on hand in your mini-fridge will encourage you to drink more of it.

I like to keep my drinking bottle in the mini-fridge so I can take a few gulps when I want and put it back to stay chilled.

Fruit Juice and Milk

Orange juice is both delicious and very versatile. It is great for breakfast and can also be used as an alcohol mixer such as with champagne or vodka.

The Vitamin C in orange juice will also keep you protected against the flu. Be sure to choose fresh orange juice to get the most health benefits.

Other fruit juices are also healthy and are great pick-me-ups for when you are feeling tired or a bit down. They refresh the body and mind and get you going.

Milk is another essential for your mini-fridge and also has many functions. Besides being delicious it is also a good source of energy. Milk is used in coffee and tea, in cooking and baking, and you can make desserts such as milkshakes.

Carbonated Drinks

Think about buying cans instead that can be stacked. The beauty of cans is that the more you drink them, the less space they consume as you remove a can at a time.

You might be able to fit a big soda bottle in the door of your mini-fridge, which is handy but takes up a lot of space. Keeping any large bottles can take up a lot of space in your mini-fridge no matter how empty the bottle becomes.

Vegetables and Fruits

Vegetables are healthy and contain fiber and vitamins our bodies need. They are also clunky and hard to fit into a small fridge. Try to process your vegetables before storing them in your fridge. Create ready-to-use small containers with peeled and cut vegetables.

This will encourage you to use them more readily to make a quick salad, stir fry, or even take the container and snack on them while working. The same applies to fruit. Keep these healthy foods washed and prepared fruit in your fridge to make snacking on them effortless.

Personally, I like to keep apple slices and grapes in my mini-fridge since they’re very easy to grab and consume quickly without any mess.

Remember to buy small packets of frozen vegetables to fit into the freezer section. Small quantities also prevent the product from getting freezer burn before you use it. Remember to leave space for the much-needed ice tray.

Something Sweet

Depending on the size of your sweet tooth your sweet treats can range from fresh or frozen fruits to chocolate bars.

Final Thoughts

There are many reasons for getting a mini-fridge. Some people place one in their office, bedroom, dorm room, or office due to lack of space or for convenience.

Many use their mini-fridge simply for alcohol and ice or to keep beverages cold and stored separately from the food items.

Once you have a good idea of what you want to stock in your mini-fridge, take another look at how much space you have. Roam the grocery store first to assess your options and then make calculated decisions on what to buy. Buying less more often is the key.

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About Brad Javernick

Brad is a licensed home inspector and the editor of Home Oomph. He's a massive DIYer, and loves to take on new home renovation projects!

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