Fridge porn is the latest competitive trend sweeping Instagram. We look inside…

There’s a wave of seductive images sweeping across social media. Women are flicking through these pictures, eyes dilated, heart racing – stopping only to drift into a fantastical reverie. But all is not as it seems. We’re talking about fridge porn – beautifully organised fridges, their contents artfully grouped by colour or texture, neatly packed and labelled in matching (plastic-free) baskets, tubs and jars.

There are no leftovers or mouldy takeaways in sight. Instead, rows of prepared healthy lunches for the week ahead. Juicy strawberries sit alongside plump grapes and cherry tomatoes – all washed, ready to eat. Organic carrots and cobs of sweetcorn are lined up on a clear glass tray, while bunches of asparagus and fresh herbs sprout healthily from water-filled vases. Fridge porn has become a veritable art form.

When London blogger Samira Kazan (who boasts 795,000 followers of her @alphafoodie Instagram account) posted a picture of her fridge packed with a rainbow of colour-coded fruit and vegetables last year, it received more than 20,000 likes and comments

There are no leftovers or mouldy takeaways in sight. Instead, rows of prepared healthy lunches for the week ahead

There are no leftovers or mouldy takeaways in sight. Instead, rows of prepared healthy lunches for the week ahead

Some of the most impressive displays are created by ‘wellness’ influencers and clean-eating gurus keen to show off their rainbow rows of kombucha. But the fridge-porn movement also encompasses elements from the clean-and-tidy brigade – Mrs Hinch aficionados and Marie Kondo types – as the decluttering trend moves to the kitchen. In fact, according to the latest Waitrose Food and Drink Report, more than 30 per cent of us have overhauled our kitchen organisation in the past year. Increasing awareness of the environmental evils of food waste and plastic packaging is fuelling the fridge-porn movement, too.

Kristen Hong, who runs healthy eating website hellonutritarian.com from her home in California, has more than 100,000 followers on her @hellonutritarian Instagram account – much of it spattered with fridge porn. Her pictures are characterised by candy-bright jars of prepared fruits and salads. ‘An organised fridge is an inviting fridge,’ she says. ‘It encourages you to get creative in the kitchen. You can look at my posts and feel inspired to do something this weekend to make it happen in your own fridge.’ Her top tip? ‘If you can open your fridge and easily identify your next three healthy meals, you are on the right track to using your fridge to its best.’

Amira Youssef also has an instantly identifiable fridge interior, styling the contents in seagrass baskets in tasteful shades of fawn and cream. Showing it off on her @dusk2illdawn Instagram account to more than 46,000 followers, she says, ‘I group everything into categories so it’s easier to find and use when needed. I like to use baskets to give my pictures a cosy feel – neutral and earthy tones are so calming.’

An organised fridge also means Amira, from Sydney, Australia, goes to the supermarket only twice a month. After her fortnightly food shop, she decants produce into Ikea glass containers (‘they stay fresher for longer stored this way’), organises yogurts into one basket, fruit and mushrooms in another (‘they last longer when kept in the dark’). Herbs are arranged in ‘a small vase of water’.

Kristen Hong, who runs healthy eating website hellonutritarian.com from her home in California, has more than 100,000 followers on her @hellonutritarian Instagram account – much of it spattered with fridge porn

Kristen Hong, who runs healthy eating website hellonutritarian.com from her home in California, has more than 100,000 followers on her @hellonutritarian Instagram account – much of it spattered with fridge porn

Increasing awareness of the environmental evils of food waste and plastic packaging is fuelling the fridge-porn movement

Increasing awareness of the environmental evils of food waste and plastic packaging is fuelling the fridge-porn movement

Fridge porn is certainly very visually appealing, but do people really keep their appliances looking this lovely?

Fridge porn is certainly very visually appealing, but do people really keep their appliances looking this lovely?

The fridge-porn movement also encompasses elements from the clean-and-tidy brigade – Mrs Hinch aficionados and Marie Kondo types – as the decluttering trend moves to the kitchen

The fridge-porn movement also encompasses elements from the clean-and-tidy brigade – Mrs Hinch aficionados and Marie Kondo types – as the decluttering trend moves to the kitchen

While the most prolific fridge porn posts originate from California and Sydney, British influencers are entering the fray. When London blogger Samira Kazan (who boasts 795,000 followers of her @alphafoodie Instagram account) posted a picture of her fridge packed with a rainbow of colour-coded fruit and vegetables last year, it received more than 20,000 likes and comments.

Fridge porn is certainly very visually appealing, but do people really keep their appliances looking this lovely? Where on earth do they hide their half-empty jars of pesto, the bottle of ketchup – and what about wine?

Blogger Kristy Wicks, from San Francisco, posted a picture on Instagram (@kristywicks) last September which featured a clear container of bright yellow sunflower heads and another of dahlia blooms which coordinated perfectly with a pile of mini pumpkins and a huge tray of sweets. The post was a massive hit with her 370,000 followers, getting more than 10,000 likes, but she confesses to have incorporated a little creative licence: ‘My fridge does look pretty and organised – but I don’t normally have champagne or flowers in there.’

If you have neither the time nor inclination to assemble your cans of Diet Coke in military rows, baton your carrots or hull your strawberries, it’s addictive scrolling through these images and imagining a life where you do

If you have neither the time nor inclination to assemble your cans of Diet Coke in military rows, baton your carrots or hull your strawberries, it’s addictive scrolling through these images and imagining a life where you do

Blogger Kristy Wicks, from San Francisco, posted a picture on Instagram (@kristywicks) last September which featured a clear container of bright yellow sunflower heads and another of dahlia blooms which coordinated perfectly with a pile of mini pumpkins and a huge tray of sweets

Blogger Kristy Wicks, from San Francisco, posted a picture on Instagram (@kristywicks) last September which featured a clear container of bright yellow sunflower heads and another of dahlia blooms which coordinated perfectly with a pile of mini pumpkins and a huge tray of sweets

Kristen Hong says it takes her just ten minutes to ‘style’ her fridge each week, but admits that she removes the bottom drawer (where she keeps the family’s non-vegan items and processed foods) before setting up the shot, and pulls the double doors out of shot because that’s where she stashes anything ‘ugly’ or visually jarring (juices, sauces, pre-packaged items and milk cartons all in their original packaging). ‘It never looks quite as beautiful halfway through the week when the containers are beginning to empty,’ she also reveals.

 I remove processed foods and anything ugly or visually jarring

Even if you have neither the time nor inclination to assemble your cans of Diet Coke in military rows, baton your carrots or hull your strawberries, it’s addictive scrolling through these images and imagining a life where you do. A life where, no matter the chaos and disruption, your asparagus stalks will be standing to attention in a jar of water, and red onions get to be chilled because they coordinate so beautifully with the radishes and raspberries.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR FRIDGE INSTA-ORGANISED

  • Take everything out so you can thoroughly sort through the contents. Discard anything tainted by mould. Wash and keep glass jars for future storage.
  • Clean the shelves, walls and drawers with warm water and washing-up liquid (use a toothpick or cotton bud to remove any residue that might have collected in the corners).
  • Invest in matching storage containers, preferably made from glass (see selections at johnlewis.com, ikea.com and lakeland.co.uk).
  • Arrange your fridge contents by colour, giving the healthiest foods centre stage. Remove and recycle packaging wherever possible.
  • Hide unattractive items – such as yogurt pots and ready meals – in baskets (seagrass copes with the conditions best; try johnlewis.com, thebasketcompany.com, dunelm.com or coxandcox.co.uk).

 



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