A healthy meal from what’s in your fridge
You don’t always need a recipe. Our free 12-page cheat sheet shows you how to turn what’s already in your fridge, freezer and cupboards into a nutritious meal, in five simple steps.
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Peek inside
Have a look inside
Five simple steps, a mix-and-match cheat sheet of 35 ingredients, a 10-minute shortcut bowl and a recipe to start you off.
Get the free cheat sheet →The formula
Five steps to a better bowl
No perfect combination, and no need to use everything. Start with what you have, especially anything that needs using up.
1. Pick a protein
Around ½ to 1 cup per person: beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, edamame, fish, chicken or eggs.
2. Add some carbs
Around 1 to 2 cups, cooked: rice, quinoa, couscous, barley, noodles or potatoes.
3. Pack in the plants
Around 1 to 2 cups, or simply whatever you have. Frozen and tinned count too.
4. Make it delicious
Around 2 to 4 tablespoons of sauce: lemon tahini, peanut satay, ginger miso, salsa verde.
5. Finish with flavour
Fresh herbs, toasted nuts or seeds, pickles, kimchi or a little fresh chilli.
What’s inside
12 pages to keep on the fridge
The Build-A-Bowl cheat sheet
Pick one or more from each column: 35 everyday ingredients to mix and match.
Don’t stop at the fridge
The cupboard and freezer staples that turn odds and ends into a proper meal.
A bowl in under 10 minutes
Microwave grains, tinned beans, frozen veg and a sauce you like. Shortcuts aren’t cheating.
A recipe to start you off
Crispy tofu, edamame and peanut rice bowl, with nutrition per serving and easy swaps.
Tips from our nutrition team
Why plant proteins, healthy fats and frozen vegetables earn their place in your bowl.
Made to print
Stick it on the fridge, or keep it on your phone for the next time you’re stuck.
- 1
Join free
Create your foodfacts.org account in under a minute. No card.
- 2
Open the cheat sheet
It’s waiting in your members’ library: read it online or download the PDF.
- 3
Scan your fridge
Pick a protein, add carbs, pack in plants, choose a sauce. Done.
Why you can trust it
Independent, evidence-based, on your side
- Written by the foodfacts.org team, an independent non-profit
- Plant-forward and flexible: fish, chicken and eggs fit the formula too
- No ads, no sponsored products, no industry money
foodfacts.org is an independent non-profit that fact-checks food and nutrition claims. We take no advertising and no money from the food industry.
Get the free cheat sheet →Questions
What is the Fridge Scan?
A free 12-page cheat sheet from foodfacts.org that shows you how to build a nutritious bowl from whatever you already have, using a simple five-step formula instead of a recipe.
Is it really free?
Yes. It’s free with a foodfacts.org account, which takes under a minute to create. No card needed.
Do I need to be vegan or vegetarian?
No. It leans towards plant proteins because of their benefits, but cooked or tinned fish, chicken and eggs all fit the formula.
Can I print it?
Yes. Download the PDF and print it, or keep it on your phone.
Are frozen and tinned foods healthy?
They can be. Frozen and tinned vegetables, tinned beans and microwave grains can all be part of a nutritious diet, and they’re less likely to go to waste.
Free with the same account
More for members
No recipe required
Now scan your fridge
Create your free foodfacts.org account and we’ll take you straight to the Fridge Scan.
Get the free cheat sheet →
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