Preparing for a long-distance move can be a very stressful time in your life. It requires a ton of planning to ensure everything goes smoothly. With your mind preoccupied on other things, you may completely forget about moving your food. Since food waste is something everyone should want to avoid, you need to take some time to properly prepare your food for the move.
1- See What You Have
The first thing you need to do before packing your food is to access everything you have in the house. This will give you a good sense of how much needs to be packed. You do not want to be forced to throw away food just because you did not have enough boxes. This will also let you check the expiration dates on everything in the pantry. There is no need to waste time packing food that is just going to expire days after you get in the new house.
2- Eat Perishable Items
Foods in the refrigerator and freezer can be saved on short moves, but it is not possible when moving across the country. There is just no way to keep everything cold enough on a long move. Since you do not want the food to spoil, it is best to eat all of your perishable food items in the days leading up to the move. In addition to preventing food waste, this will also save you money on food costs as you embark on an expensive move.
3- Donate Anything You Aren’t Taking
If you have a fully stocked refrigerator, then you will likely have a hard time eating all of your perishable items before the move. Luckily, there are plenty of good things you can do with this food instead of throwing it in the trash. Take the frozen foods and perishables with long expiration dates to the local food pantry. You can also give any fresh meats, fruits and vegetables to friends in the area.
4- Pack in Small Boxes
The last thing you want to do when packing your non-perishable food is to put everything in one large box. While this may seem like a practical way to save space on the moving truck, it will come back to haunt you later. Food items weigh a lot more than you realize. Packing food in large boxes will make them too heavy for the movers. Stick to small boxes to ensure they can easily be carried without being dropped during the move.
5- Prevent Spills with Ziploc Bags
There are a lot of food containers that can easily open during a move. An easy way to prevent a massive mess is by placing these food items in Ziploc bags before packing them in the box. Flour, sugar and other spices all need to be put in their own bag. It is also a good idea to do the same thing with food in glass containers like pickles, condiments and jelly.
6- Clearly Mark All Boxes
The chaos of a long-distance move can easily cause you to forget where things are packed. Nobody wants to unpack every box just to find some food to eat after getting into a new house. Prevent this from happening by clearly labeling every food box. This will let you get the kitchen stocked the first day in the new house.