Organizing A Dorm Mini Fridge With Low Vision

While living in a college dorm, I had a mini fridge that I kept next to my desk for storing snacks, small meals, drinks, and ice packs. Having a smaller fridge can make things easier to locate, but organizing a dorm mini fridge is still important as no one wants to find a rotten bag of carrots or a cheese stick that somehow rolled out without anyone noticing and got trapped under a desk. Here are my favorite tips for organizing a dorm mini fridge with low vision, with ideas for items to stock.

Add a set of plastic drawers to one of the shelves

One of my friends has a small 3-door storage unit from Sterilite, which features clear plastic doors and can fit on a larger shelf in a mini fridge. Adding a set of plastic drawers is super helpful for organizing a mini fridge, as it can hold several smaller loose items or keep items cool for lunch.

Some examples of items that my friend kept in their drawer include:

Yogurt
Uncrustables sandwiches
Loose pieces of fruit
Cheese sticks/string cheese
Pre-cut bags of fruit or vegetables

Outside of food, these storage drawers are also a great size for holding refrigerated medication, such as insulin pens or similar medications.

Label grab-and-go items from the dining hall

When did I pick up that peanut butter and jelly from the grab-and-go section? After biting into a sandwich that tasted like it had been made weeks ago, I used my phone to enlarge the prep date and discovered that yes, it had been made three weeks ago. Since then, I started writing on top of the label in permanent marker the day I picked up the sandwich or other items from the grab-and-go section, so I could make sure I wasn’t ignoring items in the fridge.

Storing dining hall food in reusable containers

Before a snowstorm or other severe weather, I grab a few reusable containers and head to the dining hall so I can make sure I have items to eat for the next few days, which is helpful since I have trouble walking in the snow. Some examples of items that I would take and store in my fridge include:

Yogurt parfaits layered with fruit and granola
Sliced pizza
Untoasted or cold sandwiches and wraps with crunchy vegetables and sauces on the side (no tomatoes or wet vegetables here)
Salads with dressing on the side
Soup in a reusable container
Dessert bars or cookies
Prepackaged items from the grab and go section

Keep a list of what’s in the fridge on a white board or app

This wasn’t on a college campus, but I once was helping a friend clean out their pantry and discovered a bag of potatoes that looked absolutely disgusting. My friend remarked that their roommate had bought them when they first moved into that house- over one year earlier. Following that incident, I created a shared digital list of what was in the fridge or pantry at any given time so that never had any surprises like that again. We used Microsoft To-Do, though Google Keep is another helpful option. Both apps also feature options for reminder notifications, which can be helpful for remembering when something needs to be used or trashed.

For a no-tech option, a whiteboard or whiteboard magnets can be attached to the fridge with an inventory of what is inside. Users can take a photo of the whiteboard before grocery shopping to see what they need to buy, or what they already have.

Store loose fruit or items in a large/trenta cup

As an alternative to the drawer option, loose items can also be stored in cold drink cups such as those sold at Starbucks- I would pick up a few large or extra large/trenta cups for storing loose items in my fridge. I received 3 cups for about a dollar, and I used them to hold apples, oranges, and other items in the fridge door.

Order nonperishable snacks online

Since I have to balance using a blindness cane with carrying groceries, I try to order as many items online as possible. This means that I would order several nonperishable snacks and meal options, including:

Larabar snack bars
Pumpkin seeds
Triscuit crackers
Blue corn/black bean chips
Pre-popped popcorn
Quick meal packets

Have ingredients for basic meals on hand

I can’t have ramen or packaged macaroni and cheese due to allergies, so I came up with a few other options for basic meals I could make in my dorm for when I woke up from a migraine and couldn’t get to the dining hall. This could include:

Peanut butter and jelly
Hummus or other bean dips
Salads I assembled in the dining hall earlier in the week, or grab-and-go items
Frozen rice or pasta dishes that work with allergy restrictions
Microwaveable bean or rice packets

Other tips for organizing a dorm mini fridge

Some colleges have size restrictions for mini fridges- these are posted on the housing website and shared in the move-in instructions
I would typically travel to the grocery store across from campus via bus, or would walk there with a friend and take the bus back
For grocery delivery, I would select the address for drop-off as a neighboring dorm or the Starbucks on campus that could easily be accessed by car. Getting items delivered to the mail room that required refrigeration was not an option.
Want to learn more about organizing a fridge with low vision? Check out How To Make Refrigerators Accessible For Visual Impairment