We buy so much produce it overflows from the veg drawers into the rest of the space. Also, many containers of half-used produce and meat because when I cook I don't use the whole onion, pepper, zuch, sweet potato, etc.

I suppose it seems like I am complaining about something that isn't really complaint-worthy. We have the means to buy food, so that isn't it. I guess it is just that a nice, full fridge makes me happy. Maybe it is some sort of nurturing instinct that I have to want to have a lot of food on hand. :happy:

I think you've hit the nail on the head. We're used to having lots of "grab-and-go" foods around. Have you ever heard someone say, "I just went to the grocery store, and there's nothing to eat!" I have. What they really mean is there's nothing available that doesn't need to be prepared in some way. That's how we tend to think about food -- fast and easy. A full fridge means there's likely to be something in there that you don't have to cook. So then when you change the way you think about food, that barren fridge feels weird.

You said it yourself, your freezer is stocked, and your crisper drawers are full. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I keep leftovers in my fridge, and like mehaugen said, I have containers of things like half an onion, a sliced pepper, etc. I also keep a water filter pitcher in my fridge because I hate water straight from the tap, and things like V8 and a container of lemon juice. Eggs, bacon, that sort of thing. I also have other things in there that I personally don't eat, but if it were just my fridge, it would still probably be semi-full just with that stuff I listed. But I've personally always hated a fridge that's full to bursting. I can't find anything in a fridge like that.

While my old Kenmore can look pretty sparse the day before shopping, the next day is chock full.

Top shelf is full of beverages: decaf green tea (two pitchers), caf black tea (1 pitcher), 2 or 3 cartons of almond milk, iced coffee, mineral water, coconut milk, pitcher of ice water, and a bottle or two of white wine chilling.

Meats bin has all sorts of goat/sheep cheeses. some limes and whatever fresh herbs I pick up.

Middle shelf: a couple cartons of eggs, two or three containers of yogurt, cannister of bacon fat, and the occasional leftover container.

Bottom shelf: vegetables that won't fit into the two crisper bins, and meats that are thawing for a meal.

Door shelves are full of butter, condiments, hummingbird food, etc.

And this is just for two people! But the fridge is usually full, the freezer has a couple of weeks of frozen meats (and ice cubes), and I have a chest freezer in my workshop where I keep the beef, pork and seafood I buy in bulk whenever the price is right - or my neighbor has some more pastured animals ready for butchering.

What's funny is that we bought a bigger fridge after we started eating primal! We have a very large pantry that is now pretty bare. There are four of us and after a trip for a week's worth of groceries we didn't have enough room in the fridge for all of the fresh food we brought home.

I must not keep as much food on hand. I don't have a car, so I usually only buy what I can carry in two bags up the San Francisco hills.

Well, there you go - I'm up the hill from you (in the forest outside of Placerville). Between driving all over God's creation to get grass-fed and organic, and keeping enough on hand in case we get snowed in (we were snowed in for 4 days a couple of years ago) - it does make for a higher inventory level