Think of what's in your fridge right now. I know I have a few excuses: Last week was busy! I don't usually order take out! I meant to use that rhubarb last week! For better and for worse, the contents of our refrigerators tell a story about how we eat, live, and, as artist Mark Menjivar suggests, even how we see the world. He photographed 35 refrigerators to illustrate his point and the results are worth a look.
With subjects ranging from a household of three competitive eaters in New York City to a bar tender in San Antonio, a random look into their refrigerators and freezers clearly shows very different eating habits. Do you proclaim to eat locally but your fridge says otherwise? Are your shelves organized or are they overflowing with leftovers? What story does your fridge tell?
• Read more: You Are What You Eat by Mark Menjivar
Related: Where To Store What In the Refrigerator
(Image: Mark Menjivar)
Magic One-Ingredient Ice Cream 5 Ways: Peanut Butter, Nutella, and More
20 Scrumptious Brunch Recipes 
Our reading list
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Flessenlikker (Sili...
Before & After: A Bathroom Goes From Pinky Peach to Sleek and Chic
Alexis' Modern Glass House 
Comments (18)
My freezer holds more pint glasses and martini glasses than food. And, of course, lots of ice! Obviously, chilled glasses are quite important.
I'm so happy Mark showcased on here! I graduated from the same program as him a few years after he finished. I love the work he is doing.
Sic 'em bears!
Is that a snake in photo 7?
Where is the BREAD? Since most of our food is high protein, and I am gluten intolerant, our fridge usually has a carton or two of eggs and half gallon of egg whites. We have plenty of veggies and fruits. And our condiment collection is a variety of sauces, salsas, mustards and pickled peppers of varied levels of spiciness. I also keep any beans or flours in the fridge (kills the bollweevils!)
Bread is on the counter, of course.
Wait... Did I just see a flag in a refrigerator and... Was that a whole rattlesnake curled up in a freezer? What on earth? Are there bios/comments anywhere about the refrigerator owners?
@Pazuru : there're brief comments below each picture.
Mhm I saw those Christine but they still don't explain the oddities too well. I'm just curious as to why the owners put them there/what the story is behind them.
Wow, I am officially a refrigerator snob. I cannot believe some people don't suffer from food poisoning on a daily basis, especially the "take-out king" bartender.
Also very curious about the rattlesnake.
Clean your fridges people! Keep the onions, potatoes, bread, and for goodness sakes tomatoes OUT of the fridge.
Fascinating, but fairly disgusting overall.
The botanist's refrigerator! I'm a botanist too! Mine looks a little more adequately stocked, though :)
...Wow.
Someone ate nothing but donuts for three years? Is that actually physically possible?
Now I have the urge to go clean my fridge...because you never know when an artist is going to come in and ask to photograph it!
Basically this tells the story that Americans do not eat vegetables, or much fresh food of any sort. Even the well-off people!
My refrigerators always look like a war between roommates... which I always lose. My stuff in piled neatly near the sides of unused food explosions. I only cook for one, so I don't have much extra food for more than a day or two, aside from my specialty items. I'm usually piling up all my tofu, daiya away from any leaky roommate food.
I'm moving in with my boyfriend in October, so I'm interested to see how that will work out considering we love to cook meals together. It will probably be much cleaner.
Very interesting article! But, I can't believe how dirty the refrigerator's are inside as well.
Natty Boh in photo 8! Ha, that's fantastic.
A guess at why the snake is in the freezer: beloved pet snake died during the winter when the ground was frozen, so they put her in the freezer until she could be buried in the spring? This has happened to me with a beloved pet! :(
Seeing these pictures makes me want to clean our fridge so badly. It's kind of gross, I will admit.
My fridge says I don't cook very much but I do get thirsty. Also says no kids and that the inhabitants really, really like hagaan daaz.
holy cow! porps to the 210!!!