Where Is the Best Place to Store All of Those Collected Upgrade parts?

Does anyone know if there's a way with those cardboard boxes, storage chests etc. to set it so that sims won't put away food in the boxes? When I have a storage box on the lot and I click "put away" on a plate, the sims take it to the storage box. Even if it's a farther walk than to the fridge. I know I can drag food to the fridge with the mouse, but just wondering if there was another solution.