As most of us know, fresh fruits and vegetables are just
about the best things we can fuel our bodies with. They are rich with vitamins and antioxidants, low in
calories and simply delicious! I try very hard to fit nutritious fresh produce
into all my family’s meals. Healthy habits last a lifetime. That being said, it
doesn’t always happen. I am an imperfect mom after all.
It can be extremely tempting to buy lots of canned
goods. They are quick, easy, and
last a long time, but beware, fruits often have tons of added sugar and
vegetables often have tons of added salt.
While some are essential staples in our home (like corn and tomatoes)
others (such as green beans and peas) are left mushy and the taste is altered. Be sure
to pick your canned goods wisely and check for the additives to make sure of
the nutrition.
Buying everything fresh can be costly and many types of
produce do not last long. I started to realize that each time I got home from
the store it was an instant battle. Would I win and eat it all before it went
bad or would I end up tossing my hard earned cash in the trash? I hate throwing
food away because of spoilage and on a tight budget we cannot afford to. It was time to make some changes and I
found out that some simple steps can help you eat fresh, nutritious food on a
daily basis and keep it good until it’s gone!
1. Buy it local and buy it fresh!
If you have farm stands in your neighborhood
you are in luck! Purchasing food from the source is always the best way to get
it and it is often picked that day. If you are not fortunate enough to have
such a luxury, never fear! There are tons of great places for fresh produce so
shop around and find the local store that works well for you. Make sure when
you pick your vegetables that they have good color and are properly
hydrated. If they look like they
are darkening, wilted, or dry, then they are going south and you should pass. Fruits should be free from soft spots
and bruises. The term “bad apple” originated because of those spots. If just one apple is bad it will cause
the rest to rapidly spoil. Make sure fruits that should be firm are, and once
again color and texture are a tell tale signs. If it looks bad, it is or will soon be. It’s good to be picky! It will save you
tons of money!
Yes, yes, those bagged salads and cut fruit
look yummy, but you really have no control over what you are eating. How old is it? How well was it washed? Has it been treated with chemicals? Were bad spots cut off that could
still cause it to spoil? And consider the extra money you are spending for
convenience. A head of lettuce can
often be purchased for $1.00. Are
you more willing to pay $3.00 for a bag that has less product just so you don’t
have to wash it and cut it up?
When you purchase it whole you can control how it is cleaned, cut, and
stored which will make it last much longer.
3. Prepare it!
Have you ever left a melon on the counter,
looked at it for several days, swore you were going to get to cutting it up,
never did, and then thrown it away because it went bad? Yeah me too. Upon
getting home from the store, take the time to cut, clean, and store anything
that needs to be. Obviously you
wont be cutting things like bananas, peaches, avocado etc, until you use them
but many things can be prepared ahead of time so you can easily access them
later. I cut melons, strawberries,
pineapple, broccoli, carrots, and many other things right away. I also remove all the grapes from the
stems. All these items can be stored in airtight containers and become very
easy to pop out and use right when you need them. It is great to be able to make a meal for the kids without
stopping to cut a huge piece of fruit.
4. Ditch the plastic bags!
Many fruits and vegetables continue to
ripen after they have been picked.
Keeping them in the plastic bags you get from the store, really speeds up
the process. Peaches, nectarines,
bananas, avocados, tomatoes, plums, and many other fruits, rapidly ripen and
spoil if you leave them without room to breathe. Make sure you give them air and they will last a lot longer.
5. Keep your produce visible
Store all of your fresh produce where you
can easily see it. If you cannot
see it, you will forget you have it. Any fruit or vegetables left out of the
fridge should be on a counter in plain view and not hidden behind anything. If
you notice fruit flies in your home, you have rotting fruit somewhere. For the
fridge, put a piece of any kind of tape on your airtight containers or bags and
label it with the date. Knowing
when you purchased it gives you a much better idea of how long it will stay
good so you don’t have to play the guessing game. When your fresh produce
starts to look like it’s going to spoil, find a recipe to use it in or have a yummy
snack.
With these 5 steps, I have been able to feed my family a lot more fresh healthy produce (I still eat junk from time to time wink*wink*) spend less, and save more! I hope these tips help you as much
as they have helped me and that you are inspired to eat a rainbow each and
every day!
No comments:
Post a Comment