What's the secret to making your veggies last longer?
Use these simple tips to keep your veg crisp, fresh and more delicious.
You know you’re on WW when your fridge is packed with lots of fibre-rich and vitamin & mineral-packed vegetables! Non-starchy veggies are a ZeroPoint™ food. ZeroPoint foods have—you guessed it—0 Points® because they serve as the foundation of healthy eating. (How does the Points system work? Click here!)
That said, nothing ruins a salad or sandwich faster than soggy spinach or shrivelled tomatoes, which is why expertsrecommend taking the time to store these foods properly. Although a few vegetables, such as potatoes, should be stored in a cool, dry location, most can go straight into the fridge.
The first step to making these vegetables last is to keep them cold but not too cold. The “just right” temperature is around 4.5 degrees Celsius. If you go any lower, you’ll risk freezing the produce, says Julie Garden-Robinson, PhD, RD, a food and nutrition specialist at North Dakota State University.
To prevent veggies from drying out and getting soft, wrinkled and limp, you should also keep the environment humid. You can either place vegetables in a moisture-trapping plastic bag (sealed or open) or in the big drawers at the bottom of the fridge. Or, double up and do both.
How to store your veggies
The next time you rearrange the fridge to make room for your freshly-bought veggies, move fruits like apples and pears as far away from the veggies as possible. “As they ripen, these fruits release ethylene gas, which can cause nearby veggies to yellow and spoil,” says Garden-Robinson. Then, use these tips to determine how to best store some of the most popular vegetables - and how long you can expect them to last in your fridge.
How to tell if veggies are past their prime
If you forget to use up a bunch of lettuce or head of cauliflower in time (hey, it happens), check out the food’s color, texture, and aroma to determine if it’s okay to eat. If you just see a few wrinkles on veggies like carrots, celery stalks, or peppers, these are still safe to eat. However, if the item is slimy, discoloured, smells off or you spot mould, throw it out, says Garden-Robinson.