Whether it’s the height of summer and you have more fruits and veggies than you know what to do with, or it’s the dead of winter and you’re wondering how to fit fresh produce into your food budget, I’ve got you! Fruits and vegetables are vital to a healthy lifestyle, but they’re also expensive. So you want to be getting the best while saving money and waste.

Eat Your Veggies! - Tips for Choosing, Storing, Washing, and Cooking Vegetables and Fruit for Natural and Crunchy Wannabe Moms

Eating healthy is part of what got me into the public health field. If you've heard my story before, I first learned about how cattle feedlots negatively impact the environment and the water systems of surrounding communities. That was back in the 90’s when I was in high school, and I decided to go vegetarian for quite a few years. So I was eating (and still do eat) a ton of veggies. I learned some tricks along the way that I’d love to share with you.

Pick the Best (most of the time)

What do I mean by this? I mean I would absolutely love to have everything in our house be totally organic. But that’s not always realistic for our budget. For years I’ve been using the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list. The list rates the 12 fruits and veggies that have the most pesticides in them; the most important ones to spend the extra money for organic! They also have a Clean Fifteen list! Download the guide or take a screenshot so you have it next time you’re in the store.

Buy local and seasonal

Stop by your local farmer’s market or even try growing your own. We have a great apple tree in our yard and this year we got sooo many apples! My friend also offered me some plums from her tree and I always say yes to free produce. Trading with friends and neighbors is a great way to get variety.

Check out a produce service

At our house, we love Imperfect Foods (with this link you’ll get $80 in free groceries!). I get a lot of variety for a good price and best of all, I don’t have to make a trip to the grocery store. They have a lot more than just produce too! Grains, canned goods, dairy, and meat! I’ll take an ugly potato over a trip to the store any day.

Keep it fresh….

The last thing you want is for all that pricey produce to go bad. Storage is important, and different depending on what you’re storing.

• To refrigerate or not to refrigerate, that is.

  Ok, you get where I’m going with that. Some items, like berries and greens should definitely be in the fridge. But root veggies like potatoes and onions do better in a cool, dark place, like your basement. Tomatoes definley do not  like being in the fridge! Nothing zaps the taste and texture of a tomato like the refrigerator. I’m sure this is like a pineapple on pizza type preference, but I never refrigerate tomatoes. I know they last longer, but it's just not worth it!

  
  

• Moisture control isn’t as hard as you think.

  Again, every veggie and fruit is unique in it’s moisture requirements. Most stuff, you want to keep moisture pretty low. I’ve recently been using a veggie saver bag and I love it so much, I started featuring it in my shop. I don’t need those wasteful plastic veggie bags from the grocery store anymore and my produce stays fresh a lot longer. 

  Some stuff, like cut carrots and celery, I like to store in water to stay crisp. I hate dried out carrots. Yuck!

• When to wash

  Seems simple but everyone has their preferences. I like to wash and chop up as much as I can right away so that it's ready to eat for snacks or dinner prep. Some people don’t like to wash and chop lettuce because it gets soggy, but I find if you dry it really well in the salad spinner it will stay nice and crisp. The only thing I don't wash ahead of time are berries, because they will get really mushy with all that moisture. Wash right before you eat.

• Wash Everything!

  Even the parts you’re not eating. If you’re putting a knife through the peel, whatever is on the peel will get into what you’re eating. Mushrooms are an exception as they will soak up all that water. Brush them with a dry vegetable brush. I have my favorite in my shop at www.detox.design/thebox.

What’s the best way to avoid wasting your produce? Cook it and eat it!

There’s obviously a million different recipes and methods out there to try. My favorite is roasting my veggies in avocado oil and salt. They come out so good! But in the summer, like it is right now, the last thing I want to do is turn my oven on. Then I turn to my Instapot. It cooks everything perfectly without heating up my kitchen. I actually just made applesauce in it with the apples from our tree!

I hope you enjoyed this episode and it will make it a little easier to get those important fruits and vegetables into your diet. 

Do you have any tips for getting the most out of your produce? I’d love to hear them! Connect with me at my Facebook group Toxin Free Talk or on Instagram @themeganmikkelsen.