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Produce mistakes to avoid
Fresh fruits and vegetables are some of the most nutrient-rich foods you can buy, but sometimes it seems like they can spoil way too quickly or go bad before you know it. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Storing produce properly can make it last a lot longer, and cooking it or consuming it in certain ways can maximize the health benefits.
“Fresh fruits and vegetables are some of your most powerful tools for health and wellness and it’s worth it to learn how to buy and cook them,” says Shari Portnoy, RD with the American Council of Science and Health practicing in New York City.
Ever wonder if it’s possible to make better use of “scraps” like stems, leaves, and peels? The answer is yes. “There are so many myths about food and that leads to a lot of common mistakes when shopping for groceries, including produce,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN in Woodmere, New York, and author of Read It Before You Eat It.
Read on to learn how to get the most out of your produce.
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Refrigerating all produce
Though it’s tempting to dump everything in the fridge, some produce belongs on the countertop. Refrigeration can compromise the texture and flavour of certain fruits and vegetables, Taub-Dix says. Tomatoes, for instance, don’t get a chance to ripen properly at low temperatures and can get mealy; melons can lose antioxidants and other nutrients in the fridge; and onions can get mushy and even develop mold when refrigerated.
(Here are the healthiest vegetables you can buy at the farmers’ market.)
