Buying fruits and vegetables has been difficult when you are trying to shop just once in awhile and stay home as much as possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19. What should you buy that will last the longest? Are canned and frozen just as nutritious?
Here are 5 tips to help you know what to buy and how to make sure you aren’t throwing produce in the trash can.
- Buy a variety of fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables.
- Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables may be just as full of nutrients as fresh and cost less and last longer.
- Pay attention to the sodium content of canned and frozen vegetables. When available, buy low sodium canned veggies. For frozen, forgo the frozen varieties with sauces. Instead, flavor with herbs and spices when you prepare them at home.
- For canned fruit, look for descriptions on the label like “packed in its own juices,” “packed in 100% juice,” “unsweetened” or “no added sugar.” Fruits packed in juices contain less added sugar than fruits packed in syrup.
- Frozen fruits come in both sweetened and unsweetened varieties, so make sure to check the label and choose unsweetened fruit.
- Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables may be just as full of nutrients as fresh and cost less and last longer.
- Eat salad greens first, these are the most perishable.
- Buy salad greens that can also be cooked like spinach, arugula and kale. If you don’t eat them in the first few days, cook them and use in omelets, pasta dishes, or bowl meals.
- Buy fruits and vegetables with a long shelf life. Apples, oranges, grapefruit, cabbage, Napa cabbage, carrots, onions – all keep for weeks.
- When you cook vegetables, assess what you will use in the next few days and freeze the rest for later.
Hopefully, these tips for buying fruits and vegetables are helpful during this strange time. Need some fresh ideas for meals? Visit our blog for lots of healthy recipes using fruits and veggies!