Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Tips

As we all know, fresh fruit and vegetables are amongst the healthiest things we can eat. Packed with nutrients and vitamins, whilst being low in unhealthy fats, they are an essential part of a balanced diet. As such, we need to ensure that we have a range of them available to us at all times. The tips below will help you choose the best fruit and veg, which in turn will help them last longer, meaning you get more for your money.

fruits and vegetables

Fruit
When buying fresh fruit from the market or the supermarket, try to buy them before they are completely ripened. This ensures that they don’t go past their best too early; there is nothing worse than throwing away fruit because you didn’t have time to eat it!

In the case of Bananas, buy them when they are still slightly green. With fruits like Avocados, buy them when they are firm, but not hard. The softer they are, the riper they are.

Fruit can be added to almost any meal to add sweetness and depth of flavor. From adding fresh fruit to your morning cereal to creating a jus for your evening meal, the fruit is incredibly versatile, and healthy.

Instead of using creamy fillings for your baking, try using fresh fruit or fruit purees. These are much lower in fat and healthier, whilst being sweet and satisfying.

Try freezing grapes as a sweet treat. Frozen grapes are delicious and much healthier than traditional sweets and candy. Freezing the grapes also stops you from eating too many, too quickly.

Keep your fruit bowl well stocked, in plain view. Seeing them often will encourage you to eat more; improving the number of vitamins and nutrients in your diet.

Vegetables
Similarly to fruit, when buying vegetables, choose the ones that are fresh, young, and firm. You want them to last as long as possible. Some vegetables are fine in the cupboard (potatoes, onions, etc), but most will require storage in the fridge.

If you are worried that you won’t be able to finish your vegetables before they go off, you can store them in the freezer for later use.

Avoid damaged fruit; anything that is bruised or cut will go off much quicker than the untarnished versions. Keep vegetables whole when stored; don’t cut your vegetables and then store them for later use, as this will encourage them to go off. The vegetable’s skin acts as a barrier, keeping it fresh. Cutting or chopping the veg compromises this barrier.

Store your vegetables in the dark. This again helps them to stay fresh, prolonging their shelf life. Use the tips above to make sure you have a nicely stocked cupboard, fridge, and fruit bowl. By having a range of fruit and veg available to you at all times, it will be much easier to keep them in your daily diet, ultimately improving your health and wellbeing.