Question: Dear Dr. Harris, I like eating fruits and vegetables, and I especially love the SuperFoods. But, with my crazy schedule, I have a hard time getting to the grocery to buy fresh produce. I go to the supermarket about once a week and stock up as much as I can then. But, I find that much of produce I buy ends up spoiling before I eat it. I ‘m buying less and less produce because of the spoilage. I want to make sure that I eat the recommended servings of SuperFoods every day. (I have my SuperFoodsRx Pyramid magnet on the fridge!) * Any recommendations for getting my daily fruits and veggies when at best I only shop every seven days?

Answer: You are not alone. Most people only shop for groceries about once a week. Unfortunately, studies show that due to spoilage , Americans end up throwing away about a quarter of the fresh produce they buy.. But, by effectively managing the fresh fruit and vegetables you buy and planning when to eat the produce, Here’s some ways you can reduce the amount of waste and ensure you are getting your daily servings of fresh SuperFoods.

Choosing Produce
Choose fresh produce that is not over-ripe. It’s okay to ask the produce manager at your supermarket when a particular fruit and vegetable was delivered and put out for sale. If you are not sure whether produce is good, ask someone for help. Identifying ripe and fresh produce does take some expertise, but the in-store experts are usually willing to share their knowledge. I’ve always found grocery employees to be friendly and open to questions.

Fruits and vegetables grown by local farmers will tend to be fresher than produce shipped long distances. You could try and schedule your weekly grocery trip around a stop at the local farmer’s market. Check your local newspaper for dates and times.

Choose produce that’s in season. Seasonal fruits and vegetables will be more flavorful and tend to stay fresher longer.

Winter produce: Cabbage, Carrots, Grapefruit, Lemons, Oranges, Onions

Spring produce: Asparagus, Lettuce, Radishes, Spinach, Strawberries

Summer produce: Apricots, Blueberries, Cherries, Corn, Melons, Peaches, Peppers, Plums, Tomatoes

Fall produce: Apples, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cauliflower, Grapes, Pears, Persimmons, Sweet Potatoes

Storing Your Produce
Here are some tips on where to store your fresh produce:

1) Produce to Refrigerate:

• Apples—Don’t remove stems or stickers until you are ready to wash and eat.
• Apricots—To ripen apricots, place the apricots in a paper bag at room temperature. Then refrigerate once ripe.
• Asparagus—Wrap stem ends in moist paper towels in an open plastic bag or stand the stalks upright with the cut stems in water in a plastic bag. Do not seal the bag, because the tips need to breathe.
• Ripe bananas—The cool temperatures will darken the skin over time without affecting the fruit.
• Berries (Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Cranberries, Blackberries)—In an uncovered container
• Bok Choy—In a closed plastic bag
• Broccoli—In a closed plastic bag
• Brussels sprouts—In a closed plastic bag
• Cabbage—In a closed plastic bag
• Carrots—In a closed plastic bag
• Cauliflower—In a closed plastic bag
• Cherries—In a closed plastic bag
• Corn—Can be loose if still in husk, or in plastic bag if husk removed.
• Cucumbers—Unwaxed cucumbers don’t last as long as waxed cucumbers.
• Eggplant—Can be loose
• Figs—In a closed plastic bag
• Grapes—In a perforated bag
• Ripe kiwi—Keep in a plastic bag to maintain moisture.
• Lettuce—In a plastic bag
• Melons (Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon)—Can be loose
• Mushrooms—Kept in closed plastic bag or covered with moist paper towel.
• Peppers—Keep in closed plastic bag. Since red peppers are more mature, they only last 3-4 days. Green peppers will last for about a week.
• Spinach—In a closed plastic bag
• Squash—Summer squash should be kept in the refrigerator, while the hard autumn/winter squashes can be kept on the counter.

2) Produce that should be kept at room temperature in a cool, dry place (Not on top of your refrigerator or dishwasher):

• Avocados
• Unripe bananas—To ripen quickly, put the unripe bananas in closed plastic bag in a warmer spot (top of the fridge) until ripe.
• Mangoes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears—Can be put in refrigerator once ripe
• Persimmons
• Whole pineapple—Cut pineapple should go in the refrigerator in a sealed container.
• Plums
• Pomegranates
• Tomatoes—Can be put in refrigerator once ripe, but refrigeration lowers nutritional value.

3) Produce that should be kept in a dark, cool place (as in a cupboard): (Keep potatoes, onions, and garlic separate because they will spoil faster when mixed.)

• Jicama—Can also be kept loose in the refrigerator.
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Whole garlic (not peeled)

4) Produce that can be kept at room temperature or in the refrigerator:

• Grapefruit
• Kumquats
• Lemons
• Limes
• Oranges

Always remove any spoiled produce as soon as you notice it. As they say, “one bad apple spoils the bunch.” Soft, bruised, or moldy produce should be thrown away before it can damage other fruits and vegetables.

When to Eat Produce
Knowing how to store produce is only one issue. Not all fruits and vegetables will stay fresh for the same amount of time. Some produce needs to be eaten quickly because it spoils quickly, while other produce will last longer. By planning when to eat the produce you have purchased you can prevent spoiling. I’ve prepared some suggestions for when certain fruits and vegetables should be eaten. Using these recommendations, you can plan your meals in-between trips to the grocery.

These are only estimates of how long fresh produce should last. These recommendations are meant for ripe, ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables. You should adjust the recommendations to account for any necessary ripening time. Furthermore, the time fresh produce will last also depends on how long it has been sitting on store shelves. Try to shop at stores with high turnover so that produce doesn’t sit for too long. Don’t eat produce if it is moldy, has a slimy feel, or is overly soft or discolored.

Note: If you find that your fresh produce isn’t lasting as long, you might be storing incompatible produce together. Consider separating certain fruits and vegetables from the rest of your produce as they can spoil other items faster. The produce that tends to accelerate the ripening and spoiling of other fruits and vegetables: (The so called “gas producers”—because they produce ethylene gas that ripens/spoils other fruit and vegetables.)

So, with a little a planning, you can make choices that produce long-lasting produce.  Helping you to get your fresh SuperFoods. everyday!

Hope this helps,

Geoffrey R. Harris, MD

*Don’t have a SuperFoodsRx HealthStyle Pyramid? Download it here