Ways to make the most of the produce we purchase
At a time when Chicago saw food and beverage prices climb 4.5 percent from a year ago, a study out of the University of Arizona is startling: The average American household tosses almost 25 percent of the fruits and vegetables bought yearly.
That's a slice of the $1,032 in food each American on average throws away each year, said Timothy Jones, the one-time University of Arizona professor who led the study.
(Jean Lachat/Sun-Times)
The problem, Jones told the Sun-Times, is consumers buy too much produce and can't finish it before going bad. Also, Americans tend to head to the grocery store on Sundays, but actually should buy fresh produce a day or two before the weekend to have food at home when there's time to prepare it.
For Cheryl Bell, a registered dietitian for Meijer, the regional grocery chain, there are a few simple ways to stem the loss.
Following USDA guidelines, Bell has calculated that a family of four needs about 40 cups of vegetables and 28 cups of fruits each week. Half of that, she says, can come from the produce aisle. That means you'll need 14 cups of fresh produce or, she says, four nectarines, four plums, four bananas and four apples.
Same with the veggies. To get 20 cups, you'll pick up one bag of salad, one of head broccoli, one bag of baby carrots, two large tomatoes, and one pound of fresh green beans.
The balance of servings can come from frozen, dried or canned fruits and vegetables.
At Sunset Foods grocery, with locations in the north and northwest suburbs, produce director Vincent Mastromauro recommends buying fresh fruit and vegetables every three days.
Buy in-season fruit -- where you'll find your best values -- and stash everything in the refrigerator except those servings to be eaten that day.
"People say, 'I bought 10 peaches and I'm going to leave them all out' on the counter. Well, you're not going to eat 10 peaches in two days," he says.
As for bananas, Mastromauro says this is the time of year to make sure you're storing fruit properly -- meaning in a cool spot. And that isn't always the kitchen, he says.
"I leave them in my family room," he says.
His customers also rave about the Debbie Meyer green bag, on the shelves there, which preserve the life of refrigerated fruits, vegetables and flowers. The bags have a way of protecting the fruits and vegetables as the natural hormone ethylene escapes -- part of the ripening process.
Bell has her own trick. She says you can slow down the ripening procedure if you put a banana peel or ripe apple in a paper bag with another fruit at room temperature.