My wife also eats Greek yogurt, which is really high in protein, but she does not like the taste of it. It would be interesting to do a profile on that stuff, to see how to use it and the health benefits, as it is a lot different than the yogurt we usually get from the store.

So, what is Greek yogurt vs regular yogurt?

skizof

Greek and plain (regular) yogurt are made by fermenting milk with live bacteria cultures, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus.

The only difference, in terms of production, is that Greek yogurt is strained to remove the liquid whey, and therefore it has a thicker consistency.

In fact, both these yogurts are extremely healthy, and should be included in your diet regularly.

It’s not so much whether one is better than the other, but whether you’re eating either! 

They are good sources of calcium and protein, and the have beneficial bacteria help to aid digestion, too — check the label for a yogurt containing the bacteria, bifidobacterium or lactobacillus.

The nutritional values of Greek yogurt and regular yogurt

Obviously the nutritional value will vary depending on the brand of yogurt you choose, but here is an approximate comparison of Greek yogurt vs regular natural yogurt, to give you an idea of their similarities.

Non Fat Greek Yogurt (8oz)

• 134 calories
• 24g protein
• Calcium 27%

Low Fat Plain Yogurt (8oz)

• 114 calories
• 9.5g protein
• Calcium 34%

(The calcium content is a little lower in the Greek yogurt, because some is lost during the straining process)

So really, it’s not so much about seeing the benefits of one over the other. I’d be more concerned about whether someone is eating any of this type of yogurt.

Yogurt For Fat Loss

There are so many benefits of adding yogurt to your diet, but one hugely important one is that of aiding weight loss.

A 2010 study found that 200g of probiotic yogurt (containing Lactobacillus gasseri) each day, helped participants lose weight across the whole body, and particularly in the stomach area.

Other studies have demonstrated that regularly eating yogurt (and other dairy products), helps people to lose weight, without losing muscle tissue.

If you’ve lost a significant amount of weight in the past, you will know that it’s difficult to lose weight without also losing valuable muscle mass.

So, if you are trying to lose weight, add one or two servings of yogurt to your diet every day, to help maximize your fat loss, and minimize muscle loss.

3 Ways To Know the Benefits of  Greek yogurt or regular yogurt

Now that you know how wonderful Greek and regular yogurt are, here are a few suggestions on how to eat them more regularly:

1. As a Breakfast Alternative
Make a breakfast smoothie by blending half a cup of Greek or regular yogurt with half a frozen banana, a handful of baby spinach, and half a cup of milk. Or, try sprinkling a tablespoon of granola over a bowl of yogurt, then top with a little fresh fruit. Don’t forget that regular yogurt is delicious just as it is, too.

2. As a Substitute
Use yogurt instead of syrup, fresh cream, or custard on desserts. Greek or regular yogurt can also be substituted for mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, and cottage cheese, in some recipes.

3. As a Dressing Base
Yogurt makes an excellent base for salad dressings — one of my favorites is plain or Greek yogurt, half an avocado, a little lemon juice, a small amount of sugar to sweeten, and freshly ground black pepper. Then blend until smooth, and pour a little over crunchy salads.

You could also try adding chopped cucumber, garlic, and mint to Greek or regular yogurt — really delicious, and a great accompaniment to chicken, beef or lamb.

Do you enjoy Greek or regular yogurt? What’s your favorite way to eat it?

sxc.hu: lockstockb

So you’ve been eating all your vegetables lately — broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, you name it, you’ve eaten the lot! Excellent, that really is great work!

Now, here’s something else for you to try out… sea vegetables!

I have to admit, I don’t like to eat the same foods over and over again. For me, a varied choice of food helps to keep my diet interesting.

Perhaps you hadn’t even considered sea vegetables as a healthy option. It’s true, they are often overlooked (by me too!), but they are definitely something interesting and nutritious that you can add easily to your weekly eating plan.

Types of sea vegetables

Some of the main types of sea vegetables include:

• Sea lettuce
• Nori
• Irish moss
• Wakame
• Agar-agar
• Arame
• Kelp
• Rock weed
• Dulse
• Hijiki

The great thing about these vegetables is, they each have their own unique taste. So chances are, if you don’t like one type, you may very well enjoy one of the other options.

Are sea vegetables nutritious?

In short, yes! Just like any other vegetable, they are an excellent source of nutrients — including iodine, vitamin K, folate, magnesium, iron, and tryptophan.

Tips for eating more sea vegetables

Irish Moss and Dulse

Try not to be put off by the look and/or smell… they are different, I’ll admit that, but that doesn’t necessarily mean “bad!” Here are some suggestions:

Dulse — here in Northern Ireland it’s traditional to sell dulse at the “Auld Lammas Fair” each year, which is only a few miles from my childhood home. My grandmother is very fond of it! Personally, it’s not my favorites, but if you haven’t tried it, you really should give it a go.

Dulse is usually eaten sun-dried, or in powdered form. You can eat is as it is, or pan fry it to make chips. You can also add it to soups, salads, or casseroles.

Sea lettuce — sea lettuce is normally eaten in salads, and it has a lovely bright green color.

Nori — nori is possibly the one you’re most familiar with, as it is used to make sushi rolls.

You can make your own vegetable sushi rolls by wrapping leftover rice with your favorite vegetables in sheets of nori. It can also be chopped up and added to salads, for example.

Wakame

Wakame — try making a raw seaweed salad with soaked wakame and your favorite grated vegetables.

Kelp — kelp can also be added to soups and stews, or pan fried and made into chips.

Hijiki — combine soaked hijiki with shredded vegetables, such as carrots, then add a little grated fresh ginger, olive oil and tamari.

Or, try this seaweed risotto from the gorgeous 101 Cookbooks.

Kim Bap Recipe

My lovely sister-in-law, Taleen, lives in South Korea at present, and she shared this Korean recipe with me:

Serves 3

Ingredients
2 cups of rice
3 sheets of seaweed — I used Nori
1 carrot
Part of a cucumber
2 eggs
6 small crabsticks
2 green onions
A little rice vinegar/sesame oil/sugar

Method:

1. Cook the rice according to pack instructions. When it’s done, let it cool slightly. You can make a little mixture with some rice vinegar, a pinch of sugar and some sesame oil to mix into the rice, if you like.
2. Beat your eggs and cook a small plain omlette in your pan. When done, slice into long strips. Slice your crabsticks (I skipped this bit) into long thin slices, and your carrot, green onions and cucumer too. (Usually in kim bap there is a yellow pickled radish, but since I didn’t have any I soaked the cucumber in rice vinegar for a short time). Cook the carrot and green onions in a pan just a little to soften them up and bring a little flavor out.
3. Spread a thin layer of rice onto the seaweed, taking care to leave a small gap at either end of the paper. Arrange your ingredients on top of the rice, ready to be rolled up.
4. It’s probably better if you use a bamboo rolling mat for this, but I didn’t have one and it worked out okay – roll quite tightly making sure not to let any of it leak out, or get messy. Seal it with a little water or rice at the end.
5. Slice in to about 8-10 portions. Serve.

Have you tried sea vegetables? I’d love to hear from you, please share your tips or favorite recipes in the comments below…

First of all, if you’re wondering about pronunciation it’s pronounced “KEEN-wah“.

Next, if you’re looking for a highly nutritious carbohydrate, that’s not only going to help you stay lean, but will also maximize your energy levels, then you’re looking in the right place… quinoa really does have it all!

So, what does quinoa taste like?
The taste and texture of quinoa is a bit like brown rice crossed with oatmeal. It’s fluffy, creamy, crunchy and somewhat nutty, all rolled into one.

The great thing is, it can be prepared in so many different ways, making it extremely versatile.

Quinoa is commonly thought of as a grain, probably because of how we use it.

But it’s actually a relative of leafy green vegetables, like spinach and Swiss chard.

Nutritional qualities
A cup of quinoa will give you around 127 calories, 2 grams of fat, 23.4 grams of carbohydrates (2 of those being fibre), and 4.5 grams of protein.

In fact, it has a pretty similar nutritional profile to that of brown rice, except it’s slightly higher in overall protein content.

So, qunioa is a really great option if you’re trying to maintain an active lifestyle.

What is Quinoa?

4 health benefits of quinoa

1. Complete source of protein
Unlike most grains, which contain an incomplete source of protein (you need to pair them with another food to make the meal complete), quinoa provides the full spectrum of nine essential amino acids.

So, it’s a really great choice, particularly if you’re a vegetarian or vegan.

2. Great for cardiovascular health
Quinoa is especially high in is magnesium, which is important for maintaining good cardiovascular health.

Magnesium helps to relax the blood vessels, reducing the rates of hypertension, heart disease, or heart arrhythmias.

3. Provides antioxidant support
Regular intake of antioxidants is so important for warding off the damaging effects of free radicals, which we encounter on a daily basis.

Quinoa does a wonderful job of boosting your antioxidant levels — being high in both manganese and copper, which help to promote a healthy immune system, and ensure that red blood cells remain in top condition.

4. Reduces the risk of gallstones
Since quinoa is high in fibre, it helps keep the digestive system running smoothly, and can also help reduce your chance of getting gallstones.

A study, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, found that those eating foods mostly rich in insoluble fibre, had a 17% lower risk of getting gallstones.

So, if you love your carbs, but would really like to find a healthier option to plain old white pasta or rice, quinoa is a great substitute for those higher-carb foods.

So, now that you know how great quinoa is — you’ve dashed down to the shops to buy some — what do you do with it?

Click to discover how to cook quinoa…

Many people shy away from eating adequate protein because they think it’s unhealthy.

But, if you are trying to lose weight, or simply improve your health, getting enough protein into your diet is extremely important.

It can even help with weight loss, by making you feel more satiated, which means you naturally want to eat less.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not taking here about a “high protein diet”. But, getting enough protein, from the right sources, is really important for all-round good health.

For most of us, that equates to 0.6 grams of protein, for every kilogram of ideal body weight.

If you think getting that amount of protein into your diet in a healthy way is too much of a challenge, think again.

Here are my fast and effective techniques for eating a healthy protein diet:

#1 Add protein powder
One of the simplest, yet tastiest, ways to boost the protein content of your diet, is to stir some vanilla protein powder into your morning cup of coffee. So, rather than loading it up with creamer, which adds unnecessary fat and calories, give this technique a try instead.

In a small cup or container with a lid, mix together a quarter cup of water, with a half scoop of your favourite vanilla protein powder. After it’s dissolved, pour this into your coffee cup, and top up with coffee.

This is a very easy way to add roughly 10 grams of protein to your diet, and will really transform the taste of your coffee at the same time.

#2 Add cottage cheese
Another way to boost your protein intake quickly, is to serve some cottage cheese, mixed with natural yoghurt, some fruit, and a few slivered almonds.

Since cottage cheese contains more protein per serving than yoghurt, by mixing the two together you increase the protein content of this snack by around 5 to 10 grams, without dramatically increasing the overall calorie content.

Then, sprinkling some almonds over the top will add a small amount of extra protein, and more importantly, a healthy source of fat.

#3 Add egg whites
Most soups are lower in overall protein content, so adding some egg whites works really well to fill you up and increase the nutrient content. This is an excellent way to make your meal more nutritionally balanced.

Simply bring the soup to boil, and once it’s ready, drizzle the egg whites in. They will quickly begin cooking, and as soon as they are white in color, the soup is ready to eat.

#4 Add chickpeas (or other legumes)
Tossing some chickpeas into your salad is a great way to increase the protein content. Many people overlook legumes, but they are so nutritious, easy and delicious — I am a huge fan!

Not only does half a cup of chickpeas provide you with almost 6 grams of protein, but it will also give you over 5 grams of fibre, which is a great bonus.

Check out what are legumes and how to add more legumes to your diet.

#5 Add vegetables
Many people forget that vegetables are also a source of protein.

Try to add protein-rich vegetables to your salads, side-dishes, and main meals. Protein-rich vegetables include broccoli, asparagus, beetroot, spinach, mushrooms, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

These vegetables can easily be added to a stir-fry, or eat them raw in salads, lightly steamed, or mash (e.g. cauliflower) as an alternative to mashed potatoes.

So, can you see that eating a healthy protein diet doesn’t have to be such a difficult challenge?

What tips do you have for getting healthy sources of protein into your diet?

sxc.hu: Egahen

Have you been led to believe that nuts are fattening?

It’s an interesting one that requires us to take a closer look at the facts…

What the studies say
No-one’s going to argue that nuts aren’t high in fat — they are.

But, many people assume you shouldn’t eat them when trying to lose weight. Studies have confirmed, however, that people who eat nuts have a lower BMI than those who don’t.

Since almonds are a pretty popular nut, let’s think about them for a minute.

First study:

• 81 healthy adults 
• Given 60 grams of raw or dry-roasted almonds for 6 months
• Participants were expected to gain 14 lbs
• Instead weight gain was only 1.3 lbs for men, and 0.3 lbs for women

Second study:

• 20 healthy, overweight women
• Given 65 grams of almonds for 10 weeks
• The mathematical theory of “energy consumed minus energy expended equals weight gain” predicted that women should gain 7.5 pounds
• Instead, the participants’ weight did not change at all. In fact, their weights went on average from 155.9 lbs to 154.6 lbs.

So, it seems clear the impact of nut consumption on weight is either negligible, or non existent.

Also remember that in these studies, participants were not on any sort of diet.

Nothing had changed in their lifestyle other than the inclusion of nuts.

This begs the question, what would the effect of nuts be on weight if they were also part of a weight management regimen?

sxc.hu: Egahen

Other studies have shown that replacing carbs with almonds in a weight loss program leads to greater reductions in body weight and BMI, waist circumference and fat mass.

Therefore, compelling evidence suggests you can include nuts in your regular or weight loss diet without fearing weight gain.

So, how can this paradoxical phenomenon be explained?

Here are 3 reasons why nuts aren’t fattening:

1. Nuts have high satiety properties
People who eat nuts report sharp reductions in appetite. This is because nuts have a high fullness index.

Studies have shown that when you eat nuts there is a reduction in energy intake. In fact, about 70% of the energy provided by nuts is offset by lower food consumption at subsequent meals.

2. Nuts are not absorbed efficiently
The fat contained in nuts is not efficiently absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. This manifests itself as elevated fecal fat loss.

It’s thoughts that up to 20% of the lipid content of whole nuts will be lost in the stool. This is around 10-20% of the energy contained in nuts.

3. Nuts increase metabolism
Regular consumption of nuts increases resting energy expenditure (REE). This is the minimal energy we spend in one day at rest — just doing nothing.

In one study, people who ate 500 calories per day from peanuts for 19 weeks, showed an 11% increment in REE.

To get an idea of what effect a REE increase of this magnitude would have on your weight, let me explain:

• The average woman in the US (30 year-old, 5’ 4’’ tall who weighs 160lbs) has a REE of 1,511 calories per day
• An increase of 11% in her REE means her body burns an extra 166 calories per day
• She can choose to “eat” these additional calories without worrying about gaining weight, or “leave” them and lose weight at a pace of 1.4 lb per month, or 17 lb per year
• And, that is by just including nuts in the diet, with no other lifestyle changes

To clarify — are nuts fattening?

Well, although nuts are among the most energy dense foods around, studies show little to no impact on body weight.

This is great news, because nuts have so many health benefits. Therefore, excluding them from your diet would be crazy!

Next time you feel like indulging, go for whole, raw, unsalted nuts, and don’t feel guilty about it!

Note: I’ve also written about Nuts and Seeds You Should Add to Your Diet as well as dealing with the question, Are Peanuts Healthy so check them out, too.

For premium quality nuts and other goodies check out Oh! Nuts.

Personally I’m of the opinion that it’s a great source of nutrition, and packed to the brim with essential nutrients – it’s a pretty awesome choice. 

Lately I’ve come across a few interesting studies about dairy, and so I thought I’d share them with you here…

Milk Increases Satiety

One study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that drinking fat free milk in the morning helped increase the feeling of fullness, and subsequently led to decreased calorie intake at the next meal in comparison to a fruit drink.

The study showed that those who drank milk ate around 50 fewer calories at lunchtime. Possible reasons for this were the:

• Milk’s protein content
• Natural sugar in milk, called lactose
• Thickness of the milk

Dairy Calcium Leads to Fat Excretion

Another study published in Obesity Reviews, reported that diets higher in dairy calcium caused greater excretion of fat in the feces, than diets which were lower in calcium.

This study is pretty exciting, suggesting a reduced amount of fat may be absorbed by the body when your diet is higher in calcium, and therefore weight loss could be achieved.

Researchers found that the calcium effect was most pronounced when dairy calcium foods were given to people who didn’t normally have a high calcium intake, and less pronounced in those who were already eating a calcium-rich diet.

They found that adding 1241mg of calcium to the diet each day caused an additional 5.2g of fat to be excreted in the feces.

Here in UK we have a facinating TV programme called “The Truth About Food,” and each week they put studies and theories to the test. Last week they decided to put this study in the hot seat, and achieved some very interesting results.

Here’s what they did:

• Week one was a diet high in calcium (2000mg). 
• Week two was a diet low in calcium (500mg). 
• Crucially, both diets had an identical calorie content and were calculated to have the same fat content. 
• What they discovered: In the high dairy calcium group, twice the percentage of fat eaten came out in their stools, in comparison to when they ate a low calcium diet. 

So, what does this mean for you and I?

Well, it seems that adding a glass of milk to your breakfast could be a great way to reduce your calorie intake later in the day. These studies are also particularly good news if you don’t eat much dairy already – it seems you could benefit most.

Again, I must stress this isn’t an excuse to start munching on cheese morning, noon, and night – a high fat intake can still lead to obesity.

The important thing to notice with this second study is that the overall calorie content of subjects diets remained the same - they weren’t simply piling dairy on top of what they were already eating.

The current RDA/RNI for calcium is 1000mg/day for those 19 to 50 years, and 1200mg/day for those 51 years and above. To get this you should aim for 2-3 servings of dairy foods each day.

A serving is equal to:

• 1 cup (8 fl oz) of milk 
• 1 cup of yogurt 
• 1.5 oz of cheese (such as Cheddar) 

What are your thoughts on this research? 

Photo credit: Sunfox

Sugar is added to so many food products, and with such a large number of other names for ‘sugar,’ it can be really difficult to know what to look out for on the food label.

flickr: dhammza

So, here is a list to help you identify the different forms of sugar in your food:

1. Barley malt
2. Beet sugar
3. Brown sugar
4. Buttered syrup
5. Cane juice crystals
6. Cane sugar
7. Caramel
8. Corn syrup
9. Corn syrup solids
10. Confectioner’s sugar
11. Carob syrup
12. Castor sugar
13. Date sugar
14. Demerara sugar
15. Dextran
16. Dextrose
17. Diastatic malt
18. Diatase
19. Ethyl maltol
20. Fructose
21. Fruit juice
22. Fruit juice concentrate
23. Galactose
24. Glucose
25. Glucose solids
26. Golden sugar
27. Golden syrup
28. Grape sugar
29. High-fructose corn syrup
30. Honey
31. Icing sugar
32. Invert sugar
33. Lactose
34. Maltodextrin
35. Maltose
36. Malt syrup
37. Maple syrup
38. Molasses
39. Muscovado sugar
40. Panocha
41. Raw sugar
42. Refiner’s syrup
43. Rice syrup
44. Sorbitol
45. Sorghum syrup
46. Sucrose
47. Sugar
48. Treacle
49. Turbinado sugar
50. Yellow sugar

What other names for sugar can you think of?

Did you realise there were so many different terms used? It’s no wonder reading food labels can be confusing at times!

Note: After reading this, you may also be interested in How to Reduce Sugar Intake or discovering if there is such a thing as Healthy Sugar.

Soft Drinks

We all love a bit of controversy, don’t we? And if debate is something you’re after, high-fructose corn syrup certainly has it all being an area of intense debate now for years.

The food manufacturers love affair with this ‘delectable’ sweetener began back in the 1970s, with consumption increasing at a shocking rate to more than 1000% between 1970 and 1990.

Not surprisingly, this increase in uptake far exceeds changes in intake of any other food, or food group.

The suggested health problems associated with high-fructose corn syrup are wide, varied and often extreme. However, the evidence is unclear at present, and it’s certain we need more research before the debate can be put to rest.

Metabolism debate
One of the main concerns is that fructose is metabolised in a different way to that of cane or beet sugar. As a result it doesn’t stimulate insulin secretion, and therefore there is no secretion of leptin (which helps control hunger). The end result is that our bodies are essentially tricked into wanting to eat more.

Obesity debate
Corn syrups adversary’s go as far as blaming this increased consumption for the growing obesity epidemic. The theory is that fructose is more readily converted to fat by the liver, therefore increasing the levels of fat in our bloodstream.

I’m definitely not a fan of high-fructose corn syrup, however I do wonder if the real problem is more closely related to our increased calorie intake, rather than the type of sugar per se.

Dietary guidelines recommend limiting sugar intake to around 8 teaspoons a day (2,000 calorie diet). If we consider a bottle of soft drink contains 240 calories, and more than 15 teaspoons of sugars, it’s clear these recommendations can easily be exceeded!

The bottom line is excess calories cause weight gain, whether they come from high-fructose corn syrup, or another form of sugar.

Sources of high-fructose corn syrup

Unfortunately, high-fructose corn syrup is so inexpensive, and versatile that it has crept into many foods you probably don’t even suspect.

Next time you go to the supermarket take a look at food labels on these common culprits:

• Soft drinks
• Fruit-flavoured beverages
• Fruit canned in syrup
• Ketchup and BBQ sauces
• Jam and syrups
• Frozen foods
• Popsicles/ice pops
• Salad dressing
• Jarred pasta sauce
• Canned soup
• Highly sweetened breakfast cereals
• Bread
• Fruit flavoured yoghurt
• Frozen yoghurt
• Many processed foods

The fact is, many of the foods containing high-fructose corn syrup have a poor nutritional value, but as noted above this may not always be the case – I certainly didn’t expect to see this sweetener listed in bread or frozen foods.

Generally speaking though, you can reduce your intake of high-fructose corn syrup by avoiding processed foods, eliminating soft drinks, and opting for healthy whole foods most of the time.

Food labels
It’s important that you take time out to read labels carefully, and notice what foods you’re putting into your body. This is not always easy in our busy lives, but it’s the only way to be completely sure we’re not consuming unhealthy food without even knowing it.

If you check the ingredients list and find high-fructose corn syrup is one of the top ingredients, this food isn’t your best choice.

At the end of the day, we already eat excessive amounts of refined sugars, be it sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, or any other refined sugar, so making a rule to steer clear of high-fructose corn syrup can’t be a bad thing!

I think the real concern is not whether the sweetener will lead to XYZ health problems, it’s more about facing the fact that we are simply consuming too many calories from the wrong sources.

What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear from you!

Is it a mad dash to chuck everything away as quickly as possible? Yes – this is me too!

Researchers at the University of Arizona spent a year tracking the food habits of families. The results reported in 2002, were pretty shocking.

They found that families tossed out an average of 470 pounds of food per year, that was an annual cost of $600. Every day, they discarded more than half a pound of fruits and veggies!

Do you find yourself discarding lots of fruits and vegetables each week?

If your produce rots after just a few days, you may be storing incompatible fruits and vegetables together.

Tips for prolonging fruits and vegetables

#1 The crisper drawer

The crisper is much more humid than the rest of the fridge, therefore foods that need a humid atmosphere should be placed here, for example lettuce, spinach, and carrots.

#2 Refrigerator shelves

The refrigerator shelf is the best place for any fruits or vegetables that need air circulation. Examples include, unhusked corn, most berries, cucumbers, or mushrooms.

#3 Gas sensitive produce

Some fruits emit ethylene gas, which speeds ripening and decay of ethylene sensitive produce. Examples of gas sensitive produce:

• Bananas, ripe
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Lettuce, and other leafy greens
• Parsley
• Peas
• Peppers
• Squash
• Sweet potatoes
• Watermelon

#4 Produce to be refrigerated

• Apples (more than 7 days)*
• Apricots*
• Berries – blackberries, blueberries, raspberries
• Cherries
• Cut fruits
• Figs*
• Grapes
• Artichokes
• Asparagus
• Green beans
• Lima beans
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Cut vegetables
• Green onions
• Herbs (not basil)
• Leafy vegetables
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Mushrooms
• Peas
• Peppers
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Summer squashes
• Sweet corn

(* indicates gas releaser, store away from ethylene sensitive produce)

#5 Ripen on counter, then refrigerate

Some fruits and vegetables are cold-sensitive, losing their flavour and moisture at low temperatures. Examples include:

• Avocados*
• Bananas*
• Kiwifruit*
• Nectarines*
• Peaches*
• Pears*
• Plums*
• Tomatoes*

They should be stored on the kitchen counter, rather than in the fridge, until they’re fully ripe. After ripening they can be refrigerated to prolong their life.

(* these are gas releaser’s, and should be kept away from ethlyne sensitive produce.)

#6 Store at room temperature

• Apples (fewer than 7 days)*
• Bananas
• Basil (in water)
• Ginger
• Grapefruit
• Lemons
• Limes
• Mandarins
• Mangoes
• Oranges
• Pineapple
• Pomegranates
• Pumpkins
• Tomatoes*
• Watermelons
• Winter squashes

These are best kept on the coolest part of your counter.

#7 Store in a dark pantry

• Garlic
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Sweet potato
• Winter squash

These should be kept in a cool, dark, well-ventilated area in the pantry, where they can last up to a month, or more.

#8 Correct storage in the fridge

Fruits and vegetables should not be stored in airtight bags in the fridge. They must be able to breathe – suffocating them will speed up the decay process.

• Most fruits and vegetables keep well in perforated plastic bags.
• Before storing berries, remove any spoiled fruits, then place unwashed in plastic bags or plastic containers.
• Mushrooms and okra should be stored in paper bags.

#9 Grocery shopping

At the supermarket shop for nonperishables first, to prevent fruits and vegetables getting warm, and rapidly respiring. Try to get your fresh produce home and into the fridge as soon as possible, or store temporarily in a cooler bag.

#10 Consume fastest spoilers first

Check out Spoiled Rotten for a handy guide to eating the most perishable items first. Also, keep produce whole, as this will help to prolong its lifespan.

For more information check out Fruit and Veggies Matter.

Information source:

• Vegetarian Times
• Home Orchard

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I’d love to hear from you!

Image source

• Cooking With Olive Oil
• Is Canola Oil Healthy?
• Coconut Oil – Good, Bad, or Ugly?
• Is Rice Bran Oil Healthy?
• Flaxseed versus Fish Oil – The Winner Takes All!

This series is by no means complete, and will be updated regularly. If you have a particular topic you’d like to discuss, or something you’d like to ask me about, please do so using the contact form.