The Impact of Food Waste: Part Three - Food Storage Basics

By: Samantha McCarthy MS, RD/LDN

My last two articles talked about reducing our food waste. An important part of reducing food waste is properly storing your food. We are all guilty of coming right home with our groceries and throwing them wherever we have space in the refrigerator, but this isn�t always the proper way to store all of our produce. Some produce don�t mix well together, while others don�t need to be refrigerated at all.

Fruits and vegetables that should stay cold are as follows:

Apples
Cantaloupe
Figs
Plums
Kiwi
Apricots
Honeydew Melon
Cucumber
Cabbage
Lettuce
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts

Here is what you don�t need to refrigerate:

Onions
Potatoes
Garlic
Winter Squash
Nectarines
Peaches
Watermelon
Tomatoes
Bananas
Avocado

You also want to make sure that you are not mixing high gas releasers with gas-sensitive produce. High gas releasers will emit a large amount of ethylene gas which can make your produce go bad much quicker. These fruits and vegetables should be stored away from the gas-sensitive produce. Here are your high gas releasers:

Apples
Apricots
Cantaloupe
Figs
Honeydew
Kiwi
Plums
Avocados
Bananas
Nectarines
Peaches
Tomatoes

Keep those fruits and vegetables away from these gas-sensitive ones:

Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Lettuce/leafy greens
Peas
Peppers
Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Watermelon

Fresh herbs can keep fresh for about 5 days in their original bag. You can extend the life a few days by storing them in a cup of water (stems down) with a bag draped loosely over the leaves. If you think that any of your fresh produce or herbs are going bad and you won�t have a chance to use it, freeze it! Most produce can easily be frozen for use later. Fresh herbs can be dried or frozen.

In the last part of my food waste series, we will discuss proper storage and storage length for meats, dairy, and eggs.

*Source: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. �How We Can Keep Produce Fresh Longer� Infograph. https://www.eatright.org/-/media/homefoodsafety/multimedia/infographics/howcanwekeepproducefreshlonger.pdf?la=en&hash=D387914E8666C724EEC19D25EB3066DE1DB35D42