TEN WAYS TO GET FRESH
1. The best way to get the freshest produce is to grow your own. If you can’t, the next best thing is to buy fresh, local produce. The longer produce is stored, and the further it has to travel, the less nutritional value it provides. About 10 per cent is lost – particularly vitamin C – in the journey from farm to table.
2. Purchase food in season. Learn what’s available month to month and you’ll avoid buying produce that’s been in cold storage for long periods. Also take advantage of produce gluts, when retailers often sell items more cheaply.
3. Buy food in small quantities and use it quickly, even if you have to shop more than once a week. It’s worthwhile, because you eat produce that’s as fresh and nutritious as possible.
4. Handle fragile vegetables and herbs with care, as they bruise easily and rapidly deteriorate.
5. Brush up on correct storage procedures – they help maintain freshness. Your grocer and butcher can advise you on the best methods and will often provide leaflets on storage ideas and preparation tips.
6. Prepare vegetables just before eating or cooking. Once cut, they start to lose vitamins. Soaking cut vegetables in water also leaches nutrients. Seal cut, unused portions tightly in a plastic bag in the fridge.
7. Ripen fruit at room temperature away from direct sunlight, which can destroy nutrients such as vitamins A and C. Refrigeration inactivates the ripening process.
8. Eat meat and fish within 2 days of purchase. Refrigerate or freeze fish as soon as possible – the high fatty acid content deteriorates quickly. Always store meat and fish in the lowest part of the fridge or in the chiller compartment to stop juices dripping onto other refrigerator contents, such as vegetables.
9. When shopping, think about your week’s menu and plan to eat the most perishable items first. Leafy greens and herbs have a high water content and tend to go limp and lose their crunch very quickly, while ripe berries and stone fruit bruise easily. Root vegetables, pumpkin, broccoli, apples and oranges, for example, are hardier and last longer if stored correctly.
10. Drink fresh fruit and vegetable juices within 3–4 hours of squeezing. The longer you leave juice exposed to the air, the more it becomes oxidised and begins to lose important nutritional value. Consider adding some of the pulp back in – it’s high in fibre.
IF NOT FRESH
While fresh is best, sometimes it’s not readily available. Consider these issues if you live in an area where access to fresh food is limited.
1.Frozen vegetables are probably the healthiest alternatives to fresh. Vegetables are snap-frozen as soon as they are picked and have a similar vitamin contentto that of fresh produce.
2.Canned produce may contain added sugar or salt. Much canned fruit is packed in heavy syrups, and canned vegetables may be high in sodium. Choose fruit canned in its own juice with no added sugar, and vegetables with no added salt.
3.Canning involves exposing fruit and vegetables to extremely high temperatures, which may destroy some vitamins. If you buy food in cans, try to ensure you don’t end up stockpiling and then eating old produce. Cans lose an additional 5–10 per cent of vitamins for everyyear the food is stored.
4.Refining removes a lot of the fibre from grains and cereals. Fibre is essential for helping prevent digestive tract cancers, including colon cancer. Refined grains and cereals are also lower in essential nutrients, including iron, vitamin E, the B vitamins, chromium and magnesium.
5.Buy dried legumes and whole grains in small quantities and store in the refrigerator to keep them fresh for as long as possible. They’re subject to moth attack and faster deterioration in humid areas.
6.Dried fruit is a great pantry stand-by. It is a concentrated source of iron and potassium and can be rehydrated to create delicious desserts. Try soaking dried apricots, pears, apples, prunes and a cinnamon stick in water or apple juice overnight. Serve warm with a dollop of ricotta.
7.Foods preserved by salting and pickling carry an increased risk of cancer if you eat large amounts of them. Try rinsing off some of the excess salt before you eat them.
8.Eating processed fatty meats such as salami, bacon, cured ham and hot dogs may increase the risk of certain types of cancer.
9:Consider buying whole spices – the flavours are more authentic, they’re cheaper and stay fresher for longer than packet ground spices. Simply grind them up in a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder kept solely for this purpose.
10.Store nuts and seeds in the freezer to keep them fresh for longer. Being rich in oil, they can become rancid very quickly.
1. The best way to get the freshest produce is to grow your own. If you can’t, the next best thing is to buy fresh, local produce. The longer produce is stored, and the further it has to travel, the less nutritional value it provides. About 10 per cent is lost – particularly vitamin C – in the journey from farm to table.
2. Purchase food in season. Learn what’s available month to month and you’ll avoid buying produce that’s been in cold storage for long periods. Also take advantage of produce gluts, when retailers often sell items more cheaply.
3. Buy food in small quantities and use it quickly, even if you have to shop more than once a week. It’s worthwhile, because you eat produce that’s as fresh and nutritious as possible.
4. Handle fragile vegetables and herbs with care, as they bruise easily and rapidly deteriorate.
5. Brush up on correct storage procedures – they help maintain freshness. Your grocer and butcher can advise you on the best methods and will often provide leaflets on storage ideas and preparation tips.
6. Prepare vegetables just before eating or cooking. Once cut, they start to lose vitamins. Soaking cut vegetables in water also leaches nutrients. Seal cut, unused portions tightly in a plastic bag in the fridge.
7. Ripen fruit at room temperature away from direct sunlight, which can destroy nutrients such as vitamins A and C. Refrigeration inactivates the ripening process.
8. Eat meat and fish within 2 days of purchase. Refrigerate or freeze fish as soon as possible – the high fatty acid content deteriorates quickly. Always store meat and fish in the lowest part of the fridge or in the chiller compartment to stop juices dripping onto other refrigerator contents, such as vegetables.
9. When shopping, think about your week’s menu and plan to eat the most perishable items first. Leafy greens and herbs have a high water content and tend to go limp and lose their crunch very quickly, while ripe berries and stone fruit bruise easily. Root vegetables, pumpkin, broccoli, apples and oranges, for example, are hardier and last longer if stored correctly.
10. Drink fresh fruit and vegetable juices within 3–4 hours of squeezing. The longer you leave juice exposed to the air, the more it becomes oxidised and begins to lose important nutritional value. Consider adding some of the pulp back in – it’s high in fibre.
IF NOT FRESH
While fresh is best, sometimes it’s not readily available. Consider these issues if you live in an area where access to fresh food is limited.
1.Frozen vegetables are probably the healthiest alternatives to fresh. Vegetables are snap-frozen as soon as they are picked and have a similar vitamin contentto that of fresh produce.
2.Canned produce may contain added sugar or salt. Much canned fruit is packed in heavy syrups, and canned vegetables may be high in sodium. Choose fruit canned in its own juice with no added sugar, and vegetables with no added salt.
3.Canning involves exposing fruit and vegetables to extremely high temperatures, which may destroy some vitamins. If you buy food in cans, try to ensure you don’t end up stockpiling and then eating old produce. Cans lose an additional 5–10 per cent of vitamins for everyyear the food is stored.
4.Refining removes a lot of the fibre from grains and cereals. Fibre is essential for helping prevent digestive tract cancers, including colon cancer. Refined grains and cereals are also lower in essential nutrients, including iron, vitamin E, the B vitamins, chromium and magnesium.
5.Buy dried legumes and whole grains in small quantities and store in the refrigerator to keep them fresh for as long as possible. They’re subject to moth attack and faster deterioration in humid areas.
6.Dried fruit is a great pantry stand-by. It is a concentrated source of iron and potassium and can be rehydrated to create delicious desserts. Try soaking dried apricots, pears, apples, prunes and a cinnamon stick in water or apple juice overnight. Serve warm with a dollop of ricotta.
7.Foods preserved by salting and pickling carry an increased risk of cancer if you eat large amounts of them. Try rinsing off some of the excess salt before you eat them.
8.Eating processed fatty meats such as salami, bacon, cured ham and hot dogs may increase the risk of certain types of cancer.
9:Consider buying whole spices – the flavours are more authentic, they’re cheaper and stay fresher for longer than packet ground spices. Simply grind them up in a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder kept solely for this purpose.
10.Store nuts and seeds in the freezer to keep them fresh for longer. Being rich in oil, they can become rancid very quickly.
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