Food Prep: Fruits & Veggies

Before you roll your eyes and continue to scroll stick around for a few minutes. 

Food prep is something we can all benefit from. In the past, fruits and veggies in my fridge would go bad before I even had a chance to blink. Of course, back in college I never even thought about buying veggies (I had a meal plan and I was like every other student eating pizza/fries on the daily), but if I knew what I know now my diet would have been complete. By the way, I hate the word diet, let us call these lifestyle changes for the better. 

I am never going to try and sell you on this overly healthy lifestyle because that isn't what we all need all the time. Sometimes a big fat juicy burger is the answer and other times you need to eat your quinoa! 

I think that if we question why certain things are in our prepared foods, snacks, or on our fresh produce then we will ultimately solve all dietary problems.

WHY IS SUGAR IN EVERYTHING? A question that will not be answered today...but we can start with getting more fruits and veggies into our lives by prepping ahead of time. 

1. Prepare, Label, and Store

Fruits

• I really can't think of too many fruits that can't be prepped and frozen. Apples keep very well in the fridge for weeks, so no need to cut them up. 
• Chop and portion your fruits into freezer safe bags. If you are a smoothie maker use sandwich size bags to pre-mix your choice of fruits and veggies for quick blends. 
• While prepping your fruits for snacking go ahead and make some fruit infused ice cubes or a pitcher of fruit infused water with some leftover pineapple cores and strawberry tops. 
• Use fruit chunks as ice cubes! Cut out the middle man and add a tart/sweet taste to your Sprite by adding in a few pieces of fresh frozen fruit. Keeps your beverage cold and you can eat it at the end.
• It helps to freeze certain fruits in one layer on a tray then pour into storage bags. 
• Label all prepped foods with a name and date. Fruits store for up to a year if done properly and veggies up to 18 months. I doubt any will stick around that long, but it is a good guideline for spring freezer cleaning. 
• It may be a no-brainer, but make your own jam or jar your fruits for preserves. Cook and simmer down your favorite fruit then pop them in jars in the fridge for weeks. 

2. Chop, Pickle, ....Dry

Veggies

• If you aren't already buying frozen veggies then consider this your one and only warning....it is essential. Fresh veggies are not always available, but most frozen vegetables are picked at peak freshness and immediately frozen. 
• Fresh veggies are just like fruits, you can chop and freeze most without compromising taste and texture. 
• Cooking some veggies then freezing them saves time when prepping meals. I like to chop up my starter veggies such as the onions, garlic, bell peppers, and celery for pasta sauces and stir-fries. Freeze them for later then toss in a hot pan when ready to cook. 
• Buy, dry, and store your fresh herbs.....it may not always be the fastest option, but it is often times cheaper and provides larger quantities of that amazing flavor you love
• Pickle those veggies! Do not throw out that pickle juice. Chop up some cucumbers, carrots, onions.....etc. and throw them inside. Ever since I discovered how easy it is to pickle veggies, it is always on my list of kitchen activities. A quick pickle is something simple to add crunch to any meal. Vinegar and salt are cabinet must-haves to pickle away!
• Use the oven to dry out or roast fruits and veggies to store for later. Banana chips, eggplant chips, dried pineapple, and more can be achieved by a very low temperature and long cooking time. 

3. Think, Compare, Decide

Some items will always be bought no matter the price or lengths it takes to get them. I call these favorites without reason (that chantilly cream vanilla bean cake from Trader Joe's is mine). However, when you step into your next local grocer, farmer's market or corner store think hard about what you want to put into your body. It would be even more efficient to spend a little time ahead of every trip comparing prices, gathering coupons, and choosing a recipe or two before making large food purchases. You have to decide on what you want when it comes to healthy eating. 

Tips and Combinations

This entire post is one big tip and combination of those ideas. I wanted to let you in on why I work harder to eat right. The honest truth is that I have always hated to exercise. I find outdoor activities fun, but actively going to a gym is such a drag sometimes. I really admire people who go multiple times a week to sweat it out. During college, I was pretty keen on GTL (Gym, Talk, Lounge), and I know it will have to find its way back into my life routine, but until then I'll work more on what goes inside my body. I hope this post helped you jump start your healthy lifestyle changes!

Cook.Discuss.Reflect or.....Prep.Discuss.Reflect? :-)

For more tips, tricks, recipes, and tutorials check out the  Food section weekly. If you have an amazing recipe or tip that you want to share, send it to verbaldangerofficial@gmail.com and it may be featured in a future post. Follow @VERBALDANGER on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.