Thou Shalt Waste Not...

Lately, I've been trying to reduce food waste at home, work, and on the go. As much as I do care about the environment, times are tough and I need to save money where I can.

I wanted to share this article I can across on wholeliving.com, which provides some interesting facts about the hazards of food waste. For example, did you know rotting food produces Methane; a gas 25 times stronger than Carbon Dioxide? It also provides some practical and original suggestions on ways to preserve food and save money. 12 Ways to Prevent Food Waste at Home

One of the suggestions mentioned buying produce locally. This is something I firmly believe in. The local Farmer's Market contains fruits and veggies in season (as nature intended) and straight from the farm ( not that's fresh). If you do have access to one, you still have the option to look at the labels on produce. You know those little annoying stickers. If you look carefully they actually tell where your apple or banana came from.

This brings another dilemma, eating your produce before it rots. Here's a handy guide from Spark People: How to Keep Fruits and Veggies Fresh

What to Store Where: A Handy ChartUse this color-coded key along with the chart below:

• Store unwashed and in a single layer
• Store unwashed and in a plastic bag
• Store in a paper bag
• *Ethylene producers (keep away from other fruits and vegetables)

Store in Refrigerator Apples (storage >7 days) Apricots Cantaloupe Figs Honeydew Artichokes Asparagus Beets Blackberries Blueberries Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Cherries Corn Grapes Green beans Green onions Herbs (except basil) Lima beans Leafy vegetables Leeks Lettuce Mushrooms Okra Peas Plums Radishes Raspberries Spinach Sprouts Strawberries Summer squash Yellow squash Zucchini

Store on Counter top Apples (storage < 7 days) Bananas Tomatoes Basil Cucumbers Eggplant Garlic Ginger Grapefruit Jicama Lemons Limes Mangoes Oranges Papayas Peppers Persimmons Pineapple Plantains Pomegranates Watermelon Store in a Cool, Dry Place Acorn squash Butternut squash Onions (away from potatoes) Potatoes (away from onions) Pumpkins Spaghetti squash Sweet potatoes Winter squash Ripen on Counter, Then Refrigerate Avocados Nectarines Peaches Pears Plums Kiwi