Over-Purchased, Got Busy, Oh No…
Yesterday, I looked in my fridge crisper drawer and got nervous. I bought too much ‘green’ last week and then got super-busy…oh no. It’s not so uncommon a problem to have too many veggies in the fridge. But, if you hate to waste all that healthy bounty, like I do, here are some tips on how to use it up.
The Solution Part 1 – See What You Have & Use What You Can!
When faced with too much ‘green’, my first rule is do not panic – do not immediately throw it away. Stay calm and begin a veggie search-and-rescue process. Pick over everything carefully and use what you can. Now, back to my kitchen…
Last night I pulled out fresh, local beets and tiny yellow squash from my fridge crisper along with 2 containers of fresh whole mushrooms. Sure wish I had only bought one container of mushrooms but the sale price was just too good. Next, I discovered I had fresh, local lettuce, pictured at left, that needed to be used up so I pulled it out. Finally, I had a nice head of green cabbage so out it came.
My Solution Part 2 – Make a Creative Assortment & Expect Tasty, Nutritious Leftovers!
Cooking is one way to extend the shelf life of veggies, for a day or two. It’s nice to have a ready-to-reheat leftover in the fridge so try cooking more veggies than you need for one single dinner. Tomorrow, reheat and enjoy – again. Now, back to my kitchen…
1. I washed & peeled the beets and cut them into bite-size chunks. Then, I tossed them in a bowl with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and laid them on a large, flat pan for roasting in the oven. I roast veggies for 25 min. at 425 degrees.
2. I washed the tiny 4-5 inch yellow squash, removed the ends and cut each one into 2 long, flat halves. Then, I tossed them in a bowl with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and laid them on the same pan as the beets for roasting.
3. I washed and trimmed the mushrooms and sliced them into a microwavable container for steaming.
4. I washed and shredded about 1/4 of the green cabbage and added it to the same microwavable container as the mushrooms for steaming.
5. I washed the lettuce, patted it dry and tore the leaves into a bowl for salad. I kept it very simple, adding a little olive oil and red wine vinegar as dressing.
More Veggies in Your Meal Plans & Resources!
Having too many veggies in the fridge can be stressful when you need to use them up quickly. But, it’s better to have too many than too few. For good nutrition, always plan your meals to include plenty of green, yellow, red, orange and purple veggies. For fun and ongoing tips & recipes using veggies, LIKE the Market Basket Nutrition Facebook page. For meal plans and recipes so simple that even kids can help, invest in one of my Good Nutrition E-books. Today!
What is your system for managing veggies in the fridge?