A Perfect Guide on Buying & Storing Groceries that Last Longer

Appropriately storing food materials is a more significant and challenging task these days. Generally, every house will have some grocery items to cook and emergency needs. The right storage of food will work against contamination, damage, or deterioration. It is found that around 8.3 million tons of food and drinks are wasted every year just because of a lack of caring and preserving them. Caring for the grocery items is the simple thing you can do to reduce the grocery bills, minimize wastage, save money, and make your food balanced in nutrition. So, everyone who takes care of the kitchen and grocery must be aware of the storing tricks.

Here is an informational guide and continue reading to find them.

  Tips to buy the groceries

Good nutrients start with a smart choice of grocery items. These are the components responsible for turning out the best food in your table. Following some tips will make shopping cost-efficient and healthy. Here are such useful tips you need to follow.

• Plan ahead

Planning ahead for grocery shopping will be helpful to choose the right items. For example, if you are going for a weekend trip to, planning for a party at home, a dinner at a restaurant, or if some of the family members are leaving for some other place, etc. In such cases, the regular needs in the grocery items will differ. Though you cannot avoid some sudden situations, you can plan ahead if you know about the plan in advance.

• Buy a mix of fresh and frozen veggies

Generally, people will not buy groceries for one or two days. They used to buy for a week. If you are one of them, it is good to buy a mix of fresh and frozen veggies. So, the frozen ones will be suitable to cook in the upcoming two or three days. Later the fresh ones will get frozen, and you can use them for cooking. It eliminated the waste of grocery items.

• Read the labels

Reading the label will give you some idea on the Trans fat, amount of sugar, saturated fat, hydrated oils, sodium, cholesterol, and several other ingredients in the product. It helps you to avoid the plague, and you can look for food that has more vitamins, calcium, protein, fiber, and good fats.

• Buy whole foods

The processed kind is lacking in nutrition, and it has more chances to make you fat. Looking for the things in their processed form like whole-grain instead of wheat or white breed, fresh fruit instead of canned or juice, whole-grain cereal, or oatmeal will help you to buy the right foods. So, you can avoid some other kinds of unhealthy cereals.

• Buy in bulk when it makes sense

Several supermarkets will allow you to have some discounts if you are buying in bulk. Though not all the groceries are suitable to buy in bulk, some items are good to buy in bulk orders. If you are a small family and may not preserve them, you can have a partnership with your neighbour or relatives to buy them.

• Shop online

The recent trend is all about online shopping. It will help you to find grocery items in different shops and buy the best shop. Further, there are also several discounts for the things based on the amount, season, etc.

Grocery storing hacks

• Freeze your baked goods

Some baked goods like bread, sweet muffins, and even some flour tortillas start to dry out and go stale if you leave them in the normal temperature. Even leaving it in the fridge is also advisable. So, the best way is to place them in the freezer to prevent it from going stale as it retains texture and flavour.

• Keep potatoes in a dark place and separate from onions

Most people have the habit of storing potatoes and online together. However, it is not the right and advisable solution to store. Generally, potatoes should be placed in dark places and away from onions. Onions should be placed in the cool dry place where there is enough air circulation. It will help onions to last even for 2 to 3 months.

• Freeze anything that you do not use

Not all the groceries can be cooked on the same day of buying. If you are planning to cook them after a couple of days or later, it is better to place them in the fridge. The cool temperature will prevent the condition of fruits and vegetables. So, it will be fresher, and you can use them later for preparing soups, slow cookers, stews, or steam them for your side dish.

• Wrap your greens in a paper towel

Soggy spinach salad will not be good to eat, and no one would like it. So, if you buy the delicate greens like spring mix lettuce or spinach or arugula, open the container and immediately reach home and cover it using the paper towel. It absorbs the moisture in the container and promotes rapid wilt.

• Make sure your fridge is at the right temperature and do not overcrowd your refrigerator

If the refrigerator is too warm, there is more chance for the food to get spoiled soon. Every fridge will have a thermometer, and you need to check and adjust it periodically. The refrigerator should be below 40 degrees and maintain the freezer under 0 degrees. Further, the temperatures of the surrounding also create some impacts.

• Store the leftover chips and crackers in the freezers

Everyone loves to have chips and crackers and home fried ones are good to have. However, sometimes these might have some leftovers after some parties. To preserve it, you can pack them using the heave duty freezer bag and place them in the freezer. It keeps out of moisture, and the crackers will taste better even after 4 to 5 months. 

Know more about storing chips here in this article. 

• Put fresh berries in a vinegar bath

It is not good to stick only with the newly bought strawberries and blueberries in the fridge. As soon as you reach home from the grocery store, wash them well, and mix it with the white water and vinegar. This solution will kill the bacteria and mold spores, which are responsible for causing decay. So, washing it with a vinegar solution will be the best way to preserve it.

• Wrap your meat before you freeze it

If you need to make the meat to last longer, you need to remove the cover it is originally packed and pack it tightly in the plastic wrap or foil. Now, place it into the fridge. It will preserve the meat for a longer time.

Also Read: How to Clean Your Groceries During COVID-19?

Final thoughts

Overall, grocery shopping and preserving are not only money-saving, but it plays a vital role in the health aspects as well. So, follow the given tips and care for the wellness of the family.