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How to Prevent Groceries From Spoiling

8 Effective Ways to Stop Wasting Money on Food

Jan 28 2018

Spending money on food feels great until you realise that half of what you've bought has spoiled within a week. To avoid the total pain of wasting greens, fresh herbs, avocados, bread, and more, follow these eight helpful storage tips for getting the best bang for your buck. You might realise you've been storing your staples wrong this whole time, and you'll never cry over wilted spinach again.

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1. Store Greens the Right Way

Buying spinach or other greens only to see them wilt in the fridge a few days later is the worst. Keep them fresh and crisp by taking a few extra steps to wash the greens and store them in a bag lined with a paper towel.

Get the tip: how to store greens

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2. Freeze Your Greens

If you know you won't get through your bunch of kale or bag of rocket before it goes bad, freeze it! You can either freeze individual portions of chopped greens in freezer-friendly bags, or you can puree the greens and fill an ice cube tray with them. This trick is perfect for incorporating greens into your morning smoothie.

Get the tip: how to freeze greens

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3. Meal Prep With Chicken Freezer Packs

Sure, you know you should freeze chicken breasts before they go bad, but have you ever thought about prepping them before freezing them? Save yourself from extra work later on by adding olive oil, garlic, and spices to the chicken bags so that all you have to do is defrost them and cook dinner within a matter of minutes.

Get the recipe: chicken breast freezer bags

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Anna Monette Roberts

4. Use Extra Herbs in Pesto and Chimichurri

More often than not, you probably buy fresh basil or parsley to use as a garnish and then end up watching the leftovers wilt. Avoid wasting money on these pricey herbs by making a big batch of pesto or chimichurri. You can make these flavorful sauces from just about anything, and they go on everything from pasta to chicken and fish.

Get the recipes: basil pesto and chimichurri sauce

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Erin Cullum

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5. Store Lemons in Water

Lemons get mouldy way too quickly. The good news is there's a much better way to store them than simply putting them in the fridge or leaving them in a bowl.

Get the tip: how to keep lemons fresh

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6. Keep Bread Fresh by Freezing It

Nothing ruins an evening quite like pulling out a piece of bread to make a sandwich, only to realise it's spotted with mould. To maximise the shelf life of your artisan loaf of bread, you can freeze it and thaw it out whenever you need it.

Get the tip: how to freeze bread

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Nicole Perry

7. Save the Other Half of Your Avocado

Dilemma: do you eat the whole avocado, or sadly watch the unused half of it turn brown? You don't have to choose either of those options, thanks to an easy trick that lets you save an opened avocado for days.

Get the tip: how to stop avocados from browning

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Grace Hitchcock

8. Soup-ify It

When in doubt, soup is the answer. Seriously, you can transform any vegetables lingering in your fridge into a tasty soup with just a few additions, like stock and spices. Puree it all up, and freeze the rest for later.

Get the recipes: pureed soup recipes

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Nicole Perry

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