Have you been to a farmers market yet this year? Whether it’s from a farmers market or a grocery store, don’t let that fresh produce spoil on your counter. Here are some tips on how to store fruits and vegetables so they last longer. 

One of the benefits of shopping at farmers markets is the fruits and vegetables are often fresher than those at most grocery stores. Much of the produce was picked within a couple of days, or even hours of the market. Fresher fruits and vegetables will last a little longer before they begin to spoil. But, there are also some additional things you can do at home to help your produce last even longer. Follow these fruit and vegetable storage recommendations to reduce the amount of produce that spoils before you can use it.  Use this chart to identify fruits and vegetables that spoil the quickest and be sure to use those first.

This article was written by Heidi LeBlanc, Food $ense State Director, and Casey Coombs, RD, CD; Policy, Systems, and Environments Coordinator, Utah State University Food $ense

How do you like your vegetables? If you’re looking for some delicious ways to get your family to eat more fruits and veggies, look no further!  We’ve got ten tips to help you pump up the flavor of your fresh produce.

We all know that fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. We’ve learned ways to make them less expensive and more convenient, but what if you or your family members just don’t like the taste? This week we offer 10 tips to help everyone learn to love the taste of fruits and vegetables.

1. Try fresh fruits or vegetables with a healthy dip or dressing. Try hummus, salad dressing or yogurt.
2. Increase the amount of vegetables in flavorful, well-liked foods. Try extra tomatoes and beans in chili, carrots in tomato sauce, broccoli mixed into mac and cheese and peas in minestrone soup.
3. Add shredded carrots or zucchini to meatloaf, casseroles and quick breads.
4. Try eating your vegetables first, when you are most hungry. Things really do taste better when you are hungry! Put out fresh vegetables with dip before dinner, or start the meal with a salad or vegetable soup.
5. Shop in season—fruits and vegetables that are in season taste better. Think of a wonderful tomato from the garden in summer vs. the ones you can buy from the store in January. Farmers markets, roadside stands and your local grocery store are great places to get seasonal produce.
6. Try preparing vegetables in different ways: raw, steamed, roasted, etc. The flavor and texture can be very different, depending on how you cook them. If you don’t like them one way, you might like them another!
7. I especially recommend roasting or grilling vegetables. You get wonderfully sweet vegetables that are soft and creamy on the inside and crisp on the outside.
8. Make eating vegetables fun by playing with your food. Try ants on a log, rainbow salad or pizza faces.
9. Use a small amount of sugar when cooking bitter vegetables like kale or Brussels sprouts. This will help you become more familiar with the taste of vegetables, and you will learn to like the flavor more, even without the sugar!
10. Just keep trying! We tend to like foods that we eat often or have at least tried multiple times. If you don’t like the taste of a vegetable today, it doesn’t mean you won’t like it the next time you try it!

This article was written by Carrie Durward, Extension Nutrition Specialist

How do you balance eating healthy with your grocery budget? We’ve got ten tips to help you eat more fresh fruits and vegetables without breaking the bank.

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet because they provide essential vitamins and minerals. They are also high in fiber and water while low in calories, so they can help us feel full longer on fewer calories. The USDA MyPlate Guidelines tells us to make ½ of our plate fruit and vegetables, but many people find it difficult to put this into practice.

The three main reasons people give for not eating more fruits and vegetables are cost, time, and taste. This week we’ll talk about how to eat fruits and vegetables on a budget, and we will cover how to make fruits and vegetables more convenient and tastier in following weeks.

Many people think that fruits and vegetables are too expensive. However, it depends on how you think about it. Fruits and vegetables do tend to be more expensive per calorie, but less expensive than less healthy foods per gram or per portion eaten. This is because fruits and vegetables are higher in fiber, water, and vitamins and minerals, while being lower in calories. If you think about all of the nutritional benefits you get from fruits and vegetables, it is hard not to see them as a deal!

Here are 10 great tips to include fruits and vegetables in your diet at a lower cost:

1. Shop in season! Fruits and vegetables are often on sale when they are in season, and usually taste better then too. Find out what vegetables are in season. 
2. Some vegetables are available for a low cost year round, including potatoes, carrots, onions, and cabbage. Look for recipes online to find new ways to use these staples: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/main-recipes
3. Stock up on frozen fruits and vegetables when they are on sale. Frozen is just as nutritious as fresh, and they can keep 8-10 months in the freezer. Choose those without added sauces, fats, or sugar.
4. Plan your meals ahead of time so fresh fruits and vegetables get used before they go bad. Learn more about meal planning. 
5. To reduce waste, you can freeze leftover vegetables to add to casseroles or soups later, and overripe fruit is great in smoothies or baking.
6. Canned vegetables are a great option, and are much more affordable than fresh or frozen. Choose fruit canned in 100% juice and vegetables that are low in sodium or have no sodium added. Stock up when they are on sale!
7. When buying canned or frozen vegetables, try the store brand. The store brand is the same or a similar product at a much lower price.
8. Check out your local farmer’s market. You can often find great deals on seasonal produce.
9. If you find a great deal on fresh produce, try freezing or canning it for later use. Learn how from USU Extension. 
10. Another way to reduce cost might be to grow your own produce. A backyard garden or patio planter can provide super-fresh produce all summer long. Visit garden.usu.edu for great resources.

Stay tuned for more tips on how to make fruits and vegetables more convenient and tasty.

This article was written by Carrie Durward, Extension Nutrition Specialist

Don’t you hate it when you spend the time and money filling your fridge with delicious food, just to have it spoil before you get the chance to eat it? Try these three simple tips to use the food you buy and keep it from ending up in the garbage. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is concerned about the amount of wasted food making its way from home garbage bins into landfills. The EPA website states: “About 95 percent of the food we throw away ends up in landfills or combustion facilities. In 2013, we disposed more than 35 million tons of food waste.” In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that Americans waste over one-third of the vegetables and fruit purchased for home.

Granted, composting food scraps is not appealing to everyone nor is it practical for most apartment dwellers or residents in larger cities. However, learning to reduce waste can help make funds in the family budget available to meet other needs. To that end, EPA provides a few tips for helping families reduce wasted food through planning, storing and preparing food.

1. Planning

• Keep a running list of ingredients for meals you know your family enjoys. That way, you can easily choose, shop for and prepare meals you know your family will eat.
• Make your shopping list based on how many meals you’ll eat at home. Will you eat out this week? How often?
• Plan your meals for the week before you go shopping and buy only the things needed for those meals.
• Include quantities on your shopping list noting how many meals you’ll make with each item to avoid over-buying. For example: salad greens, enough for two lunches.
• Look in your refrigerator and cupboards first to avoid buying food you already have, then make a list each week of what needs to be used and plan upcoming meals around it.
• Keep in mind that buying in bulk only saves money if you are able to use the food before it spoils.

2. Storing

• Freeze, preserve or can surplus fruits and vegetables, especially abundant seasonal produce. Visit your local USU Extension office or the National Center for Home Food Preservation (www.nchfp.uga.edu ) for guidance.
• Many fruits give off natural gases as they ripen, making other nearby produce spoil faster. Store bananas, apples and tomatoes by themselves, and store fruits and vegetables in different bins.
• Wait to wash berries until you are ready to eat them to prevent mold.
• If you like to eat fruit at room temperature, but it should be stored in the refrigerator for maximum freshness, take what you’ll eat for the day out of the refrigerator in the morning.

3. Preparing

• When you get home from the store, take the time to wash, dry, chop, dice, slice and place your fresh food items in clear storage containers for snacks and easy cooking.
• Take advantage of your freezer:
  • Freeze foods such as bread, sliced fruit or meat that you know you won’t be able to eat before it spoils.
  • Cut your time in the kitchen by preparing and freezing meals ahead of time.
  • Prepare and cook perishable items, then freeze them for use throughout the month. For example, bake and freeze chicken breasts or fry and freeze taco meat.

Food in the United States is very affordable and takes only a small chunk out of most family budgets. However, mindless wasting of food should not become an acceptable norm. Pitching in by applying just a few of the above tips could go a long way in keeping food prices low, garbage pick-up prices affordable, landfills slower to be maximized and even make more food available to struggling families.

This article was written by Kathleen Riggs, Utah State University Extension family and consumer sciences professor, 435-586-8132, Kathleen.riggs@usu.edu

These 10 tips will help you ditch the idea that healthy foods are too expensive!

The Whole Truth

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet because they provide essential vitamins and minerals. They are also high in fiber and water while low in calories, so they can help us feel full longer on fewer calories.

The USDA MyPlate Guidelines tells us to make ½ of our plate fruit and vegetables, but many people find it difficult to put this into practice. The three main reasons people give for not eating more fruits and vegetables are cost, time and taste.

This week we’ll talk about how to eat fruits and vegetables on a budget, and we will cover how to make fruits and vegetables more convenient and tastier in following weeks.

Many people think that fruits and vegetables are too expensive. But the truth is, vegetables and healthy foods are more affordable for what you get out of them. Fruits and vegetables do tend to be more expensive per calorie, but less expensive than less healthy foods per gram or per portion eaten. This is because fruits and vegetables are higher in fiber, water and vitamins and minerals, while being lower in calories.

If you think about all of the nutritional benefits you get from fruits and vegetables, it is hard not to see them as a deal! Here are 10 great tips to include fruits and vegetables in your diet at a lower cost:

1. Shop in season! Fruits and vegetables are often on sale when they are in season, and usually taste better then too. You can look up what vegetables are in season here: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/what-fruits-and-vegetables-are-in-season

2. Some vegetables are low cost year round, including potatoes, carrots, onions and cabbage. Look for recipes online to find new ways to use these staples: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/main-recipes

3. Stock up on frozen fruits and vegetables when they are on sale. Frozen is just as nutritious as fresh, and they can keep 8-10 months in the freezer. Choose those without added sauces, fats or sugar.

4. Plan your meals ahead of time so fresh fruits and vegetables get used before they go bad. You can learn more about meal planning here: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eating-on-budget.html

5. To reduce waste, you can freeze leftover vegetables to add to casseroles or soups later, and overripe fruit is great in smoothies or baking.

6. Canned vegetables are a great option, and are much more affordable than fresh or frozen. Choose fruit canned in 100 percent juice and vegetables that are low in sodium or have no sodium added. Stock up when they are on sale!

7. When buying canned or frozen vegetables, try the store brand. The store brand is the same or a similar product at a much lower price.

8. Check out your local farmer’s market. You can often find great deals on seasonal produce.

9. If you find a great deal on fresh produce, try freezing or canning it for later use. You can learn how from USU Extension: https://extension.usu.edu/boxelder/files/uploads/fn168.pdf
https://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FN_215.pdf
https://extension.usu.edu/canning/

10. Another way to reduce cost might be to grow your own. A backyard garden or patio planter can provide super-fresh produce all summer long. USU Extension has a lot of great resources to learn how if you are a beginner: https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/

Come back next week for more tricks and tips to make fruits and vegetables more convenient and tasty.

This article was written by Carrie Durward, Extension Nutrition Specialist

It’s not too late to enjoy fresh farm food and artisan goodies! To help you find a market near you, we have compiled a list of farmers markets around the whole state of Utah.

Farm Fresh Finds

Did you know it’s National Farmers Market Week??

This national week calls for some local celebration. To join the party, find the market nearest you and stop by and visit the next time it’s up and running. It’s never too late to enjoy fresh and delicious finds since most markets run through late fall!

9th West Farmers Market
Sundays, 10 am – 2 pm
Runs through October, International Peace Gardens, 1060 S. 900 West, Salt Lake City http://9thwestfarmersmarket.org.

Bountiful Farmers Market
Thursdays, 3 pm – dusk (or 8 pm)
Runs through October 29, 100 S. 100 East, Bountiful
www.bountifulmainstreet.com.

Cache Valley Farmers Market
Saturdays, 9 am – 1 pm
Runs through October 17, Logan Historic Courthouse, 199 N. Main, Logan
www.gardenersmarket.org.

Downtown Farmers Market
Sundays, 8 am – 2 pm
Runs through October 24, Pioneer Park, 350 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City www.slcfarmersmarket.org.

Downtown Harvest Market
Tuesday evenings, 4 pm – 9 pm
August 4 through October 20, Pioneer Park, 350 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City www.slcfarmersmarket.org.

Downtown Ogden Farmers Market
Saturdays 8 am – 1 pm
Runs through September 26, Ogden Historic 25th Street, Ogden
www.ogdenfarmersmarket.com.

Gardner Village Farmers Market
Saturdays, 9 am – 1 pm
Runs through October 31, 1100 W. 7800 South, West Jordan
www.wasatchfrontfarmersmarket.org.

Heber Valley Farmers Market
Thursdays, 4 pm – 9 pm
Runs through August 27, Main Street Park, 250 S. Main St., Heber City. Additional parking at the Heber City Police Station, 301 S. Main St. www.ci.heber.ut.us/community/events/farmersmarket.

Kaysville — USU Botanical Center Farmers Market
Thursdays, 5 pm – 8 pm
Runs through September 24, Utah State University Botanical Center, 920 S. 50 West, Kaysville www.usubotanicalcenter.org/htm/farmers-market.

LaVell Edwards Stadium Farmers Market
Thursdays, 3 pm – 7 pm
Runs through October 29, LaVell Edwards Stadium, Brigham Young University campus, Provo
http://dining.byu.edu/farmers_market.html.

Long Valley Farmers Market
Saturdays, 9 am – Noon
Runs through October 31, Kane County North Event Center, 475 N. State St., Orderville www.facebook.com/pages/Long-Valley-Farmers-Market/1397811127154513.

Mapleton Farmers Market
Saturdays 8 am – 11 am
Runs through September 26, Mapleton City Center, 125 E. 400 North, Mapleton www.mapletonmarket.org.

Murray Farmers Market
Fridays and Saturdays, 9 am – 2 pm
Runs through October 31, Murray City Park, 200 E. 5200 South, Murray
www.murray.utah.gov.

Park City Farmers Market
Wednesdays, Noon – 6 pm
Runs through October 28, The Canyons, 4000 The Canyons Resort Drive, Park City
www.parkcityfarmersmarket.com.

Park Silly Sunday Market
Sundays, 10 am – 5 pm
Runs through September 20, 900 to 200 Main St., Park City
www.parksillysundaymarket.com.

Provo Farmers Market
Saturdays 9 am – 2 pm
Runs through October 31, Pioneer Park, 500 W. Center St., Provo
www.provofarmersmarket.org.

Rockhill Creamery Farmers Market
Saturdays, 10 am – 1 pm
Runs through October 17, Rockhill Farm, 563 S. State St., Richmond
www.rockhillcheese.com.

St. George Farmers Market
Saturdays, 8 am – 12 pm
Runs through Oct. 31, Courtyard at Ancestor Square, Main Street and St. George Blvd., St. George
www.farmersmarketdowntown.com.

South Jordan Farmers Market
Saturdays, 8 am – 2 pm
August 1 through October 31, South Jordan City Hall, 1600 W. Towne Center Drive, South Jordan
www.southjordanfarmersmarket.com.

Sugar House Farmers Market
Fridays, 4 pm – 8 pm
July 10 through October 16, 2232 S. Highland Drive, Salt Lake City
www.sugarhousefarmersmarket.com

Thanksgiving Point Farmers Market
Saturdays, 10 am – 2 p.m.
Runs through September 19, 3003 N. Thanksgiving Way, Lehi
www.wasatchfrontfarmersmarket.org.

Wasatch Front Farmers Market
Sundays, 9 am – 2 pm
June 7 through October 26, 6351 S. 900 East, Salt Lake City
www.wasatchfrontfarmersmarket.org.

Wayne County Farmers Market
Saturdays, 4 pm
Runs through October, Center and Main streets, Torrey www.facebook.com/WayneCountyFarmersMarket.

Zion Canyon Farmers Market
Saturdays 9 am – 12 pm
Runs through Oct. 17, Bit & Spur Restaurant, 1212 Zion Park Blvd., Zion Canyon www.zionharvest.org/_includes/ZFM.htm.