Last year I wrote a post about how I plan my meals each week using a list of how long different fruits and vegetables last. It’s a useful list, but not very pretty. So I decided to repackage it in handy printable form!
This new and improved list is perfect for laminating and hanging on the fridge. And it’s really useful! With this list, you can plan out your meals according to the shelf-life of your produce and minimize trips to the grocery store. Here’s how I use it:
I go grocery shopping on Saturdays or Sundays. When I’m figuring out the menu for the week, I’ll try to find recipes with vegetables from each group. Sunday and Monday, I might make recipes with green beans, corn, or broccoli. Mid-week, we’ll have pasta with roasted eggplant and zucchini or Swiss chard. Then towards the end of the week, I’ll plan a recipe or two using kale, winter squash, or cauliflower. This way, we’re eating fresh produce all week long without going grocery shopping several days a week.
Click here to download the printable PDF of this chart.
Obviously, this list depends on the condition of the fruits and veggies when you buy them. If something is in sad shape when you buy it, you can’t expect it to last a full week; use common sense and if something doesn’t look (or smell!) right, throw it out!
If you’d like to link to this list, please link to this post, not directly to the PDF. And don’t upload this to your own blog or website.
Thank you to Anna from In Honor of Design for putting together this PDF and Kaitlin Kostus for the fruit and veggie paintings.
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Love this! Pinning it now
Your printables are so great!
Thank you!
Very useful, thanks!
I’d like to just put you in my pocket as a permanent resource on all things edible.
I don’t quite fit in a pocket, but we’ll make it work.
I usually use my nose as my guide but this is probably a bit better! haha .. I let far too many veggies spoil, I need to be better at planning meals around using things up!
I never have veggies spoil anymore since I started planning my meals like this. It seems to mostly happen with peppers that look beautiful on the outside and are completely moldy on the inside. Which isn’t my fault!
love this!
Great post! Definitely one for pinning!
Great post!
Thanks Kiersten, this is really helpful. I am printing and now it will hang it on my fridge.
This so helpful! Lol, I’m really bad as checking the expiration date of produce. I figure as long as there is no mold on it or crazy wilted than it’s safe!
This is so awesome
Loving this!! Thank you!
this is so great!! I swear I ALWAYS just throw money away because we buy fresh stuff that dies
This will be so helpful to my shopping and recipe planning!
It really makes a big difference planning your meals this way! We really never throw anything out anymore and I buy a LOT of fresh produce.
I love it! I am printing it out for my home binder!
This is perfect! No matter how hard I try I always end up wasting produce every week.
This is great, I hate having to throw veggies out!
THANK YOU!!!!!!!
You’re welcome!
Does this refer to refrigerated produce?
Most of the produce on this list should be refrigerated, but things like winter squash, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes shouldn’t be.