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    Oh My Veggies » Cooking Tips & Hints

    How to Prevent Food Spoilage with Careful Meal Planning

    Published: Oct 4, 2011 · by Nicole · Updated: Aug 2, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    You all know that I participate in Menu Plan Monday. Even before I started blogging, I always planned out my meals for the week. By planning meals ahead of time, we end up saving money because we're wasting less food. Food spoilage is like throwing money away! But doing a weekly meal plan involves more than just putting together a few recipes and calling it a day. If you want to eat fresh produce throughout the week and do it with only one trip to the grocery store, you need to know which fruits and veggies go bad quickly and which ones will last longer.

    How Long Does It Last? A Printable Guide to Fresh Produce
    Click here for a printable version of this list here.

    Below is the list I use to plan my meals each week. Right after you go grocery shopping, make meals with the fruits and vegetables that spoil most quickly. As you reach the end of your shopping cycle, make meals with cabbage, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and other produce that lasts longer. If you use this list and plan your meals accordingly, you can eat fresh produce all week long without having to go to the supermarket more than once.

    Fruits and Vegetables That Spoil Quickly (1-2 days)

    Artichokes
    Asparagus
    Avocados
    Beans
    Blackberries
    Broccoli
    Cherries
    Corn
    Mushrooms
    Mustard Greens
    Okra
    Raspberries
    Strawberries
    Watercress

    Fruits and Vegetables That Last Longer (3-5 days)

    Arugula
    Bananas (although it depends on what color they are when you buy them)
    Bok Choy
    Broccoli Rabe
    Cantaloupe
    Chard
    Collard Greens
    Cucumbers
    Eggplant
    Grapes
    Honeydew Melon
    Kohlrabi
    Kumquats
    Lettuce
    Mango
    Nectarines
    Papaya
    Peaches
    Persimmons
    Pineapple
    Plantains
    Radicchio
    Yellow Squash
    Zucchini

    Fruits and Vegetables That Last All Week (6-7 days)

    Apricots
    Bell Peppers
    Blueberries
    Brussels Sprouts
    Cauliflower
    Clementines
    Grapefruit
    Green Onions
    Jalapenos and other hot peppers
    Kale
    Kiwi
    Leeks
    Lemons
    Limes
    Lychees
    Oranges
    Pears
    Plums
    Spinach
    Tangerines
    Tomatoes
    Watermelon

    Fruits and Vegetables That Last More Than a Week

    Acorn Squash
    Apples
    Beets
    Butternut Squash
    Cabbage
    Carrots
    Celeriac
    Celery
    Cranberries
    Garlic
    Onions (sweet onions have a shorter shelf-life than other varieties)
    Parsnips
    Pomegranates
    Potatoes
    Pumpkin
    Radishes
    Rutabagas
    Shallots
    Spaghetti Squash
    Sunchokes
    Sweet Potatoes
    Tomatillos
    Turnips

    And, just a quick disclaimer: This list started as a small sidebar I cut from Vegetarian Times and over the years, I've added a lot to it and rearranged things based on my own experience, so your mileage may vary. Use common sense when you're cooking--even if something is supposed to last a full week, if it doesn't smell or look right, toss it!

    « Recipe | Sweet Onion Casserole
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    Comments

    1. Smedette says

      October 04, 2011 at 11:00 pm

      Awesome list! I used to be very diligent about meal planning; helped with grocery shopping, budget, everything. Sadly, it's been lacking...My new CSA starts this week and I hope that helps things.

      Thanks for the great info.

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        October 05, 2011 at 2:40 am

        I've always been hesitant to sign up for a CSA just because I'm so regimented with the meal planning. If I get something I don't know how to use or too many of the veggies that spoil in a day or two, it would just send me into a tailspin. So it's the farmers market for me...

        Reply
    2. Emily says

      October 05, 2011 at 1:06 am

      This list is great! Thanks so much for sharing. I purchase my produce 2 - 3 times per week because I'm so worried about things spoiling. Hopefully this list will help me trim down my shopping trips.

      [email protected]

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        October 05, 2011 at 2:36 am

        We used to do the same thing--I thought that your choice was to eat processed food (or take-out) at the end of the grocery cycle or make multiple trips to the grocery store each week. But no, it's totally doable on one trip! As long as you like the veggies that last longer, of course. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Henrietta says

      October 05, 2011 at 2:20 am

      Great list! I really need to get back into meal planning. I used to take inventory of all the food in my cupboards, fridge and freezers and plan meals/shopping lists around them. I have been a total slacker about it for the last year though and have found that we've been wasting more food than I'm comfortable with lately!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        October 05, 2011 at 2:35 am

        I do the same with the inventory--I try to do one stock up trip a month and then plan meals around what I have on hand from that trip. 90% of my grocery shopping on the non-stock up weeks is produce. I've had my times of slacking with it too, but I think once you get back into it, it will be easy! 🙂

        Reply
    4. [email protected] says

      October 05, 2011 at 3:30 pm

      Thank you for all the tips - GREAT list!

      Reply
    5. BusyWorkingMama says

      October 05, 2011 at 4:30 pm

      Great post! My husband and I always joke that some fruit come to our house to die a quick death. Now I don't feel so bad 🙂 Happy Wednesday!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        October 06, 2011 at 2:26 am

        Fruit is tricky--there aren't many that will last a full week, except for citrus. I need to try one of those blue apple things and see if that helps!

        Reply
    6. Donna says

      October 06, 2011 at 6:00 pm

      Great list! I try to buy the fruits and veggies that last only a couple of days when I know I'm going to eat/use them. I hate to waste food.

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        October 06, 2011 at 10:54 pm

        I hate wasting too. A few years ago, I forgot that we had grapes in the fridge and I had to throw them away after they went bad and I still dwell on it to this day!

        Reply
    7. Kelly says

      October 07, 2011 at 3:38 am

      Great list! I hate wasting food too and I often do unfortunately. Another food that I have to use within a day or two of buying it is cilantro, which I know is an herb but I buy it in the produce section and it just came to mind. Old cilantro is nasty!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        October 09, 2011 at 12:27 am

        I was debating whether or not to include herbs! I think the ones that come from perennial plants (mint, sage, rosemary) last longer and the ones that come from annual plants (basil, cilantro, parsley) don't last more than a few days. I hate buying cilantro because most recipes only call for a little bit and then you waste the rest. I got one of those herb keepers where it keeps the stems in water & that helps a lot.

        Reply
    8. Rachel R. says

      October 07, 2011 at 4:37 am

      I need to get better about this too. Doing my Menu Plan Monday posts help, but I feel like there's still spoilage and wasted food. I have basically cut back on buying fresh produce lately - I find that I'm ambitious at the grocery store, then discover it in the produce drawer at the end of the week and just toss it. Maybe I can do better by consulting your list 🙂

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        October 09, 2011 at 12:25 am

        The list will definitely help you out. Even aside from the meal planning, I use it to plan out snacks & stuff like that in advance too. So if my husband and I each eat two pieces of fruit a day, I'll get some berries and peaches for the first few days, bananas and kiwis for the next few, and citrus fruit and apples for the rest of the week. We have totally changed the way we eat by using this list. I totally sound like an evangelist here or something, but it's true. 🙂

        Reply
    9. ElfRenee says

      October 08, 2011 at 2:17 am

      Thank you, this is really helpful!!

      Reply
    10. BKWilliams says

      October 09, 2011 at 6:51 pm

      Love this list. I am trying to play catch up today...getting a week behind is the pits. All of my stuff would have spoiled if I would have had any!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        October 09, 2011 at 10:31 pm

        I am behind on everything right now too. The plan was to catch up today but it's already 6:30 and I haven't accomplished much!

        Reply
    11. Val says

      October 10, 2011 at 1:29 pm

      I love, love, LOVE this list! I'm notorious for keeping things longer than I should, but I feel horrible throwing food away!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        October 11, 2011 at 1:03 am

        But if you plan in advance, you won't have to throw things away! That's why I do it this way, because I really can't stand to waste food. My mom used to always tell me & my brothers that wasters go to hell and it's completely warped my psyche.

        Reply
    12. Jen says

      May 14, 2015 at 11:56 am

      Thanks for this list. Its very helpful. With certain things, I didn't know how long they would last exactly and this will help a lot with preventing food waste.

      Reply

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    Nicole is a life long vegetarian and the author of the popular vegan cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. She loves sharing her recipes and showing the world just how easy and delicious meatless meals can be!
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