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SAVE TIME AND
EAT BETTER
BY PREPPING AND STORING VEGGIES
By pre-preparing your veggies you can save time and hassle at mealtimes – making it easier to
eat healthily at the end of a long day.
here are three main factors to
consider when it comes to achieving
your health and fitness goals:
exercise, rest and nutrition. When it comes to
the latter, getting creative and healthy in the
kitchen can sometimes seem too hard. With a
bit of planning, though, it needn’t be.
Firstly, spend a couple of hours at the
weekend planning your week’s meals and
pre-making a couple of nutritious options for
later in the week when you have less time (and
why not make double batches and freeze one
for an easy meal option next week?)
Secondly, prepare some veggies for
these meals in advance to reduce meal-prep
fatigue at the end of a long day when you
just want to cook and eat!
Remember: if vegetables aren’t fresh when
you buy them or they are past their expiration
date, you should discard them to avoid risk of
bacteria build up. Not all vegetables should be
chopped up too far in advance. For example,
potatoes shouldn’t be prepped more than
a day in advance, but if you’re having them
that night, you could simply chop and store in
water in the fridge in the morning to make the
evening prep a little easier.
If you want to freeze vegetables, some of
them need to be blanched first. This requires
you to submerge them in boiling water for
a short time (between 30 seconds and 5
minutes depending on the veggies: taste
to help you decide) and then transfer them
to an ice bath. Once cooled, lay them on a
paper towel to drain excess moisture.
Here’s some prep advice for popular
foods that are likely to feature on your
healthy eating menu:
T
Asparagus
Trim the bottom ends and place in a jar of
water, as you would a bunch of flowers.
Then put a plastic bag loosely on the top of
the stalks to stop the asparagus picking up
scents from other foods in the fridge. They
should keep well for a few days.
If you want to freeze them, blanch them
for two to three minutes first.
Broccoli
Cut and store between lightly moistened
paper towels in the fridge, rather than in
an airtight container, as broccoli likes to
breathe. You’ll probably find that it keeps
well for three to five days.
To freeze, blanch and store in freezer
bags. Apparently this could keep for a year,
but a couple of months maximum might be a
better guideline!
Carrots
Fantastically versatile, these can be stir-fried,
oven baked or simply snacked on raw. Freshly
cut carrots can be kept in plastic bags or
stored in cold water for up to a week. Airtight
containers are not generally recommended,
so keep them loosely covered.
If you freeze them, blanch them briefly
beforehand to destroy the enzymes. Blanch
small whole carrots for 5 minutes, and diced
or sliced ones for 2 minutes.
Cucumber
Wrap cut cucumbers tight with cling wrap
and store in your fridge crisper for up to 3
days. Never freeze these!
Leeks
Keep cut leeks in an airtight container or
bag for 3 to 5 days. Blanched leeks may be
frozen in freezer bags for up to one year,
though a couple of months may be a better
maximum duration.
Lettuce, spinach and leafy greens
Cut or tear the leaves off the head. Wash
and dry the leaves. Place in thin layers on
top of paper towels and store in a container.
For better freshness and space saving you
could roll the towels and secure with a
rubber band. Never go past the use-by date
with these ones.
For cooked greens such as wilted spinach
or green beans, freeze in freezer bags.
Onions
Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for
3 to 5 days. To freeze, wrap in cling wrap and
then place in an airtight freezer bag for up to
one year, though a couple of months may be
a better maximum duration.
Peppers
Cut and store in a plastic bag for up to 2
days. Wrapping in a paper towel can prevent
them from going slimy. To freeze, place
slices of pepper in a single layer on a plate
and freeze until they are crisp, then transfer
to a freezer bag and store for up to 6 months.
Potatoes
Chop and store in water for no more than
a day. Cover loosely when in the fridge.
Blanched cut potatoes can be frozen in
freezer bags for up to a year (after they have
been drained thoroughly of water), though a
shorter time may be preferable.
Tomatoes
Cut tomatoes don’t keep well in the fridge,
or freeze well, so just prepare them as you
need them!
By preparing a few veggies when you have
time on your hands, you’ll save yourself
hassle when you’re busy and tired, making
it easier to stick to your healthy eating
intentions.
Rosemary Marchese is a physiotherapist and the
author of The Essential Guide to Fitness and The
Fit Busy Mum: Seven habits for success. For more
lifestyle tips visit thefitbusymum.com.au