How I stay stocked with fresh fruit and veggies
I am the queen of backstock (if I may say so myself), and I thank my mom for teaching me the “two system.” This simply means that when one food, pantry or household item is in use, there’s a back-up at the ready—and as soon as I start the back-up, a new one is purchased in its place. (It only took about 15 years, but my husband finally knows to add items to the shopping list when he finishes something.)
I’m also really good at meal planning, but with a caveat. Though I may know what we’re having as a dinner entrée every night, I’m really bad at coordinating fresh veggies for sides. The main issue is that they’ll often go bad by the end of the week—and I really hate wasting food. BUT, I recently tried Misfits Market and now I have my fresh produce for the week sorted.
I’ve come to look forward to my weekly deliveries of organic produce, and of course there’s a twist… This subscription service “rescues” vegetables that for some reason or another can’t be sold in a supermarket—but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them (other than they may look a little funny). Yes, a huge dump of fruits and vegetables at once requires some prep upon arrival to maximize longevity, but I’ve found the work is well worth it. The best part is that you get to choose what you get—but it’s first come, first served so I jump on that at 4pm on the dot each Thursday before the most popular produce sells out.
Here’s what I got this week:
Mini seedless cucumbers: OMG, they are so cute!
Cilantro: I’ll be making Thai zoodles with chicken and spicy peanut sauce this week.
Sweet potatoes: I love that these last awhile before I have to decide what to do with them.
Eggplant: I found an easy, amazing recipe a few weeks ago.
Spaghetti squash: I pre-roast and have it in the fridge for a quick dinner side.
Mixed head lettuce: Because salad.
Gold beets: My husband loves beets, so I’ll roast them, cube them and maybe even throw them in my own salad.
Red D'anjou pears: If these don’t get eaten by the end of the week, I’ll make a simple cobbler.
Limes: We always need limes.
Lemons: We always need lemons.
Fuji apples: I cut these up so there’s always a healthy snack within reach. (A squeeze of lemon juice prevents them from turning brown.)
Zucchini: I just spiralized them so they’re ready when I want to make the Thai zoodles.
How much do you think all of this would cost at Whole Foods or the supermarket? A heck of a lot more than $27.50—right? And they all come direct to your doorstep in eco-friendly insulated packaging so everything is super-fresh. Not only does it feel good to be eating more fruit and vegetables, I like knowing that I’m helping to prevent food waste and support farmers who otherwise wouldn’t be able to sell their produce. BTW, you can cancel at any time, so why not give it a try?
