Go Green Tip: Passed Up Produce

 

You know those fruits and vegetables that everyone passes up because they "don't look good," the ones that are bruised or misshapen or a little bit dirty so you choose not to buy them? Well, they are still perfectly good (as long as they're not rotted or moldy)! You would not believe how much product goes to waste because it just didn't look appealing. There are so many things you can make with these perfectly-good, not-so-good-looking fruits and veggies like banana bread, smoothies, salsa (see recipe below)...You won't even notice that they didn't look so great. If you really don't want the parts that look bad, you can always chop them off and salvage the rest! Here's the zinger: you may be able to save money on your product by purchasing these would-be-tossed items from your grocery stores and local farmers! Stores and farmers waste so much money on throwing all that product away that if you're willing to purchase it, you may be able to buy it at a discount! Just ask the manager if they have any in the back of the store! This is another green tip that can save you some green! Even if you can't get a discount on these "ugly" vegetables and fruits, I still encourage you to use these so that there is not so much food going to waste! Don't forget, the same rule applies at your house. Don't be so quick to throw out your produce! Sometimes the ones that are just starting to look icky taste the best. There are also a lot of options for preserving the fruits and veggies to make them last longer like green bags, vacuum seal bags, canning your food...
Feel free to share your salsa and other fruit and vegetable recipes in the comments!
This tip was inspired by Food Network's The Big Waste!

Try this salsa recipe!

Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, drained

1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained

1/2 cup red onion, minced

3 Tbsp lime juice

2 tsp soy sauce

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp green onion (optional)

Directions:

Mix everything together and enjoy!!