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Fresh focus is a podcast delivering bites of nutrition information to veterans and their family between visits. Whether you are busy with a family, retired, or more isolated, you can stay connected for you. Dietitians from the Marion VA Health Care System will deliver evidenced based, consistent information to take on today's hot topics while promoting positive health outcomes.
The Department of Veterans Affairs does not endorse or officially sanction any entities that may be discussed in this podcast, nor any media, products or services they may provide.
Fresh Focus Podcast: EP#78
Contributor/Host: Becca Brannan & Jamie Ruisi
Title: “Steps to sustainable shopping”
Becca: Welcome back to the Fresh Focus podcast! We are so happy you are here. Last week we talked a bit about National Nutrition month, the GEMS group and how to start reducing your food waste. This week we are going to explore some tips on being more sustainable with foods & grocery shopping. My name is Becca Brannan, and I am a dietitian out of the St. Cloud VA Medical Center in St. Cloud, MN. I work in our community living center and I cover our acute psychiatric unit. I am excited to be here today to review some of my favorite ways to be sustainable! I am here with my co-host, Jamie, to help me expand on this topic. Hi Jamie!
Jamie: Hi Becca! I am also excited to be here- My name is Jamie Ruisi, and I am a Dietitian at the James A Haley, Tampa VA. I love talking about all things sustainability and have been looking forward to this discussion with Becca! With that said…, Becca, let’s get started- What are some of your favorite sustainable shopping and storage tips?
Becca: I love to shop seasonable produce and use it, freeze it, can it, dehydrate it, etc.! It’s a great way to stay budget friendly and be sure to get your fruits and vegetables in all year long! I also like to utilize canned produce and the “misfits” at the grocery store- some of the produce that has imperfections but still tastes the same and delivers the same nutrition. What about you, Jamie? What are some of your favorite sustainable shopping and storage tips?
Jamie: Agreed, shopping seasonally is a great way to shop sustainably and affordably. I especially love visiting the local farmers markets to shop for seasonal produce. I’m also a big fan of cooking and freezing foods – that way there are always options available on busy weekday nights! I always try to reorganize my fridge to put the produce that will likely go bad closer to the front for easy use.
Becca: Great ideas! We love quick & easy meal ideas! You mentioned farmers markets- can you expand on easy ways to eat sustainability and locally perhaps?
Jamie: Sure! At the farmers markets, I love talking with local farmers to learn more about what’s in season and how they recommend using seasonal produce. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares from local farms are also a great way to have seasonal produce packed and delivered to you. Becca, do you have any tips for easy seasonal eating?
Becca: I love the idea of talking with the locals at the farmers market- what a great idea! I do have some tips- I love to shop the sales at the store! This can be a great way to know what’s in season and to stick to your budget. Look for recipes that incorporate more seasonal fruits and vegetables!
Jamie: That is another great way to stay budget friendly and know what is in season! Speaking of being budget friendly and the grocery store- what are some of your go-to when you are at the grocery store?
Becca: Every time I hit the grocery store, I am sure to stock up on frozen fruits & vegetables, canned produce without additional sugar/salt, and some more shelf stable fruits and vegetables- things like garlic, potatoes, onions, apples and oranges- these fresh produce items can last for a while in the fridge! What are some of your staples at the store, Jamie?
Jamie: I second that! I am always stocking up on frozen fruits and vegetables – equally nutritious as fresh – and you can avoid any unnecessary food waste. I also typically will buy a bunch of sweet potatoes, apples, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, and sugar snap peas.
Becca: Those sound great! I do love sugar snap peas- they can be so versatile with snacking and cooking! Now, once I am home from the grocery stores, I like to keep most produce in the fridge and/or in a cool, dark place can keep them for a while! Trying to eat foods that are more perishable first can help reduce food waste! Keeping frozen fruits & vegetables on hand at home can be another great way to keep them a while, having an additional freezer for storage can be a good investment and a nice way to store produce for a longer time. Finally- canned foods are a great option to keep on hand for a quick side dish to a meal or a snack!
Jamie: The freezer is my best friend for storing foods that may expire too quickly or produce that typically wilts within a couple of days. I always try to keep my leafy greens front and center to be used first and incorporate them into a variety of meals. As you shop throughout the week, it’s always a good practice to push older produce to the front of your counter or fridge. It is also important to store fresh fruits and vegetables away from any meat products to prevent contamination of bacteria.
Becca: Don’t forget to store your meat at the lowest possible place in the fridge! We don’t want any of the juices from the package dripping down and contaminating other foods you have in there!
Jamie: That is a great tip, we certainly don’t want to get sick from fresh meat. Becca, can you please review what you might look for to be sure that produce/ food packages are good when your purchase them at the store?
Becca: I’d be happy to! Be sure when you purchase frozen fruits & vegetables that the bags or boxes they come in are intact- no holes or tears in them- if they have integrity issues with the packaging be sure to skip that. Look for cans that are free of bloating , dents and blemishes. Finally- for fresh produce be sure to look for fruits / vegetables that are free of obvious cuts, pokes, holes and bruises. Remember- an imperfect product that got a little wonky when growing is perfectly safe for purchase and to consume, we just want to avoid the produce that has gotten a little beat up during transportation to the store! What do you look for, Jamie?
Jamie: If you’re not sure what to look for – it can be a good rule of thumb to choose the most vibrant & colorful pieces of fruits and vegetables. Some packaged produce may have a “use by” date – if you can’t use the produce before this date, it may be best to freeze the unused portion or compost.
Becca: Those are great tips! I love that you brought up composting- that would be an idea situation to use all of your scraps in to help reduce your overall food waste. Also, we are talking about composting and gardening in a later episode- so start saving those scraps in a bucket in the fridge and be sure to tune into episode 4 for more information!
Jamie: That is great! I love when we can reduce our waste and use it in another way! Becca, do you have anything else to add to today’s episode?
Becca: I do not- Jamie, do you want to give us a quick review and wrap up of everything discussed today before we say good-bye?
Jamie: Yes! Working towards being more sustainable is much easier than you might think! Try to purchase foods that are versatile, can be stored easily, from the farmers market and foods that you can use in more than one way. Don’t hesitate to use the fridge or freezer and do some batch cooking! The freezer can be a great tool!
Becca: Great, thanks! Well thank you everyone for joining us today, we hope you found this valuable! Continue to tune in throughout the month to learn more about being sustainable!
Jamie: Thanks for joining us! Please like and subscribe to this podcast and leave a review for the Fresh Focus team.