Janet Nguyen

Store fresh herbs just like cut flowers in a jar with 1-2 inches of water and covered with a plastic bag to maintain moisture. For woody or hardy herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage, and chives, arrange lengthwise on a damp paper towel, rolled up, then sealed in a plastic bag and stored in the refrigerator. I will properly store 2 herbs.

Store potatoes with an apple to avoid early sprouting. Keep them away from onions and in a cool, dark place. I will properly store 2 potatoes.

Purchase local, seasonal produce, which will likely stay fresh longer as it was picked more recently than supermarket produce.

Bigger carts make us feel like we need to fill them! Use a hand basket to improve grocery store discipline and prevent over-purchasing.

Allow green, unripe avocados to ripen on the counter, then transfer to the refrigerator. Once cut, keep the pit in and rub with lemon or oil to reduce browning. I will properly store 5 avocados.

Trim the ends of asparagus and place them in a jar or glass with 1-2 inches of water, just like fresh cut flowers. Keep them in the refrigerator. I will properly store 1 bunches of asparagus/celery.

Create a shopping list with specific recipes and meals in mind. Purchase only what's on the list when you do groceries.

Grocery shop more often, and buy fresh foods in smaller quantities.

To keep bananas from browning quickly, break up the bunch and separate. Don’t store bananas with apples, which speed up ripening. If the stems came covered in plastic wrap, do not remove the plastic until ready to eat as this will slow the release of ethylene gas. I will properly store 4 bananas.

Roll unwashed lettuce in a dry towel, then store in a sealed bag in the refrigerator. I will properly store 1 leafy greens.

Those who grocery shop on an empty stomach spend 64% more than not-hungry shoppers. Resist impulse buys by shopping with a full stomach. Eat a snack or a meal before going grocery shopping.

For each day during the food waste tracking week, record your food waste. This action accepts one entry per day, so be sure to enter one total for food waste across all of your meals, or weigh all of your food waste once at the end of each day. Please use ounces for unit of measurement.