Grocery Tips: When To Buy Fruits And Veggies
When you head off to college it can be easy to fall into the typical college kid diet of Ramen, rice, bread, and cereal. But if you’re wanting your brain to perform at its peak capacity you need to fuel it with all those healthy greens and fruits your mom was always trying to make you eat.
This, however, can be a struggle for young adults that are trying to survive on a college budget. You want to stretch each dollar as far as it can go, so it’s important to plan your shopping list ahead of time. It’s also super helpful to know when different fruits and veggies might be on sale. Here is a seasonal list to help you plan out a healthy grocery run the next time you head to the store.
Of course, sometimes you can get lucky and find things that aren’t necessarily in season that are still on sale. As a general rule though, the produce that is in season is not only cheaper, but also tastes the most fresh. Next time you plan to go to the store, glance over this list so you’ll know what to watch out for in the produce section.
Tips for using your seasonal fruits and veggies
Need some delicious and easy ideas for turning your produce into meals? Check out these simple ways to get your fruits and veggies into your meals!
1. Turn it into a salad
Toss your greens up with your favorite veggies and complementary fruit with your favorite dressing for an awesome salad.
The best fruits for a green salad are:
- Cranberries
- Pears
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Mandarin oranges
You could also just make a fruit salad with your favorite fruits chopped up and mixed together. Pour honey over it for some extra sweetness.
Another great salad topping is to roast up your favorite veggies. Toss them into your salad with some balsamic vinaigrette.. Butternut squash and sweet potatoes are great for this.
2. Oven roast veggies
Try this great oven roasted veggies recipe and use them as sides with your meals throughout the week (or just on their own).
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
- Chop up your favorite veggies (that you enjoy cooked)
- Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you enjoy
- Spread over a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes (until veggies reach your desired doneness)
3. Make a smoothie
Smoothies are a great way to get your servings of fruit for the day all in one sitting. Bonus: you can add veggies too!
Here are some basic tips for making awesome smoothies:
- Start with the fruits you enjoy (frozen or fresh) and pour them into your blender
- Add a liquid base (milk, water, juice)
- Add any other nutritional items you like (protein powder, flax seeds, etc.)
- Add veggies for added nutritional value (kale and spinach are great in salads if you can get past the green color)
- Blend it up!
We hope you enjoy these tips for seasonal fruits and veggies!
When you live at Northpoint Apartments, you get two refrigerators in your apartment, so storing seasonal fruits and veggies should be no problem! Check out our floorplans and amenities here.
