I would like to share some WW tips with you on storing veggies:
| Vegetable | Storage Tips |
| Artichoke | Refrigerator life: 4 to 5 days. Add a few drops of water to a plastic bag. |
| Asparagus | Refrigerator life: 4 to 5 days. Wrap stalk bottoms in a damp paper towel and place in a loosely closed plastic bag. |
| Broccoli | Refrigerator life: 4 days. Store in an open plastic bag. |
| Cabbage, Whole | Refrigerator life: 1 to 2 weeks in a plastic bag. |
| Cabbage, Cut | Refrigerator life: 1 to 2 days if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. |
| Carrots | Refrigerator life: Very variable. Store in their original plastic bag. |
| Cauliflower, Whole | Refrigerator life: Up to 5 days. Store stem-side up in a plastic bag. |
| Celery | Refrigerator life: Up to 2 weeks. Store in a plastic bag. |
| Cucumber | Refrigerator life: 1 week if waxed; less if not waxed. |
| Eggplant | Refrigerator life: 3 to 4 days. Store in a plastic bag. |
| Garlic | Shelf life: A few weeks to a few months, depending on size. Store in a dark, cool spot. |
| Green beans | Refrigerator life: 3 to 5 days. Store in a plastic bag. |
| Leafy Vegetables | Refrigerator life: 3 to 5 days. Wrap in a damp paper towel and place in a plastic bag. |
| Leeks | Refrigerator life: Up to 1 week. Loosely wrap in a plastic bag. |
| Lettuce | Refrigerator life: Varies greatly by type. Leave in plastic bags. |
| Mushrooms | Refrigerator life: Varies greatly by type. Store in a loosely closed paper bag on a refrigerator shelf and not in the produce drawer. |
| Onions, Whole | Shelf life: 3 to 4 weeks. Store in a cool, dry, open space. |
| Onions, Cut | Refrigerator life: 2 to 3 days if tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. |
| Peas | Refrigerator life: 1 to 2 days. Store in a plastic bag. |
| Peppers | Refrigerator life: Up to 1 week. Store in a plastic bag. |
| Potatoes, New | Shelf life: 1 week. Store in a cool, dark, dry place. |
| Potatoes, all-purpose and baking | Shelf life: Up to 2 months. Store in a cool, dark, dry place in a burlap, brown paper or perforated plastic bag. |
| Pumpkin | Shelf life: Up to 1 month in a cool, dry place. |
| Scallions (green onions) | Refrigerator life: Up to 3 days. Store in a plastic bag. |
| Squash (Winter), whole | Shelf life: Up to 3 months. Store in a cool, dry place. |
| Squash (Winter), cut | Refrigerator life: Up to 1 week if wrapped tightly in plastic. |
| Squash (Summer) | Refrigerator life: Up to 1 week. Store in a plastic bag. |
| Sweet Potatoes | Shelf life: Up to 1 month if stored in a cool, dry place; up to 1 week if stored at room temperature. |
| Tomatoes | Shelf life: Up to 2 days once fully ripe. Store at room temperature for the best flavor. |
I love salad BUT...Salad can be a trap. Watch out for salads with fried ingredients like chicken and shrimp. Look for grilled or poached chicken or seafood.
Tip: Instead of pouring the dressing on your salad - dip your fork in the dressing and then mix the salad with your fork.
Recipe: dressing base: 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup fat free or reduced calorie mayonnaise and coarse salt and pepper. You can add in a variety of herbs, cheeses or veggies to change things up a bit.
Quick Fix Dressing: 1 pack Good Seasons Garlic & Herb dressing mix, 11/2 cups safflower oil,
2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon tarragon, 1 teaspoon parsley, 1 teaspoon ground sage, 1 teaspoon ground thyme, 1 teaspoon dill. Shake to mix and refrigerate. You may need to add more lemon juice and a little vinegar to cut some of the oil.
Tip: McCormick's Perfect Pinch Salad Supreme can be used for one stop seasoning with a 1 cup of olive or safflower oil.
Are you confused about lettuce? There are so many options. Below is a list of lettuce varieties with brief descriptions. I got this from WW. It is very helpful.
Lettuce Guide:
Butterhead
Butterhead lettuces, such as Boston and Bibb
Crisphead
Crisphead lettuces like the classic iceberg have a slightly acidic, clean taste, best with creamy dressings.
Loose-leaf
Loose-leaf lettuces like red leaf, green leaf or oak leaf lettuce offer a mild, grassy taste and a soft texture, good as a second fiddle to more robust or crisper greens.
Long-leaf
Long-leaf lettuces like romaine provide crunch with a slightly bitter flavor, great with creamy dressings or against softer, sweeter greens like red leaf lettuce.
Arugula
A microgreen with a peppery bite, sometimes overwhelming on its own, especially when the leaves are larger.
Mâche
A mild, sweet microgreen that pairs extremely well with tomatoes.
Mizuna
A Japanese variety of microgreen, very tart and best paired with crunchy greens like torn-up romaine.
Sorrel
A very bitter microgreen, best only with very strong dressings (Roquefort, anyone?) or braised with other vegetables in soups, stews and stocks. Raw, it should be eaten in moderation since its high oxalic-acid content can cause an upset stomach.
Watercress
A mustardy microgreen that’s great in sandwiches (so long as you remove any tough, woody stems).
Belgian endive
Crunchy and bitter, it’s a good foil to sweeter greens (despite its name, it’s actually a chicory-like radicchio, grown in the dark to prevent its turning green).
Curly endive
Like the French favorite, frisée, these are lacy, floppy greens that offer a pungent, chewy backdrop to crisp bacon or radishes.
Dandelion greens
Aggressively bitter, they can also be braised, as you would collard or mustard greens.
Escarole
An Italian favorite, a bitter punch often cooked in soups and stews.
Radicchio
A red chicory, it has a pleasant bitterness often mixed with romaine. Spearlike heads are less bitter than the more familiar, rounded heads.
What are you willing to give up to win the battle of the bulge. The answer may surprise you.
Have a veggie great day,
FitandSlim4ever
