We’ve all experienced it.

You open your fridge and your produce that looked so vibrant and fresh a few days ago, looks wilted and blah. It’s not so appetizing.

Here are a few tips to keep your celery crisp, your spinach from getting slimy, your herbs from wilting and your lettuce from getting the blahs!

drooping celery

crisp celery

When it comes to celery, the trick is water. Trim the bottom of the celery and put it in water. It will perk right up. You can keep it outside of the fridge for about a day, after that cover it with a plastic bag and put it in the fridge.

Water also works with kale or collard greens or pretty much any greens that have thick stems, including lettuce. For these type of greens I put them in the salad spinner filled with cool water and let them soak for about an hour. They revive very nicely.

But let’s say you are committed to not having your greens wilt at all. You don’t want to have to put them in water, you want to take preventative measures to create a no-wilting policy in your fridge. Then…

Paper towel is the key!

For spinach, lay your spinach on paper towel before putting it in the fridge (or lay a piece of paper towel on top). The paper towel is there to absorb excess moisture (that’s what makes things slimy).

Fresh Herbs wrapped in paper towel and then put in a plastic bag keep nicely for up to a week.

Lettuce wrapped in paper towel also stays fresher longer.

The secret to managing your produce problems is managing the moisture. Put a piece of paper towel in the bottom of your fridge drawers to absorb any excess moisture.

And…keep eating your greens!

Share your favorite produce tips in the comments!

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Nina Manolson, MA, CHC, certified Health Coach and Psychology of Eating Coach believes that every women deserves to feel good in their own body. She helps women create a healthy and positive relationship with their food and body so they can love their body and life!  She’s the founder of NinaManolson.com and NourishedWomanNation.com 

She helps busy women look and feel their best, and helps them feed their kids well in a world that doesn’t.

 She’s the author of “Feed Your Kids Well In A World That Doesn’t: an everyday guide to make healthy food happen in your home and beyond”. She’s also the recipient of the prestigious Health Leadership Award from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

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