Medical Weight Loss Clinic pros know how to keep healthy foods fresh for longer

Our Community Relations Director Tracy Strieter may be working from home like the rest of us, but her refrigerator is stocked up with fresh, healthy meals. And she makes it look simple enough for everyone to try.

Thankfully Tracy shared a short video with all of us at Medical Weight Loss Clinic to provide her tips on how to keep our foods fresher, longer.

Shop smart

Tracy is using services like Kroger Pick Up and she’s still making trips to the grocery store from time to time. It allows her to see and choose the freshest fruits and vegetables available. Tracy does take extra precautions – especially since she is shopping for family members over the age of 80. In addition to the new standard of wearing a mask and washing her hands before and after wearing gloves, she said she uses a lot of disinfectant spray.

“I glove and put my mask on before I enter the store and use hand sanitizer when I’m done before I touch my car after removing my gloves. When I arrive home, I put all the bags in the garage and spray the bags down with disinfecting spray. I then spray the trunk and inside of my car - and the bottom and tops of my shoes. In the garage, I lay all my personal belongings on the table and spray everything I touched while out with disinfecting spray. I then (head inside to) remove my clothes and place them in the washer. After I start the washer, I shower. Then I bring the groceries into the house and,  if I shopped for other family members, separate their groceries for next day delivery to their front porch. 

“It’s quit an ordeal to say the least.”

At the store, she suggests we should keep an eye out for items like citrus fruits – which don’t continue to ripen after they are picked. They have a longer shelf life. And don’t veer away from frozen fruits and vegetables. “Just make sure that the frozen fruit is 100 percent fruit with NO added sugars,” she says.

Prep smart

Then it comes time to put away groceries, clean fruits and vegetables and prep foods for future use.

“As far as cleaning the fruits and vegetables, I follow the CDC guidelines,” Tracy says. “They recommend - for good measure - rubbing fruit and vegetables under running water and scrubbing those with hard skins because this removes pesticides.”

At this point, you’re ready to store foods. Here’s how to keep some healthy options in your refrigerator:

o   Strawberries that have been washed, cut and placed in a container with a dry paper towel underneath can last up to two weeks.

o   Blackberries and raspberries should not be washed until you’re ready to use them – and be sure to do so within 5 days of purchase.

o   Celery can be washed and stored with a damp paper towel for up to two weeks. Or, extra celery can be covered in aluminum foil and kept up to 4 weeks.

o   Cucumbers can we wrapped in a dry paper towel and placed in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

o   Carrots can be washed and covered in a damp paper towel to last up to a month.

So far there is no evidence of food, food containers, or food packaging being associated with transmission of COVID-19. Like other viruses, though, it is possible that the virus that causes COVID-19 can survive on surfaces or objects. So, Tracy follows these four key steps of food safety  — clean, separate, cook, and chill.

“If you are concerned about the contamination of food or food packaging, wash your hands after handling food packaging, after removing food from the packaging, before you prepare food for eating and before you eat,” she says.

Make it last

Tracy says once  you’ve gathered and prepped the groceries, food storage location is important. She suggests it’s important to separate out the ethylene-producers that can make some vegetables spoil faster.

“Ethylene gas is a naturally occurring plant hormone that speeds up the ripening process,”  she says. “Separate ethylene-producers like tomatoes from the veggies that are spoiled by the gas like broccoli, spinach and sweet potatoes.”

Wondering what to during a time of self-quarantine? Tracy loves this recipe for Soba Noodles with Grilled Shrimp and Cilantro. She said she makes it as many as three times a month.

Eat well and stay connected with Medical Weight Loss Clinic and our healthy resources and recipes anytime at mwlc.com.

*Results may vary. Minimum purchase required. Some restrictions apply and discounts may not be used for online purchases.
When you enroll in a Medical Weight Loss Clinic program, the length of your program will be determined by you and the staff based on the amount of weight you want to lose and how quickly you want to lose it. Your actual weight loss will be determined by many factors, including, but not limited to: your medical circumstances, the plan you choose, adherence to the meal plan and use of nutritional supplements. Your goal and program duration information will be given to you in writing at the time of enrollment. As your program progresses, the rate you lose weight may change and you will have the opportunity to discuss this at every daily visit with your weight loss consultant, where changes to your meal plan and/or program can be made.