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Meal prep if you eat a lot of veggies.


Moxie
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They will be edible for the week, but will deteriorate. Some faster than others. 

I have not found that worth it. Veggies taste much better when cut fresh and keep better if you don't wash them ahead of time.

It does not really take that long. Many veggies don't need to be peeled, just washed.

Edited by regentrude
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I eat a lot of raw, non-starchy veggies. If I prep (cut and wash) them on the weekend, how long will they be edible? Any tips?

 

 

AS others have said, they will lose some nutrients   With that said,  I usually prep veggies a couple of times a week for the next few days.  Storing items in a sealed container helps.  I personally think it's better to have the items ready to grab and go so we eat healthier.   Others prefer daily prep.  It really comes down to whatever works best for you and yours.  

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If you want to pre-prep them and are going to cook them, I would  freeze them. That way, they retain their nutrients. You can vacuum seal them by putting them in a ziptop bag, closing it almost all the way, and submerging it almost to the opening in a pot of cold water. The pressure from the water will push all the air out. Then seal the bag. 

 

Many veges begin to lose their nutrients once they are cut unless they are frozen right away. 

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If you want to pre-prep them and are going to cook them, I would  freeze them. That way, they retain their nutrients. You can vacuum seal them by putting them in a ziptop bag, closing it almost all the way, and submerging it almost to the opening in a pot of cold water. The pressure from the water will push all the air out. Then seal the bag. 

 

Many veges begin to lose their nutrients once they are cut unless they are frozen right away. 

 

I learned something new today! I always put a straw in the opening and suck out the air. Yours is a much better way!

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I plan my meals for the week based on what type of meal we need each day... a meal best served and eaten at once in days were all home, soup in the crockpot on night where five of us eat separately over 3+ hours.

 

I also try to plan some things that use similar veggies on nights close together... a red/yellow pepper salad with Sunday's Curry Chicken, the rest of the peppers in Monday or Tuesday's stir fry. Or the raw veggie tray turns into stir fry or soup after a few days.

 

And it feels wasteful and bad for the environment, but I noticed that veggies only make it into packed lunches when they're already in zippy snack bags.

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When my kids were younger, I used to prep veggies they were meant to eat *raw* so I could just leave a bunch in the fridge for them to forage / eat with store-bought hummus whenever they felt like grazing.  Carrot sticks keep in a sealed Tupperware for up to 5 days; celery and string beans maybe 3, cut-up peppers and snap peas maybe 2.

 

But for regular cooking, I've never bothered.  I don't feel like it really saves much time.  And there are a couple of veggies I cook straight from the freezer (spinach, green beans) so if I'm rushed I can just take out some of that.

 

 

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I eat a lot of raw, non-starchy veggies. If I prep (cut and wash) them on the weekend, how long will they be edible? Any tips?

 

Carrots, french beans, will keep for a week or longer in an airtight container in the fridge- washed, dried and then diced.

Bell peppers last for a few days- same process.

Spinach, and other leafy greens- chopped roughly (unwashed), placed in veggie storage net bags in the fridge will last for a couple of days.

Brassica family- broccoli, cauliflowers, cabbage will last for a week or longer- washed (or not) but dried and stored in a veggie storage net.

Any vegetable with a lot of water content ( for eg- the gourd family) should be ideally cut just before eating/cooking.

HTH

 

eta: French beans= green beans.

eta: added link

Edited by Ebunny
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If you need to save time, it may be more cost effective to buy frozen vegetables.

 

She said she wants to eat them raw. One can cook with frozen vegetables, but raw they are gross (except for peas). Texture really suffers during freezing. 

Edited by regentrude
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I am considering getting one of those seal-a-meal rigs for veggies. I read a lot about them some time ago, and they seem to have some merit for keeping veggies longer. We are having trouble keeping up with six people in the household without having to go to the store every other day. (Also thinking about a 2nd refrigerator just for veggies and meal prep ingredients.) I know the kids would eat more veggies if they were nicely packaged and available. 

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