March is National Nutrition Month®, when the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages sound eating and physical activity habits all year long and celebrates registered dietitian nutritionists, the food and nutrition experts.
"RDNs can teach you how to safely store foods so that they are fresh and ready to use when you are. This can extend the life of your foods and save you money in the long run," says registered dietitian nutritionist Lena Beal, a national Academy Spokesperson based in Atlanta, Ga.
"Don't store eggs on the refrigerator door because it's the warmest part of the refrigerator. Instead, store eggs in the center of the refrigerator and store condiments on the door," she says. "Store milk in the back bottom of the refrigerator where it's the coldest, and store packaged raw or frozen meats on the bottom shelf to reduce the chances of juices dripping onto other foods."
"Not all fruits and vegetables can be stored together because some produce ethylene gas, while others are sensitive to ethylene gas," Beal says.
Beal offers the following food storage tips:
- Apples, unripe bananas and cantaloupe all emit ethylene gas, so keep them away from other produce to avoid them over-ripening their neighbors.
- Additional ethylene producers are avocados, figs, nectarines, pears, peaches and tomatoes.
- Vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage are also sensitive to ethylene and will stay fresher when stored away from ethylene producers such as kiwis and plums.
- Additional ethylene-sensitive foods are carrots, cucumbers, leafy greens and squash.
- Store onions and potatoes separately and outside of the refrigerator in a dark, cool, dry and well-ventilated space.