What is the best way to store fresh fruits and vegetables?
To begin with, fresh fruits and vegetables like apples, oranges, grapefruits, potatoes and other produce should be stored with their skin and rinds intact. Once produce is cut, the fruits and vegetables begin to degrade and lose vital nutrients. This nutrient loss does not occur immediately and some phytochemicals (chemicals found in plants that help protect against disease) are not affected even after five or six days from cutting. Unfortunately, the fruits and vegetables might not be edible after that time frame anyway. According to the Food and Drug Administration, cut or peeled vegetables will lose fifty percent of their nutrient content within one to two weeks. Therefore, you can still reap the benefits of the disease-fighting nutrients that fresh fruits and vegetables have even when you prepare them in advance. This advance preparation can, however, allow you to make healthy choices at any time during the day with as little effort as possible. Ideally, you should use freshly cut
