Passion For Fresh: Tips from Kelly Anne Erdman

Earlier this week I chatted about Samsung’s very cool WiFi-enabled French-Door Refrigerators.

(I think it’s safe to say that EVERYONE would love to have this fridge in their kitchen. Now how many of y’all are kicking and rocking your current models? Break, dammit! Mama needs a new appliance!)

Of course, one of the features that had me totally smitten was the counter-height, Flex Zone Mid-Convertible Drawer with Smart Divider. It’s at a perfect height for children to see food clearly and reach for healthy snacks. And with four unique temperature settings, this space can also flexibly adjust to keep meat or fish at a soft freeze for longer lasting freshness.

Hence, since we’re chatting about how to best keep fresh foods staying that way – for longer – here are some awesome tips from Kelly Anne Erdman – Team Canada’s Performance Dietician at 2012 London Summer Olympics.

(GO Canada! Hope you’re having a blast, Kelly!)

A few simple tricks and tips can make all the difference when it comes to protecting an investment in fresh food through fridge storage and helping to make healthier eating choices at home:

• Free fresh produce from the crisper: Fresh produce can be stored anywhere in the fridge, not just stuffed in the crisper where it’s likely you won’t see it and won’t eat it. Keep fresh produce clearly positioned on shelving at eye level in the fresh food section of your refrigerator.

• Keep it simple for kids to make a healthy snack choice: With school out and kids spending more time at home this summer, they’ll be into the fridge more often. All Canadian parents surveyed said it was important that they pass on healthy eating habits to their kids, but only 59% make an effort to put fresh produce in their children’s line of sight in the fridge. Counter-height fridge drawers like Samsung’s Flex Zone Mid-Convertible Drawer offer a great place to keep healthy snacks in an easy-to-see and access area for kids.

• Inspire recipes with natural groupings in the fridge: The majority of respondents (72%) do not tend to group food items together in the fridge to remind them of recipe ideas, but pairing fresh produce and herbs with meal mains like chicken or fish to inspire healthy recipe ideas like stir-frys – a quick, easy and balanced meal for busy families on the go.

• Use clear storage containers when storing food in the fridge: If you can see it, you’re more likely to eat it.

• Go for bright colours when choosing produce: Canada’s Food Guide 2012 recommends eating at least one dark green and one orange vegetable every day; the brighter the food, the more nutrient dense it likely is. The more attractive visually it is to us, the more likely we’ll eat it. Think: broccoli, kale, Swiss chard, spinach and carrots, oranges, sweet potatoes, peppers and squash.

We love loading up on fresh produce (don’t you know that my kids only eat fruits and veggies willingly? Everything else is a struggle). Time to grab some of those visually-appealing vegetables!

Do you have any tips or tricks for keeping food at its freshest? Do tell!