prepping the produce

I like to keep my house organized so that we can function as a family.  It does take time to be organized, but it is so worth it.  One thing that I do at the beginning of each week is prep our produce for the week ahead.

I found these food storage containers from IKEA (click here to purchase) that work great for our needs.  They come in various sizes…I use the 44 oz size for the produce.  I also have the 2 qt size to store our cereals in the pantry.  I love the lids that open halfway for easy pouring, or you can remove the entire lid.

It takes about an hour (depending on the amount of fruits and vegetables I purchase for the week) to wash and cut everything.  But like I said, it is SO worth it to have it all ready to eat.  The girls just grab what they want for snacks and lunches.  During the school year, it is much easier to have the produce washed, cut, and ready to go when packing lunches each day.

I must confess…I love how it all looks in the fridge.  So organized and tidy!  I think I eat more fruits and vegetables because it looks so appealing when in these containers.

The bananas and apples are kept in a metal basket right on the kitchen table, so they are easily accessible.  I think my girls eat more of these because they are in sight.

I find that we eat healthier because I spend the extra time doing this each week.  And we waste less fruit because we actually eat it instead of throwing it out because it went bad.  Like I said, it is worth the time it takes to “prep the produce.”