Hi, Everyone! Simply Grace here to give you healthy foods that have a long shelf life.
How is everyone doing with the whole quarantine thing? Because I’m fine. Totally fine. Doing okay… do I seem okay? Because I swear, I’m fine. Okay, in reality I’m getting a little restless, if you couldn’t tell from before. I’m trying to do my part and stay inside as much as possible. The only reason I leave my apartment is for a walk or the grocery store. The funny thing is that staying at home is usually like a dream for me. I mean no one values their at home time more than me. NO ONE! Laying on the couch, wine glass in one hand, pizza slice in the other, and get some good TV or a movie rolling. Perfect. Day. Unfortunately, my favorite thing to do has lost its appeal after the first couple of days. If you’re like me and have been getting a little restless, check out Simply Grace’s 7 Things to Do at Home to Keep You Busy blog. Lets get into the goods now. I’m sure most of you have been hiding inside and try to limit your grocery store visits. To help you stay at home a little longer, I’m going to give you a list of healthy foods that have a long shelf life. Just because you’re stuck at home, doesn’t mean you have to live off ramen noodles for the next couple of months. Simply Grace is coming to you with some simple healthy foods that will on your shelf for DAYS.
Simply Grace’s Healthy Foods that Have a Long Shelf Life
- Nuts
- Eggs
- Canned Tuna or Chicken
- Potatoes
- Onions
- Apples
- Dried Grains (brown rice, quinoa, barley, whole wheat pasta)
- Oatmeal
- Dark Chocolate
- Canned Veggies (green beans, corn, peas)
- Canned Beans (black beans garbanzo beans, pinto beans, kidney beans)
- Dried Fruit
- Almond Milk
- Peanut Butter
- Carrots
- Frozen Fruits and Veggies
- Certain Cheeses (Parmesan, Asiago, Romano, cheddar)
- Organic Mac n’ Cheese
- Diced Tomatoes
- Chicken Broth
- Wine 😉
Tips on How to Freeze Your Food.
- To avoid freezer burn, make sure you wrap your food tightly. My FAVORITE air tight containers are the Rubbermaid Brilliance collection. They are amazing and I use them every single day. I swear by them.
- Freeze in realistic portions. You can’t refreeze items after they have been defrosted. So, make sure you freeze them in realistic portions or else you will be eating 5 lbs of ground beef for dinner.
- Freeze food at peak freshness.
- Thaw your food in the refrigerator, especially meat. 5 hours of defrost time for every pound of food.
- Some products that don’t freeze well; dairy products, raw or heard boiled eggs, high-water- content produce (lettuce, apples, potatoes, cucumbers, citrus, watermelon, etc.), and soft herbs.
- Recommended storage time: Fruit: 9-12 months, Meat: 3-12 months (check out your specific meat types and their exact storage time), Veggies: 8-12 months, Seafood: 3-6 months.
- Keep celery wrapped in aluminum foil to keep it crisp for up to 4 weeks.
- To keep bananas fresh, wrap their stems in plastic wrap.
- Store herbs like a bouquet of flowers. Stick them in a glass of water, stems down. Cover the top with plastic wrap and done! This works for asparagus too.
- Keep leafy greens wrapped in paper towels to catch the excess moisture.
- Don’t store your tomatoes in the fridge.
- Don’t chop or cut your fruits and veggies until you’re ready to use them.
- Check out this Cooking Light page for exact instructions on how to freeze items.
Let me know your favorite storage hacks! Leave a comment below with your favorite storage hack to help out our friends!
Simply Grace hopes you enjoyed this blog! xoxo