Saving Money by Making Food Last Longer

How much money in food are you throwing away each week? A University of Arizona study shows we throw away 14% of our groceries and 25% of our produce. We found some ways to make your food last longer, so you get the most for your money, in this Seven On Your Side Consumer Watch.

By: | News Channel 7
Published: May 20, 2008

Food that goes to waste means wasted money for Barbara West. Said Barbara, "I always found myself buying two bananas and at least throwing one of them away because they would ripen so quickly."

Not any more. Now she stores her fruits and vegetables in Evert-fresh green bags. She demonstrated on a head of lettuce, "Push the air out and fold it over, you don't tie it up, you just fold it over."

And her results? Said Barbara, "The tomatoes were bought last week, this was bought about two weeks ago, and that about a week and a half ago," showing us produce that looked like it was fresh from the store.

So how do green bags work? The manufacturer says fruits and vegetables give off an ethylene gas as they ripen. The bags are made with a mineral that absorbs that gas and that's what keeps them fresher.

That saves Barbara trips to the store and money on produce. "Oh yes, many times."

A box of green bags sell for about $10 and you can re-use them many times. You can find them at www.evertfresh.com, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Walgreens.

Stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond sell many food saving devices, like Smart Lidz for airtight seals. Explained Michael Ouzts, a District Customer Service Manager for Bed, Bath and Beyond, "All you have to do is put them on top, kind of lean down on them, it seals. You're ready for that picnic use." Smart Lidz sell for about $10.

And they sell vacuum devices that suck the air out of storage bags and seal them, like the Food Saver and Vacu Seal. Prices range from $30 to $130 for the devices, and $5-$7 for the sealable bags.

Items that mean less wasted food and less wasted money.

Tomorrow night on News Channel 7, we're going to show you where you can buy discount groceries in the Upstate.