We all know too well how easy it is to fall into the trap of throwing away what was once fresh and nutrient-dense looking fruit and vegetables because they've suddenly taken on a beyond "best before date" appearance.

Knowing how to store fruits and vegetables better will save you time, money and unnecessary trips to the shops which by its very nature tends to incur extra expenditure. Must admit, I'm guilty of this!

The other big benefit of how well you store fruits and vegetables is to our planet. The longer the life the more likely that your fresh produce will be eaten and not wind up contributing to the environmental problems of food waste. For example, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has estimated that losses and waste in fruits and vegetables are the highest among all types of foods. Shocking!

These are all costly and compelling reasons (close to our health, heart and pocket) as to why something as simple as familiarising yourself with the best way to store fruits and vegetables can have such a massive impact both individually and in our wider world.

How To Store Fruits and Vegetables

So, how we store fruits and vegetables has never been more important. Here are my top tips on extending their goodness by keeping them fresher for longer. I've chosen 14 of the most popular veggies and 6 delicious fruits.

Storing 14 popular veggies for a longer life

1. Squash

Squash likes to be kept dry so a kitchen shelf or worktop is ideal. Butternut squash should keep for up to 3 months and the harder skinned types can last up to 12 months. Cut pieces though should be refrigerated and used within a week.

2. Potatoes

Yes there are lots of different potato varieties but due to their thin skins new potatoes don’t store well, so keep them in the fridge and eat within a week.

Old potatoes keep well for weeks, sometimes even months in a paper bag somewhere dark and cool. They may start to sprout but provided they haven’t turned green it’s fine to remove the chits and eat them. Extensive greening is a sign of toxins and in this case don't eat them, discard them. .

3. Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes will keep for about a week at room temperature, but will last longer in a cool dark place in a paper bag. Avoid refrigerating them as it changes their flavour and texture.

4. Onions & shallots

As long as they are firm and not about to sprout, onions last well for several weeks anywhere cool, dry and dark. They don’t like to be in the fridge and do better with some air movement. Shallots tend to be more nutritious than most varieties of onion and are best stored in the same way as onions.

5. Leeks

Leeks will be fine in the bottom drawer of your fridge for a week or more. Chop off the tops if they’re too long to fit, and discard or keep the tops for making stock. Leeks lose their nutrient value quickly, so are best consumed within a few days of purchase.

6. Aubergine / Eggplant

Aubergine (or eggplant) are delicate and perishable so be careful not to crush them under other vegetables.

Wrap aubergine in a paper bag. Place the whole eggplant in the bag. Don't cut it before storing it, since cut aubergine spoils very quickly. Instead, loosely wrap the vegetable in paper. You don't need to tie the bag shut or do anything else to it. The paper bag absorbs moisture. For that reason, storing aubergine in sealed plastic is not recommended.

Sealed bags cause aubergine to spoil faster due to poor air circulation. Eat within a week.

7. Carrots

Washing can damage carrots' protective skin, so they are best stored as bought and somewhere cool (either fridge or kitchen cupboard).

They will last for several weeks. If you buy carrots with tops (green stems), twist them off once you get them home to avoid moisture being lost. Keep the tops fresh in a glass of water, like cut flowers and use in salads or as a garnish.

8. Beetroot

If you buy beets with their leaves on, separate the leaves or they’ll draw up water softening the roots. The leaves will last only one to two days in a micro-perforated paper bag in the fridge.

Store the roots in a paper bag in the fridge or somewhere cool and dark. They’ll keep for about a couple of weeks.

9. Broccoli

If you’re not going to eat your broccoli within a day or two of purchase, store it in a micro-perforated paper bag in your fridge and it will last about a week. Buy broccoli heads with firm, not rubbery stems.

10. Cabbage

Generally the harder the cabbage the better it will keep, so choose cabbage heads that are firm and heavy.

Place cabbage in a paper bag in the salad drawer of your fridge. Red, green and white cabbage should last about two weeks and savoy cabbage about one week.

11. Kale

Kale is best kept bagged in your fridge. It can be frozen as it comes or blanched before freezing. Curly kale and Cavolo Nero are best eaten within a week of purchase.

12. Greens (spinach, swiss chard, rocket and watercress)

Typically greens have a short shelf life. If you don’t plan to eat them within a couple of days, consider soaking and drying them as soon as you get them or putting them in the freezer and using them frozen.

How To Soak & Dry Greens

This process takes about ten minutes but the result is greens that last days longer than they would normally. Bonus!

1. To do this, submerge the greens in a bowl of cold water and soak for two to three minutes, swirling occasionally, to dislodge dirt, debris and bugs.
2. Lift the leaves out of the water into a strainer and then throw the water away. If you then put the leaves back into the strainer you will be covering them in debris – so don’t do this.
3. Repeat the soaking process two to three times until the water is clear. The cold water increases the greens internal moisture and slows the ageing process of the leaves, prolonging freshness.
4. Dry with a salad spinner or towel to remove as much water as possible. Storing wet greens results in faster decay. Line your storage bag or box with sheets of kitchen paper to absorb the remaining water if they’re not completely dry.
5. Store in your fridge’s salad drawer.

13. Cucumber

Contrary to what you might think, cucumbers are best stored at room temperature. Fridges turn them watery and speed their demise. Cucumbers will last a week or so, but are best eaten as soon as possible.

14. Tomatoes

For best flavoured tomatoes, keep them at room temperature in the ventilated cardboard container that they come in. Tomatoes will last on a worktop for up to a week depending on how ripe they were on purchase.

During the summer if you want to extend their shelf life put them in the fridge, but return them to room temperature 30 minutes before eating.

Tomatoes are technically a fruit but I've added them to the end of the vegetable section.

Storing 6 delicious fruits for a longer life

1. Bananas

Bananas can ripen fast, especially if they are in a fruit bowl next to other fruit.

So, store your bananas on the worktop if unripe, but refrigerate if you want to slow spoiling ripe bananas.

Don’t refrigerate unripe bananas as they won’t ripen properly.

If you’re not going to eat bananas within a day or two, it’s best to chop them up and freeze them to use in smoothies or desserts.

2. Apples

Apples keep best if you store them in the salad drawer of your fridge. Apples that are harvested in the summer can be stored for one to two weeks. Autumn apples can be stored for a month or more.

3. Pears

Store unripe pears on your worktop and consume soon after they ripen. To preserve ripe pears longer, refrigerate them and they will last a few more days.

4. Grapes

Chill grapes as soon as you can to slow their rate of decay and preserve their flavour and nutrient content. Place them in a micro-perforated paper bag and store them in the salad drawer.

5. Lemons & Limes

Lemons and limes will last at room temperature for about a week. They’ll keep an additional week in the fridge. If you’re not going to use them within that time frame, squeeze the juice, or slice them and freeze.

Make sure you add a layer of greaseproof paper between each layer of citrus slices when freezing.

6. Avocado

Yes avocado is technically speaking a fruit! Avocado should be stored on the kitchen worktop and consumed within a day or two when ripe. You can put a ripe avocado into the fridge to slow decay. Cut avocados brown quickly. To slow browning, always store the cut half with the pit.

Increasing your plant food intake

If you're looking for ways to include more plant food into your diet, then these tips should help you do so.

A key part of eating more nutrient-dense plant food is knowing the best way to store fruits and vegetables to keep them fresh for longer and as a consequence prolong their goodness.

My Top Anti-Viral & Immune Boosting Foods Plus Nutrients post may also be helpful.