2019-04-01 Women's Health

PICKLE

(ALMOST)

ANYTHING

Pickling is a savvy way to

preserve veggies on the verge

of turning for a few more

weeks. Try our test kitchen’s

go-to brine for carrots, green

beans, or zucchini.

1

In a small pot,

mix 1¼ cups

distilled white

vinegar, 1 cup

water, 4 cloves

peeled and

crushed garlic,

3 Tbsp sugar,

and 2 Tbsp

kosher salt.

2

Heat on

medium, stir-

ring, until sugar

dissolves.

3

Arrange 1 lb

desired vegeta-

bles, quartered

lengthwise,

and 3 sprigs dill

in a 32-oz jar;

cover with warm

brine. Let cool

slightly.

Replace lid and

refrigerate at

least 4 hours or

up to 2 weeks.

Plan and Prep

Now you’re ready to shop, right?

E h—not so fa st. You’re m i s si ng

something: a list, which can help

you limit impulse buys, lower your

grocery bill, and make fewer shop-

pi ng t r ips, ac c ord i ng to m a rket

research. The secret to creating a

winning list (and scoring all these

pluses) is meal planning—realisti-

c a l ly. That me a n s t a k i ng i nto c on-

sideration things like dinner with

f r iend s or la z y eve s t hat c a l l for

leftovers. “Try reserving a night,

like a Stir Fry-day or a Wasteless

Wednesday, when you use up ev-

er y t h i ng t hat ’s lef t i n t he k itchen,”

sug ge st s Gu nder s. Si mply sche du l-

ing for the week ensures you have

the ingredients for healthier choic-

es, and lowers the likelihood of

ordering in less-favorable eats.

Embrace the Freezer

There’s no denying it: We’re big fans

of st u ffi ng a c a r t w it h ton s of pro -

duce. But despite best intentions,

fruits and veggies are the number

one culprit in daily food waste at

home. So if you notice you’re always

buy i ng f re sh bro c c ol i on ly to t h row

it away, opt for frozen. “Plus, these

foods are typically flash-frozen at

their peak, which locks in the nutri-

ents that are gradually lost the

longer an item sits in the market

or kitchen,” says Abby K.

Cannon, JD, RD, CDN, a dieti-

tian and sustainability expert

in New York City. Another way to

save all those nutritional benefits:

Freeze them! Using the freezer as

short-term storage for everything

f rom m i l k to la st n ig ht ’s sa l mon

d i sh ( you c a n even f re ez e wa l nut s

and almonds) not only cuts back on

tossing but also takes the pressure

off hav i ng to c o ok a nd e at i ng re d i-

ents within a certain time, explains

Gu nder s. Pack age fo o d i n sm a l l

quantities so it freezes faster, which

helps maintain flavor and texture.

Judge Less, Eat More

We hold ou r fo o d to i mp os sible

standards of perfection, frequently

nixing safe and delish eats just

because of a scar (which, btw, is

usually caused by a nearby tree

limb) or an unusual shape. Choose

“ugly produce” at the market, which

sometimes costs less, and look for

companies like Hungry Harvest

that focus on imperfect—and

otherwise wasted—food. Unless