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Visiting the produce aisle should be a part of your normal routine every time you go to the grocery store. However, not all of the fruits and vegetables are in good quality every day. In order to maximize the produce aisle, here are five ways to shop:

1. Buy Produce more than Once a Week

A lot of people are guilty of buying groceries once per week. Not only does this routine save time, it is also much easier since you do not have to walk around a store and carry bags. However, when you buy produce once a week, you risk eating produce that are no longer fresh. Furthermore, the longer fresh produce sits in the fridge, the more nutrients they lose. You are better off buying fresh produce when you want to cook them.

2. Do not Shop only at the Beginning of a Season

At the start of a season, fresh and ripe fruits and vegetables will be stocked in your supermarkets. Although it might be tempting to buy them in bulk, you are better off waiting. The produce at the beginning of a season tends to be more expensive and do not taste any better than the same produce that you will find later on in the season.

3. Do not Buy Internationally

When you purchase produce, you are better off sticking with domestic or local items. Internationally shipped produce tends to be less fresh since the produce had to travel from afar. The produce you find at a farmer's market is most likely the freshest items you can find.

4. Buy Whole as opposed to Pre-Sliced

Once fruits are cut into, they are more likely going to rot faster. If you want your produce to stay fresh for a longer period of time, choose the whole fruit. Buying the entire fruit as opposed to the pre-sliced fruit salad will also save you money.

5. Know what is Ripe

When it comes to buying fresh produce, make sure you know how to tell what is ripe from what is not. Ripen produce will taste better. In addition, by knowing when something is not ripe, you can plan your meals in advance.