Save Money By Swapping Out Plant Parts
To reduce waste and save money on fresh fruit and vegetables, swap produce ingredients based on what is available and affordable. A root may be able to be swapped for another root in the same recipe, saving a trip to the store. Also do this with other edible parts of the plants such as the stems, leaves, flowers, fruit, and seeds.
Easy Swaps by Plant Parts
- Swaps: Potato, sweet potato, parsnip, Jerusalem artichoke (sunchoke), carrot, radish, beet, golden beet, yam, jicama
- Tips:
- Wash roots well and roast, grill, or pan fry for any recipe that calls for a potato.
- Swaps: Shallot, leek, chives, scallion, stems from collards, kale, kohlrabi, bok choy (pak choi), cucumber
- Tips:
- Chop and add crunch to omelets, skillets, or salads.
- Swaps: Chard, kale, beet greens, dandelion greens, spinach, romaine, arugula, mustard greens, bok choy (pak choi)
- Tips:
- Shred leaves into pasta-based meals for additional fiber
- Chop and top a pizza to add color.
- Swap Veggies: Celery, zucchini, kohlrabi, cucumber, eggplant, sweet pepper, summer squash, mushroom
- Swap Fruits: Like for like (i.e., berry for berry, stone fruit for stone fruit)
- Tips:
- Fruits with pits (stone fruits) can be easily swapped in desserts, chutneys, in a grill meal, or as salad toppings.
- Swap Nuts and Seeds: Walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
- Swap Beans: Black beans, pinto beans, navy beans, fava beans
- Tips:
- Grind seeds and nuts into a pesto or hummus.
- Top salads and sandwiches with nuts, seeds, and beans.
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