*Eleditor’s note: This is awesome information! But, let’s be mindful about plastic use and find some alternatives to wrap our fruits and veggies in. Read why here.

Cooking for myself is one of the most important things I’ve found for keeping healthy—which means buying groceries.

When I first started out on my own in college, I made the mistake of buying everything that looked good in the store, all at once. All the stuff I knew was healthy and I wanted in my body, I’d buy it all at once. I’m saving myself a trip, right? I’m keeping my home stocked with the good stuff so I won’t binge on take-out and junk food, right?

But…that wasn’t really how it worked. I didn’t know how to keep all the produce I was buying. So, all that beautiful spinach I bought—rotten and slimy before I ever touched it. And those avocados…don’t even get me started. In the end, I was wasting money and time.

I really wish I had a chart like this beforehand.

I hope it will save some of you readers out there some of the same trouble, and maybe it will clean up some of those gray areas where you were wondering whether you can still eat that squash that’s been lingering on the counter for a few days too.

Source: Fix.com

Author: Kathryn Muyskens

Editor: Catherine Monkman

Infographic from Fix.com, Nicky Wayne/Flickr