Sometimes I over-shop. I buy too many bananas, a loaf of bread my family never finishes, even ground turkey meat that sits in the fridge beyond it's expiration date. Sadly, these foods end up tossed in the trash. What a waste.

As first reported by Kristin Darguzas on ParentDish, American families trash, on average, 14% of the food they buy, mostly because it spoils. Never fear, though. According to this article, there are six measures we can take for storing our food for lasting freshness. Now these are some tips I can use. How about you?

• Refrigerate fruits and vegetables separately. Some fruits emit a gas that speeds the ripening of veggies.

• Don't cool all produce. Squash, tomatoes, and oranges can be damaged if not kept at room temperature.
  
  
• Repackage your meats in vacuum-sealed or zip-locked bags -- squeeze out all the air first -- because the original packaging will not protect from freezer burn.
  
  
• Keep dry products, like flour and cornmeal, safe from bugs by stashing them in the refrigerator or freezer.
  
  
• Chill your bananas once they've ripened. The skin will turn brown but the inside lasts a lot longer than it does sitting on the kitchen counter.
  

• Forget foil and plastic wrap and keep leftovers in airtight food storage containers to ensure they stay fresh.