Leftover Nutrients

Christmas and holiday dinners bring good food and family together. They also bring a slew of leftovers to my fridge. I’m not complaining; I love getting leftovers because it’s food I don’t have to buy or prepare. But with going to so many meals and my inability to say no to free food, this time of year, I end up with lots of leftover green bean casserole and mash potatoes. My only worry is how long they will all stay good.

An article from CBS talks about how to store foods to retain maximum nutrient value. While they don’t talk about my favorite holiday meals, they offer some insight I didn’t know. For instance, they report vitamin C levels in orange juice rapidly deteriorate once a container is opened and then put in the refrigerator. And, nutrient losses occur when orange juice is poured into a glass and sits for a few minutes.

That’s not a big deal to me, as I usually only drink O.J. in mimosa form, but the nutrient loss of green tea caught my attention. They write a recent study in the Journal of Food Science showed green tea can lose 32 percent of its antioxidants in six months if stored improperly. The article suggests storing tea in a sealed, airtight container in a dark part of the pantry.

Other finds from the article: antioxidants in olive oil can be reduced 40 percent in six months in the pantry. They recommend storing it in the refrigerator or freezer instead. And, the antioxidants in honey can decrease by half after six months.

Looks like one of my Target gift cards will go toward purchasing an airtight tea container, and from now on the olive oil’s new home will be next to the green bean casserole.