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\\u201cGet into the kitchen and play. Get the children involved. Have them peel something or taste it when it\\u2019s raw... we\'re all in it together.\\u201d

Brandon Fortener (31:32-32:06)

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Brandon Fortener is the Product Development Chef for the Kroger company, which is the nation\\u2019s largest supermarket retailer. Produce is one of the first things that Kroger\\u2019s nine million daily customers see when they walk into the store.

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Brandon is also a self-proclaimed Produce Dad and a big fan of The Produce Moms. He cooks a lot at home, which enables him to take all of those wonderful ingredients from Kroger\\u2019s produce department and create meals for his family.

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\\u201cFood is culture. It\\u2019s how people celebrate. The more I meet people at Kroger, the more I\\u2019m seeing that alive within the Kroger team.\\xa0 -Lori Taylor (8:15-8:24)

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Must-Know Produce Tips\\xa0

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Tip # 1: Taste it. As you\\u2019re cooking any produce, taste it when it\\u2019s still raw, then as it\\u2019s cooking, and again right before you serve it. The flavor and texture of produce changes as it is cooking. Tasting it as you go is the best way to observe how.\\xa0

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Tip # 2: Keep fresh produce around. If you keep fresh produce in your refrigerator and pantry, they will be available and easy to incorporate into your meals.\\xa0

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Tip # 3: Look at different ways to use produce as it\\u2019s going through its cycle. For example, when greens are young and tender, they\\u2019re really good raw and tossed with a little lemon juice and olive oil. But when they\\u2019re more mature, cook them and additional flavors such as apple cider vinegar, onion, and red pepper flakes.

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Tip for Reducing Produce Waste\\xa0

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Kroger\\u2019s Zero Hunger/Zero Waste program is part of Kroger\\u2019s commitment to ending hunger in the communities they serve and to eliminating waste across their company.

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One of Brandon\\u2019s tips for reducing produce waste is to throw the peelings and trimmings into a gallon ziplock bag. When it gets full, dump the bag\\u2019s contents into a pot of water and cook into vegetable stock.

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\\u201cOne in eight Americans struggle with hunger, but we\\u2019re throwing away 40% of our food.\\u201d\\xa0 - Brandon Fortener (17:35-17:41)

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\\u201cWilted to Wonderful\\u201d is a series within Kroger\\u2019s Zero Hunger/Zero Waste program that provides great recipes to transform produce that\\u2019s \\u201con the edge\\u201d into delicious dishes.

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Tips to Inspire Children to Eat More Produce

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Tip 1: Be a good role model. Let your kids see that you\\u2019re eating fruits and veggies, which will inspire them to eat fruits and veggies, too.

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Tip 2: Make it easy to eat. Buy pre-cut fruits and veggies or cut them up at the beginning of the week so they\\u2019re easy to pull out and eat. For produce that gets brown when cut, such as apple slices, toss with a little bit of lemon juice.

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Tip 3: Cut produce into different shapes and sizes. When Lori switched from baby carrots to carrot \\u201cchips,\\u201d it increased her kids\\u2019 consumption of them.\\xa0

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Tip 4: Turn vegetables into sauces and purees. Carrots pureed into a sauce, for example, is wonderful. It\\u2019s such an easy way to \\u201csneak\\u201d extra produce into your family\\u2019s meal.\\xa0\\xa0

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Tip 5: Introduce kids at a young age to seasonings and extra flavor. Start with adding extra flavoring to something they already love. They may not love it the first time. Try again! Our children are growing and changing day by day, and may need another chance to adapt to a new flavor.\\xa0

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You can find many more tips from Brandon and his team at Kroger.com under the tab \\u201cDiscover.\\u201d There you\\u2019ll see information about Zero Hunger/Zero Waste, Wilted to Wonderful videos, thousands of recipes, and many articles loaded with cooking tips.\\xa0

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How to get involved

• Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week!\\xa0
• Reach out to us - we\\u2019d love to hear more about where you are in life and business! Find out more here.\\xa0

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If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a quick review on iTunes. It would mean the world to hear your feedback and we\\u2019d love for you to help us spread the word!