Keep Your Bananas Fresh And Your Stomach Full With These Incredible Food Hacks

How To Keep Your Fruit Fresh

There's nothing more sorrowful-looking than a bunch of brown bananas, are we right?

If that's the case, then what we're about to share with you is (probably) going to make your day.

Move over soggy celery, shriveled tomatoes et al, because we've got a handful of hacks to share for keeping food fresher than... well... fresh fruit.

Here goes:

1) Keep coffee fresh by storing it in an airtight glass container. This stops air from ruining the taste.

2) Brown bananas getting you down? Wrap cling film around the stems, as it keeps air from entering and ripening the banana. Clever huh?

3) If you want to stop your celery sticks from going soggy then wrap them in foil (spaceman style) and put your foil-wrapped package in the fridge.

4) To stop avocado from going gross after you've chopped it, sprinkle some lemon juice over it to keep it fresh.

5) No bread bin? No worries! Wrap your bread in a paper bag instead.

6) If you keep your meat on the top shelf of your fridge then you might want to rethink this strategy. Placing it at the bottom of the fridge will keep food fresh, as meat juices won't run onto the rest of your food.

7) Store onions in the pantry rather than the fridge to let them breathe.

8) Tomatoes keep better when stored on a counter away from the sun.

9) Speaking of tomatoes, don't put your cucumber near them as they release ethylene gases which can cause cucumbers to ripen quicker.

You heard it here first.

Impressive Vegan Hacks
Chickpea Flour = Omelet Possibilities(01 of09)
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Vegans have found a way to enjoy a hearty breakfast staple -- the omelet -- despite the fact that eggs are not included in their diets.

Chickpea flour is a great substitute because, like eggs, it's high in protein and is gluten-free. Its subtle flavor means it can be paired with just about anything.

Start out with this simple Chickpea Flour Omelet recipe by Fat Free Vegan.
(credit:Fat Free Vegan)
Boxed Cake Mix + Soda = Real Cake(02 of09)
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Many boxed cake mixes are vegan on their own (just check the ingredient list), but lose the title when eggs or butter are added in. Vegans don't have to make their desserts from scratch (though they certainly could -- delicious ones at that!).

Vegans and lazy people alike can skip the ingredients listed on the cake box and opt to use a carbonated beverage instead. The two ingredient cake is lower in calories, fat and is exquisitely simple to prepare. Check out all the cakes you can make with just a box of cake mix and a bottle of soda here.
(credit:HuffPost)
Banana + Freezer = Soft Serve Ice Cream(03 of09)
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Ice cream is fantastic and should be consumed year-round. Vegans are not excused from this rule. There are plenty of dairy alternatives to make the cool treat happen for any diet, but bananas take the cake when it comes to making ice cream in a snap.

Plus, the method saves overripe bananas from being tossed in the trash. When a banana's gone mushy, peel it and store it in your freezer. When you've accumulated enough, you have pretty much everything you need to make the delicious banana soft serve: Just blend, and voila!

Check out this handy guide to making vegan ice cream, and if you're drooling over the banana split pictured, get the recipe from Peachy Palate here.
(credit:Peachy Palate)
Canned Pumpkin + Everything = Veganlicious(04 of09)
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Same story here, folks. Canned pumpkin (or pumpkin puree) can be used as a substitute for typical baking ingredients like eggs and butter. It supplies a moistness to recipes without altering the flavor much. Plus, it boasts a nice amount of fiber. Genius.

Get the recipe for these Pumpkin Spice Latte Waffles from Minimalist Baker here. And, be sure to check out all the things you can make with a can of pureed pumpkin (not all are vegan, but you can tweak to make them so).
(credit:Minimalist Baker)
Avocado = A Creamy, Dreamy Substitute (05 of09)
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Like pumpkin, avocado adds a creaminess to recipes without stealing the flavor show. And its nutritional benefit is stellar.

Vegans have gotten particularly inventive with avocado, transforming the typically savory ingredient into a dessert superstar. Just contemplate the Chocolate Avocado Pudding pictured (get the recipe here) and try not to salivate.

Find more clever ways to cook and bake with avocado here.
(credit:Noms For The Poor)
Applesauce = A Butter/Oil/Egg Replacement(06 of09)
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This is an age-old, reliable trick. Vegans (and health-conscious folks) have discovered that the easily-found snack can work the same jobs as butter, oil or eggs in a recipe, while oftentimes cutting fat and calories. Of course, the measurements will vary from recipe to recipe, but here is the standard, via PopSugar:
1 cup oil = 1 cup applesauce
1 cup butter = 1 cup applesauce
1 large egg = 1/4 cup applesauce


Get the recipe for the Vegan Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Trail cookies pictured from Healthy, Happy Life here.
(credit:Healthy, Happy Life)
Coconut + Liquid Smoke = Vegan Bacon(07 of09)
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Vegan bacon may sound like an oxymoron, but replicating the popular flavor of the pig product without using any actual pig is possible.

"It's pretty amazing that you can replicate a baconish flavor and crispness with coconut flakes," write The Simple Veganista. Yeah, it is pretty incredible. Find the recipe here.
(credit:The Simple Veganista)
Magic Vegan Bacon Grease = Bacon Grease(08 of09)
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There are plenty of weird vegan products on the market, from scallops to "leather" skirts. Magic Vegan Bacon Grease (MVBG) is as weird as it is impressive. The stuff is made of coconut oil, non-GMO soy protein, sea salt, pure maple syrup, black pepper, onion, garlic, Torula yeast, and natural smoke flavor, and it lets vegans have their bacon grease and eat it, too.

Some argue certain recipes are just better cooked in bacon fat, and this product invites herbivores to join in on the taste experience.

Get more information about MVBG by visiting the product website here.
Oreos + Nondairy Milk = Vegan-Approved(09 of09)
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Vegan "hacks" tend to make things a little bit more nutritionally sound, but "healthy" isn't a requirement for a food to be vegan. It is both surprising and delightful to find out that Oreos, the quintessential lunchbox cookie, are in fact vegan. Nabisco probably didn't intentionally craft these cookies as cruelty-free, but that doesn't really matter. Dunked delicately into some dairy-free milk, the perfect vegan treat is born. (credit:Scott Olson via Getty Images)