I’ve partnered with Rubbermaid to talk about their new FreshWorks Produce Saver containers.

I totally get it.

At times, eating healthy can seem like an uphill battle.

If you’re just starting your new healthy lifestyle, it can be difficult to get family members on board.

Depending on where you live and the current growing season, produce can be very expensive.

And, because eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables is part of a healthy lifestyle, it can be difficult to make it to the store often enough to keep your refrigerator stocked with fresh healthy fruits and vegetables.

Fresh is our current struggle. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to have my lunch salad only to find that half the box of salad has gone slimy. Seriously gross. Nobody wants to be picking through slimy lettuce leaves. Berries can quickly shrivel and mold in their store containers. Throwing away money on produce on produce that spoils before I can eat it is not high on my list of priorities.

I’ve long been on a quest for ways to keep my produce fresher longer. And, I’m happy to tell you, I’ve finally found a convenient and effective way!

Rubbermaid FreshWorks Produce Saver

Guess what! May is National Salad Month!

Here’s a bit of trivia for you. Salad has been one of my favorite foods since I was a kid. My mom used to laugh because I preferred salad over sweets.

In honor of National Salad Month, Rubbermaid sent me some Rubbermaid FreshWorks Produce Saver containers to put to the test with my own salad greens and fresh berries!

Rubbermaid FreshWorks Produce Saver containers feature FreshVent Technology which helps regulate airflow in and out of the container, maintaining an optimal environment for your produce. This keeps produce fresher up to 80% longer* than traditional produce packaging.

*Based on strawberries in FreshWorks™ containers vs. store packaging. Results may vary depending upon produce and use.

Rubbermaid FreshWorks Produce Savers come in three different sizes to fit a variety of produce needs.

Whether you’re planning a fabulous Harvest Berry Salad (like the delicious one featured below!) or a savory fajita bowl, Rubbermaid FreshWorks containers will keep all your produce fresh until you’re ready to prep or cook.

Rubbermaid FreshWorks Container Comparison, After 1 Week

Now for the Rubbermaid FreshWorks containers test! How exciting!

I went to the store and bought two packages each of strawberries and blueberries. I purchased one box of salad greens to be divided.

I put one container of blueberries into the Rubbermaid FreshWorks Produce Saver container. I kept the other container of blueberries in the original packaging.

Here’s a close look at the blueberries after one week…

*Results may vary depending upon produce and use.

Our refrigerator is fairly new, and it’s actually a lot better than our last fridge at preserving produce. However, even with an excellent refrigerator, you can see that those blueberries that remained in their original packaging have some shriveling going on. The blueberries in the Rubbermaid FreshWorks container, on the other hand, are still nice and plump.

The strawberries are even more telling…

*Results may vary depending upon produce and use.

You can see the darkening, bruising, and shriveling of the strawberries in the original packaging. The Rubbermaid FreshWorks strawberries are beginning to show a bit of bruising, but at this point (after a week of sitting in the Rubbermaid FreshWorks Produce Saver container) it is still very minimal.

Here’s an even closer, side-by-side look…

*Results may vary depending upon produce and use.

Pretty sweet. Literally.

As for the salad…

You know how I was talking about slimy salad earlier? Apparently, I picked out an unusually fresh package at the store. The original packaging salad and the Rubbermaid FreshWorks container salad were comparable at the end of the week. I was super surprised that the salad in the original packaging was still fresh after a week! Generally, we have between three to five days to eat the salad before it goes slimy.

So, what did I do with all this yummy produce that my Rubbermaid FreshWorks Produce Saver containers kept so nice and fresh for me?

I made my favorite salad to celebrate National Salad Month, of course! If you’re not a huge salad fan, try changing it up a bit. A good salad doesn’t always have to include things like cucumbers and tomatoes. Take for example, my Harvest Berry Salad.

Harvest Berry Salad is what I have for lunch when I’m starving and want to throw something together quick.

When I’m craving an evening snack after dinner, Harvest Berry Salad hits the spot.

It’s a winner every time.

Harvest Berry Salad

I totally love that you can throw everything together for a delicious Harvest Berry Salad in under 5 minutes.

*You’ll notice in the recipe that I’ve included optional candied nuts. Because my son has a severe nut allergy we don’t keep nuts in the house, but this salad would taste so good with candied almond slivers or candied pecans!