The Produce Moms Podcast
Episode 57: Produce Tips from Chef Brandon Fortener
“Get into the kitchen and play. Get the children involved. Have them peel something or taste it when it’s raw. It’s one of those things where we’re all in it together.” Brandon Fortener (31:32-32:06)
Brandon Fortener is the Product Development Chef for Kroger, the nation’s largest supermarket retailer. Produce is often the first thing Kroger’s nearly nine million daily customers see when they walk into the store, and Brandon works with those ingredients every day to create meals and ideas for shoppers and his own family.
As a self-described Produce Dad and an avid home cook, Brandon enjoys experimenting with seasonal fruits and vegetables and teaching others how to get the most from fresh produce. In this episode, he shares practical tips for tasting, storing, and using produce, along with strategies to reduce waste and encourage kids to enjoy more fruits and vegetables.
“Food is culture. It’s how people celebrate. The more I meet people at Kroger, the more I’m seeing that alive within the Kroger team.” – Lori (8:15-8:24)
3 Must-Know Produce Tips from Brandon
Tip #1: Taste it. Taste produce at multiple stages: raw, while cooking, and right before serving. Tasting along the way helps you understand how flavors and textures change and how best to season and finish a dish.
Tip #2: Keep fresh produce on hand. Keep a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator and pantry so they are always easy to incorporate into meals. Having ingredients ready makes it more likely you’ll use them every day.
Tip #3: Use produce differently as it matures. Young, tender greens are lovely raw with a splash of lemon and olive oil. More mature greens benefit from cooking and bolder flavor additions like apple cider vinegar, onion, or red pepper flakes. Adjust preparation to match where the produce is in its life cycle.
Tip for Reducing Produce Waste
Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste program is part of the company’s commitment to ending hunger in local communities and reducing waste across its operations. One easy tip Brandon recommends: save peelings and vegetable trimmings in a gallon-sized zip-top bag. When the bag is full, simmer the contents in a pot of water to make a flavorful vegetable stock.
“One in eight Americans struggle with hunger, but we’re throwing away 40% of our food.” – Brandon Fortener (17:35-17:41)
The “Wilted to Wonderful” series, part of Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste initiative, offers recipes and techniques to transform produce that’s on the edge into delicious, usable dishes. These ideas help stretch food resources, reduce waste, and provide tasty meals for families.
Tips to Inspire Children to Eat More Produce
Tip 1: Be a role model. Children are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables when they see adults enjoying them regularly. Make produce a visible and normal part of family meals.
Tip 2: Make produce easy to eat. Buy pre-cut fruits and vegetables or spend a few minutes at the start of the week preparing snack-ready portions. For items that brown when cut, like apples, toss slices with a little lemon juice to preserve color and flavor.
Tip 3: Try different shapes and sizes. Cutting produce into new shapes can make it more appealing. For example, switching from baby carrots to thin carrot “chips” increased interest for one family. Experiment with sticks, rounds, or fun shapes to see what kids prefer.
Tip 4: Hide vegetables in sauces and purees. Pureed carrots, squash, or cauliflower can be blended into sauces and soups to add nutrients and flavor without changing the dish’s appeal for picky eaters.
Tip 5: Introduce seasonings and flavors early. Add mild seasonings or familiar flavors to vegetables to make them more enticing. If a child resists a new flavor the first time, try again later; tastes can change over time.
For more practical tips, recipes, and videos from Brandon and the Kroger team, explore the Discover section on Kroger.com, where you’ll find information about Zero Hunger | Zero Waste, the Wilted to Wonderful series, thousands of recipes, and helpful cooking articles.
How to get involved with The Produce Moms
- Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook to continue the conversation and share ideas with other produce-loving parents.
- Reach out to The Produce Moms to share where you are in life and business and to learn more about their community and resources.
The Produce Moms Podcast is available on major podcast platforms. If you enjoy the show, leaving reviews, subscribing, and sharing helps support the podcast and allows more listeners to discover helpful produce tips and interviews.
Tweet: This week on The Produce Moms podcast we feature Kroger Product Development Chef Brandon Fortener. He shares tips for storing and using produce, reducing waste, and inspiring kids to eat more fruits and veggies.
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