Lauren's List: Tips To Keep Food Fresher Longer

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Throwing food away is like throwing money down the drain.

Or in the garbage. Or out the window. No matter how you slice it, wasting food is a huge problem!

But there are a few ways to keep food fresher longer you may not have tried before.

Taking a cue from BuzzFeed, today's "Lauren's List" highlights some tricks to getting more bang for your grocery buck.

1. Separate Bananas: I prefer my bananas almost green, so I'm willing to try any way to keep theme from browning. Because individual bananas ripen at slightly different rates, you should separate them and wrap their stems in plastic wrap. This keeps the ethylene gas from riper bananas seeping into the less ripe ones. While you're at it, keep your fruits away from your vegetables because the same ethylene gas tends to spoil veggies.

2. Freeze Herbs: Break up bunches of herbs and use ice cube trays to freeze them in olive oil. They won't keep their texture, but they will stay fresh and are perfect for things like soups, stews, and sauces.

3. Use Glass Milk Bottles: Remember the days of the milkman dropping off glass bottles on your doorstep? Or maybe you've seen it in movies. Either way, there was good reason for that! If you want your milk to last longer, switch it from cardboard or plastic to a glass bottle. The glass stays colder, and with a good fitting lid, the airtight seal keeps in the freshness.

4. Skip The Fridge: I'm guilty of this. I put almost all of my fruits and veggies in the crisper drawers in the refrigerator. But turns out, that's not my best bet! Tomatoes, onions, and melon actually spoil faster in the cold! And the cold temps will turn potatoes' starch into sugars, giving it a sweet flavor when you cook them, and not in the good way.

How do you keep your food fresher longer?

Tell me on Facebook or Twitter.

If you have idea for a future "Lauren's List", send it to lpastrana@cbs.com.