Its probably not news to you, but the price of fresh produce is rising.

So how can you hack the existing food system, reduce food wasteandsave on your favorite fruits and vegetables?

Think ugly produce, those fruits and veggies with blemishes and less-than-perfect shapes.

Deformed produce sits on a white background.

Did you buy too many bananas and now some are looking past-their-prime? Don’t toss them before you check out these20 recipes for overripe bananas.

We lean toward buying baby carrots for snacking instead of average ones because theyre more aesthetically pleasing.

But buying ugly produce and imperfect foods can save you money while reducing food waste.

Our team has compiled alist of creative waysyou can fatten your bank account this week.

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This is a long list, so dont get overwhelmed.

Go ahead and start now, but be sure to bookmark this post so you could easily return later.

Well keep it updated as offers changes or expire.

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You just remedy that by chopping it up like you would anyway when you cook.

Wilted greens arent necessarily bad either.

Ly said they can be revived by soaking in a bowl of ice water for about 20 minutes.

That cold water trick also works for veggies like celery and radishes that are going soft.

The greens could also be chopped and added to soups.

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What is Ugly Produce?

The only difference is the potential of ugly produce to have a big impact on your weekly grocery bill.

TheAmerican Heart Associationrecommends that we eat four to five servings of fresh produce daily.

We know food waste is a growing problem and simultaneously grocery store prices are on the rise.

So how can we reduce food waste and eat healthy while also saving money?

While they dont sell ugly produce, some companies likeThe Fruit Guysdonate imperfect products to food banks.

Plus theres the added convenience of getting food delivered right to your doorstep.

Imperfect Foods is one of the first ugly produce companies, founded in 2015.

They have a goal to become a net-zero carbon company by 2030.

They plan to have fully electric vans by 2027.

Once they deliver a new box, they take back the old packaging for recycling.

Plus,Imperfect Foods donates weeklyto food banks.

Organic boxes are also available, but just like in the grocery store, the prices are higher.

Misfits also works with farmers to supply high quality organic produce that might look a little different.

For orders less than $39.99, theres a delivery fee of $4.99.

Be sure to check your local options.

They dont have the marketing and overhead costs that grocery stores do.

Gardening can be done very cheaply, Ly said.

It is called ugly produce because it doesnt look perfect.

When buying produce, we expect fruits and vegetables to look a certain way.

This expectation built into our food system results in food waste.

Most grocery stores reject imperfect produce because shoppers often pass them by for their idea of good-looking produce.

We should eat ugly fruit for two reasons.

Contributor Veronica Matthews writes on lifestyle topics from North Carolina.

Nicole Dow is former writer at The Penny Hoarder.

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