Everyone is looking for ways to save money and stretch their food dollars these days.

Here's something you may not have thought of ---- the food you end up throwing out.

"It's happened to everybody. You bite into a piece of fruit. It looks so good, but then it tastes so bad. What a disappointment. And what a waste of money," says Lisa Lee Freeman, editor of ShopSmart magazine.

Freeman says there are easy tricks to making sure you don't bring home any duds.

"Don't just use your eyes when you're searching for great fruits and veggies, also use your nose," she explains. "For example, when you're hunting for melons and berries, they should smell sweet."

Choose tomatoes with a vibrant color that are a little soft to the touch. As for beans, thin ones are better. And ones that bend are old. You can use the same bending test with celery, asparagus, and zucchini, too. Look for broccoli that's dark green with tight buds.

If you can separate the buds, or it's yellow, it's getting old.

"With watermelons, you want to look for a nice sheen to its skin. You also want to look for a yellow patch on the bottom. That means it's ripe but not rotten," says Freeman.

"Pick plums with even color and no brown spots. And look for ones that are slightly soft to the touch," she pointed out.

The same is true for peaches and nectarines. And choose ones with a creamy gold background color.

Also, no matter how fabulous the produce, resist the urge to buy more than you will eat, so you don't end up wasting money.

So how can you get quality at a bargain price. Starting with store flyers is a good way to spot the best deals -paying particular attention to the specials.

But don't forget when you go to the store, inspect the product up close --you want quality first and foremost. And consider farmer's markets. You'll find locally grown products --

They're not necessarily cheaper but you know they are fresh.

Ideally you'll get the best quality if you buy fruits that are in season. And you can always ask the produce clerk what's good today. They'll know what shipments have just come in.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen