This summer, one of the fastest, most effective ways to keep your weight in check and give your immune system a healthy boost is to spend a little more time in the kitchen and a little less time eating out. Truth is, with so many fresh fruit and vegetables available at the grocery stores, a nice, home-cooked meal with less fatty meat and more salads and freshly made dishes is the best option for you and your family - not to mention a nice vacation for your waistline. There is however a series of misconceptions and small mistakes we're all prone to make once we decide to head back to the kitchen for the summer, and here are a few tips on how to avoid them.

First and foremost - don't overstock on fresh fruit and vegetables. It's true - one trip a week at the supermarket saves time and energy, but keep in mind that once they're harvested, fruit and veggies start losing their precious vitamins and minerals, and the longer we store such products, the fewer beneficial nutrients they will contain.

For example, spinach kept in the fridge loses more than half of its antioxidant contents after a week. The same is true for broccoli, which loses about 62 % of its flavonoids within 10 days (according to a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry). As a result, filling your fridge with a mountain of spinach, lettuce, broccoli, berries, green apples and carrots is not a good idea. It's best if you visit the grocery store at least twice a week and freshen up your vegetable supply to make sure you get enough nutrients from your fresh food.

Another kitchen mistake is storing products such as milk, rice, pasta and cereal in plastic, see-through containers. Milk, for instance, is rich in vitamin B and therefore extremely beneficial for your health - however, when exposed to light, the vitamin's potency is cut because of a chemical reaction which also affects other nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, D and E. Grain products also contain vitamin B and are therefore susceptible to the same process. Therefore, don't keep them exposed to light or in clear plastic containers. Keep them in their original boxes and store them inside your kitchen cabinets or your pantry, and you'll be sure to have a healthy, tasty meal whenever you use them.