WE all know how important fruit and vegetables are for health and well-being, but in these busy times, we often don’t get the chance to stock up on them. Now, there is a better way. Ordering online and getting them home delivered can save you precious time and often money too. Fruit A kiwi costs 3-5 yuan (47-78 U.S. cents) in a supermarket. However, at taobao.com, you can easily find fresh kiwi at two yuan each at http://shop62425792.taobao.com/ among other places. Even if you need to pay for the delivery, it is still much cheaper to buy fresh fruit online. The advantage of buying fruit online not only lies in the price, but also in the variety. From grapefruit imported from South Africa to pomegranates grown in Yunnan, you can find almost any fruit you can think of online. This method of purchase also offers you the ability to choose from a wide variety of growers. You can easily read reviews of an online shop and see what others think of it. With a simple click of the mouse you can reach shops in Beijing and Shanghai, or even the grower himself. Taobao.com has a large number of fruit shops. To buy any fruit, simply open taobao.com, type the name of a fruit and dozens (sometimes hundreds) of choices will pop up. You cannot touch the fruit like you do in a supermarket. So how to judge the quality of fruits sold online? Do not be cheated by mouth-watering pictures. The best way to ensure quality is to check the reviews and satisfaction rate (like you would do in any online transaction!) When buying fruit online, it is better to buy in large quantities, otherwise the cost of delivery could accumulate. Many fruits can last longer than you have imagined if they have not matured at the time of purchase. For example, a mature, soft kiwi would corrupt within a day, but if the kiwi you bought is as hard as stone, you can safely store it in your fridge for a month. And it takes only a couple of days to mature in room temperature. Veggies While there are many fruit shops on the Internet, the choices of online veggies is narrower. The main reason is that vegetables, especially those with leaves, have a short shelf life. There are two ways of buying vegetables online: one is to order a package and have the seller send them to you regularly (twice a week, for example), or order a large quantity of products at the same time so that they can be delivered free of charge. A kilo of organic Chinese flowering cabbage may cost 40 yuan in a supermarket. At Yuanyi Farm (http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_663302980100j11s.html) you can buy a kilo for only 14 yuan, and have it delivered to your door. But you need to order a package that ranges between 320 yuan and 800 yuan a month (the package includes vegetable, eggs, and other products from the farm such as bean curd). With an organic farm based in Heyuan County in northern Guangdong, Yuanyi Farm claims that it never uses pesticide or chemical fertilizer. Yuanyi Farm is one of the few organic vegetable growers that target customers in Shenzhen. Currently, it only delivers products to Nanshan and Futian districts. If you have a large family and need to buy large quantities at a time, try http://www.maicaiok.com/. It is one of the largest online produce markets in the city, offering vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, snacks, seafood and seasonings among other things. The list of its products for sale continues to expand. Order food online and the fresh food will be sent to your door the next morning. Delivery is free to Futian and Nanshan for products worth over 85 yuan, but clients need to pay an extra fee (sometimes a large one) for delivery to remote areas. | 