Eating food that tastes good and is good for you is much easier than people seem to think. I believe in simplicity and my fridge and cabinets reflect the way I eat. Every Monday I take an hour to go to the Farmer's Market and Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or Food Emporium or a combination of the three, I then go home and stock my fridge with all of my fresh ingredients.
The reason I go the same day each week is because I am usually all out of food. In my fridge I keep foods that only have a shelf life of about a week. In doing so I make sure that I am having the freshest and most pure ingredients. The fewer the ingredients on the label the better, and I try to keep any labeled food out of the fridge.
Which brings me to my cabinets; I keep them stocked with staples, and items which have minimal items on the ingredient lists.
Now, welcome to my fridge....
As you can see it is full of bright colors and not many packaged items are stored. Now let's go though shelf by shelf.
Shelf 1: - Kale
- Broccoli
- Mustard Greens
- Mizuna
I always like to have ingredients for green juice in my fridge and Kale and Broccoli are two things that I always toss in the juicer. Mustard Greens and Mizuna I have been sautéing with EVOO, Jalapeño and Sea Salt and eating alone, as a side dish or mixing into salads, pastas or eggs.
Shelf 2: - Swiss Chard
- Spinach
- Crunchy Sprouts
- Sweet Pea Shoots
- Butternut Squash Cubes
- Orange and Red Cherry Tomatoes
- Rotisserie Chicken Breast
Like the green vegetables on the shelf above I use Swiss Chard and Spinach the same way. I also use the Swiss Chard in my homemade Miso Soup. Crunchy Sprouts, Sweet Pea Shoots and tomatoes I add into salads or snack on by the handful. I always pick up a rotisserie chicken breast to have available if I am in need of a quick meal or quick protein fix before a morning workout. I picked up butternut squash cubes as well not for a soup this week but to roast with some other veggies as a side dish or addition to pasta.
Shelf 3:- Asparagus
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Organic Miso
- Strawberries
- Pineapple
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Kombuca
- Rice Vinegar
- Hearts of Palm
- Mayonnaise
It is important for me to have mixed berries, I snack on them throughout the day as well as evening and also use strawberries when making morning smoothies. Organic Miso, Rice Vinegar, Kombucha, Hearts of Palm and Mayonnaise are staples in my fridge. I enjoy making my own miso based soup filled with veggies, use rice vinegar on rice as well as salads and other dishes, kombucha is a great drink alternative to my ever favorite WATER, hearts of palm make it into every salad dish I make and mayonnaise comes in handy from time to time in salad dressings and other dishes. I made Butternut Squash soup a few weeks ago and portioned it out into containers and have been defrosting a container each week; it comes in handy to have homeade soup. I also picked up some asparagus to enjoy grilled with some fish for dinner and in other dishes throughout the week.
Drawer 1:- Bucheron - flakey, creamy goat's milk cheese
- Rustico Red Pepper - sheep's milk cheese
- Tilapia
- Branzino
- Cockles
Being allergic to dairy from a cow I like to try a new cheese now and then that is goat or sheep based and today while shopping I decided to pick up two. I had not tried either and am pleased with both the taste and texture alone and look forward to incorporating them into some dishes this week as well as enjoying plain. Fish is a great lunch so I decided to pick up two pieces as well as some cockles to add a little flavor to the tilapia.
Drawer 2:
- Carrots
- Apples
- Avocados
- Oranges
- Lemons
- Beets
All of these items are staples each week in my fridge; I eat them as is add them to salads or use to make juice.
Drawer 3:- Sweet Potatoes
- Cucumbers
- Onion
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Lime
Again these are items that you can always find in my fridge, I stock up on cucumbers as most of the juice I make has 1-2 cucumbers. I also keep sweet potatoes available as a healthy addition to any lunch or dinner. Onion, garlic, lemon and lime add flavor to any dish and should be on hand when cooking.
Now that you see how I keep my fridge stocked it is time to look into my cabinet.
Shelf 1:- Whole Wheat Cous Cous
- Lipton Cold Brew Iced Tea
- Mixed Grains from Trader Joes
- Quinoa from Trader Joes
- Brown Rice
All low in ingredients these foods are not highly processed and good staples to have available for any meal.
Shelf 2:
- De Boles Organic Angel Hair with Whole Wheat and Flax
- De Boles Gluten Free Rice Fettuccini
- De Boles Organic Spinach Fettuccini
- De Boles Organic Artichoke Flour Spaghetti
- Organic Chicken Broth
- Israeli Cous Cous
- Walnut Halves
- Sunflower Seeds
- Almonds
- Brown Rice
Clearly when I find something I stick with it and De Boles is a new favorite brand of mine and I am not letting it go anywhere. Having been on gluten free diets in the past when testing allergies I have learned what is best for my body and that is staying away from white flour. De Boles has tons of gluten free and whole grain pasta options which are a great household staples. Chicken Broth should be a staple in any home, and try the low sodium option (your body will thank you). Nuts and seeds are great for snacking and adding to salads, and more brown rice never hurt.
How does your fridge measure up? What are your household staples?
