A PEEK INSIDE MY FRIDGE...

Well helllooo!! How are ya? Sorry for the silence over the last few weeks. I was taking care of a deadline at work. It's all over now, so I'm back at it! 

So one of my favorite, and perhaps not so polite things to do, is to slyly look in other people's shopping carts at the grocery store to see what they are purchasing. I also like to peek in my friend's fridges to see what they have. That is so entirely nosy I know, but I just like to see! So in case you are like me (and I know many of you are!), I thought I would give you a little peek inside my fridge. Remember that I'm still on the Autoimmune Protocol diet (I'm feeling so much better!!), so it's mostly all healthy stuff. But hopefully this is inspiring and helpful (and maybe entertaining??) no matter how you eat!

My fridge primarily consists of four things: Meat, drinks, vegetables, and fruit. So fun right?? Ha. Here are some deets on those...

Meat: I've never been big on meat - until now. It's a requirement of my diet and I honestly feel much better now that I'm eating more of it. I always have these three things:

1. Chicken: I make chicken from time to time, but most weeks I still always have an organic rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. This saves times and allows for quick meals. 

2. Ground Beef and Turkey: I always grass-fed beef or organic ground turkey for burgers, meatballs, or for simple sautéed ground beef or turkey with onions and garlic. 

3. Fish: I eat wild salmon a few nights a week, which I store in my freezer. I buy a bag of fillets from Costco, which is WAY cheaper than buying them individually from a regular grocery store. 

Drinks: The four drinks that are always in my fridge are water, almond milk, Kombucha, and sparkling water. A few details on those...

1. Water: I drink a LOT of water and I got really tired of buying bottled water. It's expensive, terrible for the environment, and the bottles were taking up too much room in my fridge. My fridge has filtered water, but I don't like the way it tastes. So I did some research and decided to buy this PUR 18-cup Water Dispenser. I LOVE it! The water in my area rates pretty good to start with, so I felt pretty comfortable drinking water from the faucet that is filtered again by the dispenser. It only takes up a small amount of room in my fridge. Most importantly, the water is so good and I'm saving so much money!! 

2. Almond Milk: I can't have dairy, so almond milk is my go-to. I have zero time to make my own, so I rely on the store for it. My favorite brand thus far is Califia Farms. I specifically love their Coconut Almondmilk. It is SO SO good! I use it in my morning smoothies and I think the addition of the coconut cream creates a creamier smoothie. It also adds a good healthy fat to the smoothie as well. You can find it at Target, Whole Foods, and most regular grocery stores. 

3. Kombucha: I always have a few bottles of GT's Lemon Kombucha in the fridge. Kombucha is a nutrient-rich, naturally fermented tea that improves gut health, mood, and mental clarity - all of which are critical for me given my autoimmune issues.  It's really carbonated and potent, so I feel like I'm getting the same effervescence that I would get if I were drinking soda. Love it.   

P.S. I can't drink alcohol right now, but I always have rosé, red, and white wine chilling for company! :)

Vegetables and herbs: Organic vegetables are everything for me, so I always have lots of them in my fridge. Here's a bit on what I have and how I store them:

1. Favorite vegetables: My vegetable drawer is always filled with celery, cucumber, carrots, and leeks. They seem to last longer when I store them in plastic produce bags. I also always have zucchini and squash (great for noodles), cauliflower for "rice," asparagus, broccoli (I typically buy these frozen), and Brussels sprouts, and sometimes beets. I use these glass storage containers to store leftovers and pre-prepped veggies. Love them... 

2. Leafy greens: Kale for juicing and sautéing, swiss chard for my morning smoothies, and arugula and romaine lettuce (seen in the first pic) for salads. I store the kale and swiss chard in large plastic resealable bags that are stuffed with paper towels. The paper towels seep up the moisture, which keeps the greens fresh and helps them last longer.  I keep the salad greens in the plastic containers they come in. I add a paper towel to the container as well to keep the greens fresh. 

3. Herbs: I always have fresh rosemary and thyme. Those are great for roasting meats and sweet potatoes. I also have basil, parsley, and cilantro to use in juices and pestos. 

Fruit: I get excited every time I open this drawer! I love the colors... I store most of my fruit in a drawer in the fridge, which helps the fruit last longer. I always have apples, oranges, lemons, limes - all of which I use for juicing and homemade salad dressings. 

That's basically it! If you want to know anything else, just ask!

Photos via my iPhone...