I Spy: Refrigerator Shelves

You can tell a lot about someone from his or her refrigerator and what's in it - or not in it.  Juice boxes and mini-carrots? That could be a family with wee-ones.  Lots of beer and Styrofoam containers from take-out and not a vegetable in sight? Gotta be a single dude.  Lots of glass containers with nutritious dinner items labeled with cooking directions? Organized mama leaving town. Yup. Forget peeking into the medicine cabinet.  Look in the frig, and get the real low-down.

Come Look Inside

Does having a frig stocked with healthy choices induce healthier eating?  It only seems logical what is in there is what we will consume.  WIth that in mind, over time, I have been working on tossing the processed stuff and replacing it with more wholsesome reaches. Here is a peek into my refrigerator at this moment and why those items are there:

• Big bowl of lemons and limes: I use lots of lemons for my lemon water most every morning. Limes are squeezed over anything at the end of a dish to get that zing.  Besides, that bowl of citrus looks really pretty when you open the refrigerator door. too.
• Lots of seeds: chia, flax and hemp.  I throw these in my smoothies every time I make one.  I use flax every time, but I alternate using chia and hemp.  We also sprinkle chia on our yogurt, too.
• Almond and coconut milks:  These are used in place of cow's milk at our house: over steel cut oatmeal, in smoothies, in coffee, desserts. My family eats cereal sometimes and they use that as well.

• Greens: Right now, there is spinach, kale, and romaine. These are for frequent salads and I always place greens in my smoothies.  
• Greek organic yogurt:  These make a great breakfast and snack to pack for work and school.
• Organic sour cream: I mixed this with Greek yogurt for a party dip I served at a Homecoming party we hosted last weekend.  
• Filtered water: Man can not live on bread alone.
• Avocado:  These are tasty on their own, as a side dish or in salads.

• Carrots/celery: Sometimes, I fix a big bowl of these cleaned and cut up and ready for snacks or to add to soups, etc.
• Green beans:  This is my daughter's favorite vegetable.  I usually roast them and sprinkle fresh herbs on top.
• Parsley:  This is an effective detoxifier that I add to my smoothies a lot.  Of course, it makes  a beautiful and nutritious garnish.  Last night, I made a quick parsley, basil and garlic sauce over pasta. 
• Chives:  This herb makes any dish more beautiful and adds a mild onion flavor.
• Maple syrup: This is one of my favorite sweeteners to drizzle over butternut squash at the end of roasting and in sweet potatoes.  Pancakes too, of course.
• Ginger root - I use this a lot for cooking Asian dishes. It can be wonderful for steeping in tea or warmed almond milk when starting a case of the sniffles.
• Ghee, butter and Earth Balance: I add these for flavor sometimes in a saute with a high smoke point oil, and I also bake with it.

• Organic french roast coffee beans: I wake up and can't wait to brew this in the morning.  The smell alone . . . .
• Cheese:  Parmesan, goat and feta are chilling in there now.  We do not eat a lot of cheese and use it primarily as a flavoring. Parmesan is great over vegetables, and pasta.  Feta in salads adds a nice touch and goat cheese with raw honey is a current favorite indulgence.
• Pastured eggs from the farmers' market:   The yolks - HUGE and dark golden.
• Seasonal fruit:  I have organic apples in there right now and some clementines.  
• Some various take-out boxes: (Usually Chipotle.) I live with a teenager, and I pick my battles.

And while were are at it -  the freezer:

• Sesame seeds: black and white.  I sprinkle these on vegetables and in Asian dishes.
• Almonds:  I throw these in salads for crunch and use it for making granola.

• Walnuts:  I use these in baking and for snacking.
• Frozen organic fruits: Strawberries, pineapple and bananas are in there right now. I use these for smoothies when I do not have fresh fruit and in making a sauce of some kind.
• Homemade tomato with garlic and basil sauce:  Ready to go for a quick dinner.
• Garlic:  I use this a lot for cooking savory dishes.
• Chipotle chilies:  After opening a can, you can freeze these in wax paper and then just grab one when you need it.  They are a lot easier to slice when frozen, too.
• Vegetable broth: I try to make a big pot of this to use as a base for soups and stews.  
• Vanilla ice cream:  My husband's vice.

Ok. Spill. What's in your frig and why?  Have you found great subs for some of the more unhealthy choices that you could share with The Health-Minded readers?




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