It’s already been well over a year now sinceIwentpaleo, so I figured it was about time I updated this page to reflect the new content of my paleo fridge. Really, I was astonished at how much it has changed!
Dairy used to bethe first and most popular food categoryin my fridge as it was also my main source of protein. It’s now gone practicallynon-existent. You won’t find any dairy product listed on here, as I now onlyconsume them very occasionally and therefore consider them the exception.
As for meat, well, it barely even made an appearance on the previous version of this page… whereas it now holds prime spot!People change, I guess!
Without further ado, I give you whatyou’d bevery much likely to find on any given day, were you to open my fridge…
FRESH VEGGIES
I eat tons of veggiesevery single day so I always keep a great varietyon hand. Of course I try and shop according to what’s in season, butit can be kind of hard to find anything local around here in the dead of winter.
These are the veggies that youcould most certainly find inmy fridge at any given time, regardless of the season…
- Avocados (I can NEVER be without those!)
- Bell Peppers (Red, Orange and Yellow are my faves!)
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower (the wonder veggie, I often keep more than one)
- Celery
- Cucumbers (English and Lebanese)
- Green Onions
- Leafy greens
- Lemons / Limes
- Mushrooms
- Parsley
- Spinach (I go through one full pound every week)
- Tomatoes / Cherry Tomatoes
- Turnip
- Sweet potatoes
- Zucchinis
Cabbage, turnips and carrots are being put to good use, here!
FRESH FRUITS
Now fruits, I don’t consume so much of. Since I don’t see them as being a crucial part of my daily diet, I can afford to buy local and in season, for the most part.
I really wish I could have raspberries or strawberries or ground cherries in my fridge at any given time, but sadly,these are only available during the beautiful days of summer. And that is the only time of the year where you’ll catch me eating fruit in its natural state.
Off season, I’ll buy fruit when needed, mostly to use as sweeteners or ingredients as part of a recipe.
When in season
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Cantaloupe
- Cherries
- Ground Cherries
- Honeydew Melon
- Litchi
- Peaches
- Pears
- Plums
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
Year round/when needed
- Apples
- Bananas
- Coconuts
- Grapefruit
- Mango
- Oranges
- Pineapple
I sometimes like to add a little bit of fruit to salads. Apples were an especially glorious addition in this
MEAT / FISH / PROTEIN
Most redmeat, aka beef, pork and lambI procureby the carcass from [not so] local farmers, so this I usually keep it in my chest freezerand take a couple of things out to thaw once or twice a week.If you look at the picture on top of this page, you’ll see this big stainless steel bowl. That’s themeatI took out to thaw.
Other than that, I always keep a fairly LARGE amountof eggs, i.e. 2 to 4dozens. I wish there was a local farmer nearby that I could purchasefresh eggs from, but sadly, there is noneso I have to settle for the “Free Run” eggs that are available at my local health store. To this day, it still bugs me that my eggs would be marked with a pink stamp. I’m almost considering raising my own hens! If it wasn’t for winter, I totally would…
Of course, I also consume fish, especially salmon, and seafood.My fish I tend to purchase fresh, the very day I want to eat it or the day before at the earliest.Seafood, i.e mostly shrimp and scallops, I usually by frozen and keep in the bottom freezer of my fridge.
I also do chicken from time to time, andI mostlybuy the organic, farm raisedfrom COSTCO or from my local health food store.
In short, this is pretty much what goes on in this household in terms of protein:
- Beef
- Pork
- Lamb
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Fish, mostly salmon
- Raw shrimp
- Cooked shrimp
- Scallops
I also happen to keep pre-soaked Cedar Planks in my freezer so I can whip up some of this amazing Cedar Plank Salmon at only a few minutes notice…
CONDIMENTS
You will never see me use ketchup or store-bought mayonnaise, prepared mustard or much “prepared anything”, for that matter. These are the few ingredients that I keep on hand to make my own sauces, dressings and vinaigrette, or to simply add flavor to a dish.
- Paleo Mayo
- Dijon Mustard (read your labels carefully when purchasing!)
- Whole Grain Mustard
- Olives (many, many different kinds and varieties)
- Capers
- Salted Herbs (this is a really awesome product which, sadly, appears to only be available in Québec. You could very well make your own though, if you were so inclined. I can guarantee that you would not regret it!)
- Fermented Garlic Flowers (Another product that only seems to be available here. I just love it. It doesn’t leave garlic on your breath at all! If you can’t get your hands on it, of course, you can always use garlic cloves instead)
- Sriracha (I use Sky Valley by Organicville)
- Frank’s Red Hot
- Fish Sauce (I really wish I could get my hands on Red Boat)
- Coconut Aminos
- Sauerkraut (although I treat that mostly as a side dish!)
- Pickles
SWEETENERS
Like I always say,you will never see me use refined sugar, except whenmaking Kombucha, and still, I’m really not comfortable with the idea. I need to start working on finding an alternative.
Most of my sweeteners I keep in the pantry, but these two have to be kept in the fridge.
- Fresh Ginger(Helps create an illusion of sweetness, as well as add a little bit of zing to dishes)
- Date Paste (To add sweetness tomybaked goods, date paste has become a big favorite of mine. I use it inpretty muchall of my recipes now.)
Date Paste. My ultimate mostest favoritest all natural sweetener!
And there you have it; that pretty much sums it up!I really hope you enjoyed it and that it inspiredyou to stock up your fridge with delicious and healthy food.
‘Cuz remember… if you fill your fridge with nothing but healthy food, you will eat healthy food!
