I love cooking and experimenting with food and recipes so I always try to keep my fridge stocked with a variety of foods but I also always have my staples and go to items.
I thought I would give you a sneak peak of what is in my fridge, bearing in mind this picture was taken when it was nearly the end of the week and I do my food shopping on a Monday so it may look a bit bare. I also have quite a few items in my freezer but I will save that for another post.
FRUIT
1. Grapes
2. Bananas
3. Strawberries
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
I always like to have a few fruit options for Emily to have and now Kade is onto fruit purees a well so we are going through a lot of it. Emily love grapes and bananas so those are always there and if we splash out we get strawberries and I use those to make yoghurt lollies. My husband loves to juice so we generally always have pineapples in the fridge too. I like to use mango and pineapple to make salsas too.
VEGETABLES
1. Salad leaves
2. Cucumber
3. Tomato
4. Green pepper
5. Carrots
6. Mushrooms
7. Butternut
8. Mealies
9. Aubergine
I always have some salad veg as a go to for a side to my dinners and then two or three other options just in case. I also need to have lots of veg at the moment as Kade is on pureed veg twice a day . I like to have different veg on hand as well hence the aubergine to experiment with. Mealies are also great for last minute add ons to supper and also for Emily as well.
PROTEINS
1. Eggs
2. Chicken Drumsticks
3. Kidney beans
Eggs are a must in my fridge and I get a large tray delivered to my house along with my chicken order every month. They are great for breakfast, I love boiled eggs and I also use them for last minute meals for Emily like omelettes. I normally have a few cooked chicken drumsticks for Emily's meals if it is the weekend or she isn’t eating with us as she loves them. I try keep a non meat protein in my pantry cupboard so I had these leftover beans from some Mexican wraps I made recently.
CHEESE
1. Feta
2. Mozzarella
3. Laughing cow cheese
4. Cottage cheese
I always have feta and mozzarella in my fridge. Feta goes on everything and mozzarella is nice for snacks for ems or sandwiches. The laughing cow cheese I keep as they are nice for snacks when you out and about or you need something quick. Smooth cottage cheese I like using in cooking instead of cream.
DAIRY
1.Full cream yoghurt
2. Milk
I try not to buy fruit yoghurt as they tend to be high in sugar so I give Emily plain yoghurt or add chopped fruit into it. Milk we will only use for tea and coffee and oats.
STARCHES
1. Bread
2. Wraps
Yes I eat bread and I love it. Many people think it is very unhealthy which Is not true but it can definitely be included as part of a balanced diet. I use a low GI wholewheat option. I usually have a loaf in the freezer as well.
DRINKS
1. Water
2. Soda water
3. Fruit Juice
As you can see we have loads of water bottles. I struggle to remember to drink water so I always make sure I have cold water ready to drink and I often open the fridge during the day so it helps remind me to drink. We don’t often have fruit juice and if we do it doesn’t last long which is why I don’t by it often. My husband also likes lime and soda ( beware lime can be high in sugar).
FATS AND OILS
1. Avocado
You will notice from my posts that avocado goes in everything, I love it and I is a great way to get the healthy fats into your diet.
CONDIMENTS, HERBS AND FLAVORINGS
1. Garlic
2. Lemons
3. Garlic
4. Tomato paste
5. Sweet chilli sauce
6. Soya sauce
7. Tomato sauce
8. Peri peri sauce
9. Mustard- lots of different types
10,. Jalapeño
11. Coriander
12. Woollies onion sprinkles
It nice to have items on hand that can add flavour to your dishes. Lemon and garlic are a must for me as you can use them with any foods. I like to have at least one herb in my veg draw and my favourites are usually coriander, mint or basil. We don’t use alot of ready made sauce but I have them in the fridge for when guests visit
Do you have a lot of variety in your fridge?