Ever wonder what the inside of a holistic nutritionist’s refrigerator looks like? I’m not going to show you mine, because it really should be scrubbed a bit more thoroughly first, but I’ll tell you what’s in it. Then I’ll tell you what shouldn’t be in yours.

I wish my fridge was this clean.

Open the door! On the top shelf we have preserved meyer lemons, a gift from a dear friend who picked them right out of her backyard, salted them and sealed them in a mason jar. Excellent when used (the peels) in crockpot slow roasted meats, diced in rubs and marinades or in salad dressings. Next to that we have a jar of cultured vegetables: fermented beets, cabbage, and ginger. The culturing/fermenting process brings to life many gut-friendly good probiotics & enzymes. Excellent as a condiment with meals & a very health -promoting food. Same friend made a big batch (I know, right?), and gave me some. Easy to make at home. Also on the top shelf we have organic eggs, apple cider vinegar, Hibiscus tea, a jar of homemade sugar free strawberry-rhubarb jam, and leftover coconut milk I used in a smoothie. There’s also white miso paste I use in dressings, marinades, and soup of course!

In the side, we have organic butter (preferably raw, but this isn’t) & ghee, various condiments like dijon mustard, tamari (wheat free soy sauce), worcestershire, red wine vinegar, and rice vinegar. There is also a small jar of cherry chutney that a neighbor gave me after taking a chutney-making class. It was delicious on the pork tenderloin I made last week!

On the second shelf, we have a prepared roast chicken I bought from Whole foods (have been eating on it all week) and also various meats like chicken thighs, chicken/cilantro sausages I bought from the Whole Foods deli case, and leftover wild Coho salmon from my dinner last night. My produce box came yesterday, so the shelves are pretty packed. There is a huge bag of zucchini squashes (stay tuned for a gluten & dairy free zucchini bread recipe once I perfect it), a big bunch of chard, a bunch of kale, 3 ears of corn, and fresh basil I’ll use to make pesto (with miso & walnuts for a dairy free version). I got strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, some from the market and some from the box. All organic, of course. My box came with tomatoes, which I don’t care for, and corn, which I normally don’t eat (it’s actually a grain that can spike blood sugar), but I couldn’t resist making a fresh corn, basil, and tomato salad with olive oil and sea salt and pepper, and boy was it summery delicious.

There’s also salad mix, a bunch of multi-colored carrots that came in the box, a cucumber, and various other bagged greens (romaine came in the box, too). On the counter, there are a couple peaches waiting to ripen up along with some avocados.

You know what you won’t find? Nothing low or non-fat. I avoid dairy, so no yogurt for me (sad face), but if I could eat dairy, I would have plain organic greek yogurt and top it with berries and cinnamon. Mmmmmm. I’d also have raw goat’s milk and kefir. Are you still buying into this low or non fat thing? Those aren’t whole foods if the fat has been stripped from them. Your body needs the fat to be able to absorb the fat soluble vitamins A & D that you’re getting from dairy. Also, you won’t find any non-organic meats, soy milk, or over the counter salad dressings. Have you read the labels on those? Yuck. Salad dressings are highly processed and filled with chemicals and unsavory oils like canola and soy. Make your own! So easy.

I’ll make the pesto and probably wash some of the berries and freeze them to throw in smoothies. I’ll give the rest of the tomatoes to the neighbor and make a bunch of zucchini bread to give away. That way, I ensure that I am gifted back delicious things like preserved lemons, cherry chutney, and cultured veggies 🙂

Mary Vance, NC

Mary Vance is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and author specializing in digestive health. She combines a science-based approach with natural therapies to rebalance the body. In addition to her 1:1 coaching, she offers courses to help you heal your gut and improve your health. Mary lives in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe in Northern California. Read more about her coaching practice here and her background here.