As a Dietitian I am sure most people wonder what we really eat. Do we survive on salad? Do we ever eat cake? Do we actually practice what we preach?
It is an interesting question, so I decided to let you have a peep into my fridge after a food shop. This will be genuine; no special buys or cheating.
Do I eat a healthy, balanced diet? Here is the contents of my fridge after a shop:
Fruit and Vegetables – I may follow the dietitian stereotype here. In my family we do try and eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. I love strawberries, raspberries and blueberries with yoghurt, as a dessert, so we always have a few tubs in the fridge. Peppers and onions are the staples of most of my evening meals and most days for lunch I have a salad. Rocket, cucumber, carrot and tomatoes are found in abundance. The 5 a day message is still very clear; in some countries this reaches 9 a day. My goal is to try and get my family to eat as much as we can; focusing more on vegetables where possible. They are low calorie, full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre. Actually achieving this with a 23 month old is another matter! She hates fruit…HOW???
Milk – we have a LOT of milk in the fridge. I am not a milk drinker at all and have to look to alternative sources to get enough calcium; yoghurt, cheese, almonds and green vegetables are more my preference. My husband consumes a lot and uses the lower fat, semi-skimmed on his cereal. It is important my 22 month old daughter continues on full-fat milk until she is at least 2 years old. The fat and calories are important for her growth.
Chicken, turkey mince and salmon – it’s important to include lean protein with each meal and these are the sources we pick in my family. Protein helps to keep you full. Chicken and turkey mince are low fat and really easy to cook with. We have curry, chilli and bolognaise most weeks. We have just returned to eating salmon as are aware it is packed with Omega 3 oils, good for heart health. It is lovely in a Thai curry or risotto.
Eggs – quite possibly the most versatile thing in my fridge. I have a boiled egg every day for breakfast. My husband enjoys poached eggs for his lunch and scrambled egg and peas is my daughter’s fail-safe meal. Eggs are packed with protein, Vitamin A, B12 and D. They do contain cholesterol but this does not cause your own cholesterol to rise, so they can be eaten freely.
Olives, homous, low fat coleslaw and pasta salad – I love a good salad for lunch but lets face it, they need spicing up a bit. Olives are a great source of mono-unsaturated , hearth healthy fats and really tasty. They can be a bit salty, so you only need a few. Homous comes in so many different flavours now and a blob is lovely on salads. I love the spicy varieties but do remember there is a lot of calories in it so stick to 1/4 of a tub per portion. You can try low fat versions but in my experience they don’t taste as nice. Small amounts of what tastes good is fine.
Yoghurt and fromage frais – I have a slight obsession with Greek yoghurt . It is delicious with berries. My daughter also loves it and she will have some at least once a day. Normal Greek yoghurt is higher in fat and saturated fat but a small amount; two tablespoons, is not a problem. It contains no added sugar or sweetners and a good source of protein and calcium. My daughter is a fruit flavoured fromage frais addict but we to restrict them due to the higher sugar content; one every other day is pretty normal.
Cheese – Mozzerella, Red Leicester and Edam are the firm favourites in our household. Mozzerella is perfect for making home-made pizzas and my daughter loves Edam when having more of a picky-style tea. It is high in protein and a source of calcium. Bear in mind your portion sizes. A matchbox which is around 30g is classed as a portion. Try grating cheese where you can to ensure you are eating less. It is high in fat, calories and salt which can add up quickly
Spreads – there is all types of spread in my fridge. Normal butter, high in saturated fat; Flora, high in polyunsaturated fats and olive spread, high in monounsaturated fats. This was due to my husband not being sure which to pick! It is confusing. Ultimately we usually have the olive spread, due to the higher content of monounsaturated fats, which help raise good cholesterol levels and are good for heart health.
Chocolate – there is no way my fridge is a perfect fridge. I love chocolate as much as the next person and we always have some stashed away. My husband and I tend to a few squares after tea with a cuppa. Enjoying small amounts of these foods is fine, as long as your overall diet is healthy.
I think this fridge is a pretty healthy fridge. It is filled with fruits and vegetables, lean protein and dairy. There is always some chocolate and overall the makings of some very delicious food!
What about you? What does your fridge look like? Do you eat like a dietitian
**Please note this post was in no way sponsored by Tesco and there are plenty of other reputable supermarkets where you can stock your fridge.