What's in my refrigerator

It's easy to talk about the "perfect" way to eat- the best sources of good nutrient dense food, plant based eats, protein, and Omega-3 rich fats. But perfection is not reality for most of us, and I've swung all over the map trying to determine the "best" foods for our family.

Right now we're in a fairly balanced place, I think. So I wanted to give you a little peak into our fridge and what it takes to feed a family of four real food most of the time (mom, dad, 5 year old and 1 yo girls).

Disclaimer: Remember that everyone is unique. Meat works for some, not for others. Dairy works for some, not for others. After lots of experimenting and understanding our body types, this is what works pretty well for us.

Top shelf:

Homemade jelly, my husband's sourdough starter, almond butter, Trader Joe's dark chocolate almond bark, leftovers and Stonyfield yogurt (we usually have both the full fat plain and the Greek on hand.)

Second shelf:

Pasta sauce, organic maple syrup, dates, leftover lentils and chili, 1/2 a banana, salsa, sauerkraut, plain full fat yogurt, kiwis and more leftovers.

3rd Shelf:

Eggs, prunes (we give 1-2 to baby J daily), tomato soup (L's favorite), cream cheese, tofu, two kinds of hummus, leftovers for the baby, and spinach.

Middle drawer:

Applegate beef hot dogs, feta cheese, mozzerella (fresh and sticks for the girls), Applegate turkey breast and tortillas (I prefer sprouted grain but I think these are a basic whole grain).

Drawer 1:

Peppers, carrots, cucumber, cauliflower, broccoli slaw, arugula, lemon and limes.

Drawer #2

A bag of oranges and a whole chicken heading into the crock pot.

Top of the door:

Wasabi, dark chocolate and butter. For some reason I always keep these three things on this shelf!

Refrigerator door:

Goat's milk for the toddler, half and half for my husband, whole milk, almond milk, kalamata olives and yeast for baking.

Refrigerator door next shelf:

More dates, hot sauce, ground flaxseed, soy sauce (I usually prefer Brigg's Liquid Amino's), almonds, hoisin sauce, natural mustard, feta dressing and coconut butter.

Refrigerator door continued:

Thai fish sauce, red curry paste, tamarind concentrate, ketchup, unsweetened dried coconut, tahini, flaxseeds and Vivix (cell repair, anti-inflammatory). Final shelf has almond flour and beer.

I'm sure you can tell that I did not clean or organize the refrigerator - I decided to share and snapped some "as is" photos to keep it real!

Our refrigerator contents change from week to week as I mix up product with the season and sometimes we have more food prep done ahead of time.

I used to try to make everything myself- jelly, salsa, tomato sauce, bread, wash and chop my own lettuce, etc but I've definitely come to appreciate more convenience items with kids! Again- this goes back to not worrying about perfection.

I'll continue this series with a peek in my pantry. I'm always curious what other people have in their kitchen so I hope this is helpful.

What are some of the staples in your fridge?