What's in Your Refrigerator?

 I recently read a very Hum Hum article by Naomi Shannon asking "What's in your refrigerator" ?

It struck a cord with me as I know there are things at times lurking in mine that have well passed their eat by date! I make an effort to clean mine out most weeks before purchasing fresh produce, but obviously there are times when this doesn't happen! Ideally I like to create a sense of order so things store well & I know where I can locate anything that I need to make into something delicious, at a moments notice.

Have you ever noticed what's in the average person's refrigerator? Perhaps it's fairly bare with nothing you could find to make a wholesome meal, or maybe it is jammed so full with left overs, limp half dead veggies on shelves dotted with spills, & endless half full bottles, jars & packets of God knows what, that you wish only to close the door quickly before "something" escapes!!

I sometimes feel sad to see friends eating in such a limited way, in quality of food & especially variety. Maybe in their effort to keep their weight in check they have resorted to low fat everything from cheese, milk, margarine, biscuits etc. ( obviously not, if they are vegans) 

Most items in a can, jar, packet or box are not the healthiest of choices either & old stale produce certainly holds little if any nutritive value.

I was thinking that perhaps a shopping list might help in making some great choices when going to the Supermarket. Obviously this is purely a guide & certainly not complete, but many of these foods I eat most weeks or use in a recipe, if only to whip up a smoothie, or a dressing for a fresh salad or to pour over some lightly steamed veggies. Eating what is in Season or in the veggie garden helps with cost & I usually select what I feel like eating & looks fresh & wonderful, so this may vary a lot from week to week.

Nuts:  Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts, Pecans, Pine Nuts, Brazil Nuts, Macadamia Nuts

Seeds: Flax, Sunflower, Hemp, Pumpkin, Chia, Sesame Seeds

Grains: Buckwheat, Kamut, Quinoa, Oats

Veggies: Greens of every description, Lettuce, Kale, Spinach, Zucchini, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Celery, Carrots, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Garlic, Onions, Sweet Potato, Avocadoes, Chili, Sprouts ( if I haven't made them up myself)

Herbs: Parsley, Basil, Rosemary, Coriander

Fruit: Grapes, Apples, Lemons, Oranges, Limes, Berries, Bananas, Mangoes, Pineapple,Nectarines, Peaches, Apricots, Watermelon, Rockmelon

Extras: Sundried Tomatoes, Sprouted Essene Bread, Nutelex Spread, Nut Butters if you don't make them yourself,  Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Macedamia & Flax Oil, Himalayan Salt, Honey, Agave, Tamari, Nutritional Yeast, Cacao Powder, Dates, Dried Shredded Coconut, Cranberries, Lentils & Seeds for Sprouting, Chickpeas, Dried Herbs & Seasonings of choice

I'm sure there are many other things you may like to add to this basic list but if you have even some of these ingredients, a healthy meal is possible..