27 Jun Inside the Fridge: Christine Palumbo

Inside the Fridge welcomes Chicago Parent columnist Christine Palumbo! Writer, Speaker, Media Personality, Registered Dietitian and Mother of 3, this multitalented mom juggles a multifaceted career and family. Based in Chicago, Christine’s expert advice keeps “Chicago’s Parents” on track nutritionally with her column Good Sense Eating. As a media personality, Christine’s guest appearances include the Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC News, Fox News Channel, CNN, and many local TV and radio stations. In addition to working in private practice, she is a member of Welch’s Health & Nutrition Advisory Panel and a consultant to the California Raisin Marketing Board. Her versatility extends to the kitchen where she prefers originality to following recipes!

Below we ask her questions about her grocery shopping and food habits – with actual pictures from her fridge!

Inside the Fridge: Where do you shop for food?                                                    

Christine Palumbo: I love changing things up and I switch off among seven stores. There are a few that I can get in and out of quickly (Casey’s Finer Foods and Trader Joes). Others are known for their extensive produce aisles and ethnic foods (Garden Fresh Market, Meijer and Butera Finer Foods). Still others are the tried and true supermarkets beloved by generations of Chicagoans (Jewel and Dominick’s).

ITF: Do you love food shopping or dread it?                                                      

CP: I fall squarely in the middle on this one. Can’t say that I love it but feel like it’s a necessary task. Once I’m in the store, the music gets me jazzed up and all the sights of beautiful foods put me in a good mood. A bonus is when I bump into someone I know and we get to chatting.

ITF: How often do you shop?                                                                      

CP: I shop about every four or five days. Sometimes this stretches to a week. Any longer and my lettuce is wilted and the fruit needs replacing.

ITF: How many do you shop for? Ages?                                                              

CP: Currently, I shop for myself and my husband. Our three children are grown and out of the house.

ITF: How many times a week do you eat out? (based on 21 meals/week)

CP: Maybe once or twice. I prefer my own cooking for a myriad of reasons!

ITF: What is the most coveted food in the fridge right now for each member of the household? Why?

CP: For my husband it could be dill pickles, string cheese or red seedless grapes. For me, it could be a Bartlett pear, a fresh head of romaine lettuce or half and half for my morning coffee.

ITF: Do you believe in leftovers?                                                                

CP: No, I do not believe in leftovers. But I DO believe in planned-overs. I have long touted the practice of cook once, eat twice (or thrice.)

ITF: What brands do you swear by? Why?                                                            

CP: Arnold or Brownberry Natural Wheat Bread (former client) that I’ve been eating my entire adult life. It’s got chunks of crushed wheat and makes the most delicious toast and sandwiches. I also enjoy Welch’s 100% Grape Juice due to its intense flavor and benefits to the heart.

ITF: What food/s are important when recalling food memories?

CP: My Greek and Lithuanian mother grew up in a Jewish neighborhood and she was married to my Italian father. Our family ate bagels before most people heard of them, as well as pomegranates, homemade pizza, red wine vinegar and olive oil. My mother was ahead of time as a cook!

ITF: What are your go-to food/nutrition/culinary/cooking website/s, book or cookbook?            

CP: I seldom consult any of these because I hate to cook from recipes!

ITF: What was the last meal you cooked from scratch?                                              

CP: A whole roasted chicken, roasted potatoes, sautéed spinach and tossed salad with homemade Italian dressing that I made last night. Tomorrow the carcass, pan drippings and leftover meat will be turned into soup.

ITF: If one person could cook for you tonight, who would it be?

CP: My paternal grandmother. I would love to watch her prepare her red gravy.

ITF: What words of wisdom or advice do you have for other folks who are doing their best every day to fill the fridge?

CP: Keep a little room in your fridge and shop more often. Unless you’re feeding an army, most of us keep so much food in our fridge you can’t see what’s in the back of it and it goes to waste. B) Keep 80- 90% good-for-you foods in it and allow yourself some treats. C) Keep the healthy stuff, like fruits and veggies, up top at eye level so you can see them.

ITF: What are you working on these days that you’d like to tell us about?

CP: Please follow me on Facebook Christine Palumbo Nutrition, Twitter @PalumboRD or visit my website ChristinePalumbo.com.

Thank you Christine!

And please contact Leah if you would like to be featured on Inside the Fridge. Her email is Leah *at* robinplotkin *dot* com