08 Feb Inside the Fridge: Dacia Lee

Inside the Fridge welcomes Dacia Lee. Dacia is a former Philly girl who now lives in Texas with her husband on an Army base outside of San Antonio. She also, self admittedly, loves food. Over the past eleven months, she has worked on developing a healthy relationship with food and has become more mindful about what and how she eats. To boot, both her and her husband follow a plant-strong vegan diet and love what it has done for their lives! She shares her thoughts about her weight loss journey and progressing to a healthy lifestyle on her blog, Thirty Three and Counting. Or follow along with her tweets at @DaciaLee33.

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?
Dacia Lee: We split our shopping between the on post commissary (mostly non-perishables) and Whole Foods

ITF: What is the single most important thing on your mind when you are shopping for food?
DL: Stick to the list.

ITF: How often do you shop?
DL: I usually go to the commissary once a week and Whole Foods twice.

ITF: How many times a week do you eat out? (based on 21 meals/week)
DL: We try to limit eating out to once or twice a week. I try to adhere to the 80/20 rule and limit restaurants/eating out to less than 20% of my meals.

ITF: How do you plan your weekly meals? Create a spreadsheet of fly by the seat of your pants? 
DL: I start with recipes and go from there. I like to try new recipes every week and mix them up with old favorites.

ITF: What is the most coveted food in the fridge right now for each member of the household? Why?
DL: For me, it would be the blood oranges I picked up at Whole Foods this week. They are one of my very favorite foods so I try to eat as many as I can while they’re available in stores. For my husband I would say it is either the Genesis bread or maybe even pomegranate seeds. He eats them like a kid eats candy.

ITF: What is the oldest item in the fridge right now?
DL: Champagne. From New Year’s Eve. 2010.

ITF: Do you believe in leftovers?
DL: Yes. Although I try to eat them within a day or two from when they are cooked or freeze them right away and eat them another time.

ITF: What brands do you swear by? Why?
DL: Daiya  (vegan cheese), Food for Life (breads, pastas), Blue Diamond (almond milk), Vega and Amazing Grass (superfood)

ITF: What are your go-to food/nutrition/culinary/cooking websites, book or cookbook? DL: Cookbooks: Everyday Happy Herbivore, Vegan with a Vengeance, Veganomicon. Websites: Whole Foods, Oh She Glows, Post Punk Kitchen, Happy Herbivore, the Blissful Chef to name a few.

ITF: What was the last meal you cooked from scratch?
DL: Last night after dinner I made zesty quinoa with broccoli and cashews for Paul to have for lunch the next couple days.

ITF: What was the last meal you cooked from convenience products?
DL: I use wheat grass and superfood powders in my smoothie every morning, does that count? How about using store-bought tortillas and hummus for grilled veggie wraps? That was my dinner last night.

ITF: What words of wisdom or advice do you have for other folks who are doing their best every day to fill the fridge?
DL: Make a list and try to stick to it. Our fridge is packed come shopping day but by the end of the week it is baron. We try not to waste food.

Thank you Dacia!

If you would like to be featured on Inside the Fridge, please email RobinsBite Intern Laura Bartee – Laura *at* robinplotkin *dot* com