19 Oct Inside the Fridge: EA Stewart

Inside the Fridge welcomes Registered Dietitian EA Stewart, author of The Spicy RD blog! EA is a registered dietitian and mom of two with a private nutrition practice in Del Mar, California.  Her specialties include wellness nutrition, family nutrition, celiac disease/gluten intolerance and other food sensitivities.  In her spare time, EA enjoys spending time with her family and friends, working out, travelling, and cooking and taking photos for her blog, The Spicy RD.

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?
EA: I go to my neighborhood, "Health Food Store", Jimbos at least once per week.  I can find most everything I need there with the exception of a few gluten-free items that I need to go to Whole Foods for.  Jimbos has a really nice selection of organic produce which I like. I also like to go to Trader Joes when I can, because I like their prices, and they have some fun foods and wine!  For last minute staples I go to my neighborhood Vons.

ITF: Do you love food shopping or dread it?
EA: Sometimes I love it, and sometimes I dread it {if I need to take both of my kids shopping with me at the same time. One on one, it’s fun to shop with them, and we sometimes even read labels together.}

ITF: What is the single most important thing on your mind when you are shopping for food?
EA: For me, it’s got to be gluten-free.  For all of us, I look for healthy, minimally processed foods.

ITF: How often do you shop?
EA: Probably twice a week on average.

ITF: How many do you shop for? Ages?
EA: Myself, husband, daughter (10) and son (8).

ITF: What is your weekly food budget?
EA: Oh, I hate to say, but I probably spend between $200 and $250.00 a week on groceries. I buy a lot of organic products/grass fed/free range and of course, gluten-free flours, etc. which can be pricey, but worth it to me in terms of an investment on my families health.

ITF: How many times a week do you eat out? (based on 21 meals/week)
EA: 3-4 meals per week.

ITF: What is the most coveted food in the fridge right now for each member of the household? Why?
EA: My daughter:  Cheese and olives  My son:  applesauce and milk  My husband: eggs and apples  Myself: eggs, kale, Ayala’s herbal water, and cheese.

ITF: What convenience product can you not live without?
EA: Marinara in a jar.  I’m always thinking I’ll make a big batch of marinara sauce and freeze it, but so far, it hasn’t happened!

ITF: What brands do you swear by? Why?
EA: Bobs Red Mill for gluten-free.  Their products taste good, and I feel safe eating them.  Ayala’s Herbal Water.  We mostly drink filtered tap water, but for a little something special, I love these herbal flavored still and sparkling waters, and the rest of my family likes them too.

ITF: What cooking utensil/piece of equipment/appliance do you live for?
EA: My 2 month old Vitamix.  Amazing!  And, my Le Creuset pot my husband got for me as a present because he read on my blog that I wanted one.  Oh, and a sharp butcher’s knife too!

ITF: What are your go-to food/nutrition/culinary/cooking website/s, book or cookbook?
EA: I am a cookbook/food blog junkie so I have many fabulous places I get my cooking inspiration from.  I have links to both my favorite food/cooking websites and cookbooks on my blog The Spicy RD.  I use a recipe app on my i pad called Paprika where I store and bookmark all my favorite recipes.

ITF: What was the last meal you cooked from scratch?
EA: "Garden Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti" with my kids. {From No Whine With Dinner by The Meal Makeover Moms}

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

-Plan your meals ahead for peace of mind and to keep things healthy. 

-Some of the most delicious homemade meals are the simplest. 

-Breakfast for dinner! 

-Make a main entree from scratch then round out the meal with with a simple salad or steamed veggies and fresh fruit.  OR, vice versa, make a yummy side dish and serve it with a simple grilled chicken breast, veggies and fruit. 

ITF: What are you working on these days that you’d like to tell us about?
EA: I’m balancing my days with my nutrition private practice, spending time with my family
and friends, trying to fit in exercise, and cooking/writing/taking photos for my blog The Spicy RD.

Thank you EA!

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