What’s in Rocofit’s Fridge & Cupboards?
As a personal trainer and person who is generally obsessed with nutrition I am often asked what do I eat? Here are 10 things you’ll always find in my fridge & cupboards.
1. Green Veggies – These provide you with serious health benefits. They’re rich in folic acid, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, fibre and phytonutrients. Growing up in a Portuguese household these were always around. For the portuguese Kale is a serious staple, we love it! Funny enough even as a child I liked the stuff. There’s an amazing soup called ‘caldo verde’ Click HERE for the recipe
2. Fruits – You’ll always find a few if not all of these in my fridge: apples, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. The old cliche of “an apple a day will keep the doctor away” is actually true! Check out these 10 Benefits of Apples. On to berries, not only are they high in antioxidants but they are also known to prevent or eliminate urinary tract infections as well as help with short term memory
3. Whey Protein – This is one of my favourite ways to increase my daily intake of protein. The benefits of protein in your diet are endless, they include a healthy immune system, healthy muscles, skin, hair, nails, etc. My favourite part about whey is that you can get it in chocolate flavour…yum. Not all whey is the same. With so many brands out there be sure to read your labels for added sweeteners and additives. My favourite is Solgar, whey to go. If you live in Canada or New Zealand, lucky you as you have some of the best brands out there.
4. Butter – I’m talking about real butter, not margarines, not I can’t believe it’s not butter spreads, but REAL butter. It’s an excellent source of vitamin E and K. Read HERE for 20 Health benefits. The best part is that it tastes great. Eating well doesn’t need to be boring.
5. Porridge – Definitely one of my favourite breakfast foods. I love adding a scoop of chocolate whey powder, it seriously tastes like a children’s cereal that you shouldn’t be allowed to have. Porridge is a great source of fibre, has a low glycemic load, is known to have anti-inflammatory properties and reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.
6. Organic plain yoghurt – This is the best snack, mix in a few blueberries with a bit of raw honey and who needs dessert. We’ve all heard about the good bacteria known as probiotics, yoghurt is full of it. Probiotics are important in maintaing a healthy gut which is important for digestion and the absorption of nutrients.
7. Nuts (almonds, brazil, walnuts) – A handful of nuts are an excellent source of protein and also known to reduce the risk of heart disease. The best part is they are a quick ready made snack. Who says fast food can’t be healthy! Remember salted and roasted nuts are not the same as raw nuts. The more natural the better.
8. Quinoa -Who needs pasta or white rice when there’s Quinoa. This has to be one of the most versatile grains out there, well actually it’s a seed but who cares, I just care that it’s good for you. Quinoa is high in protein. That’s right protein! I love it. I often have it as either a side mixed with roasted veggies or cold in a salad.
9. Beans – Fiber, fiber, fiber as well as protein. Most people don’t pay enough attention to fiber but it’s crucial for healthy digestions. A diet high in fiber is also known to decrease the rist of cancer, heart disease, obesity and diabetes. My favourites are chickpeas, black beans and red kidney beans. As well as fiber and protein beans are also a great source of magnesium, zinc, iron and potassium
10. Organic meats (fish, chicken, red meats). Sorry vegetarians but I do love meat, fish and poultry. Animal proteins are a complete protein, meaning they contain all the essential amino acids (unlike vegetable proteins). They also contain B12, niacin, cysteine, methionine, alpha-lipoic acid and various other nutrients that are either not present in vegetable proteins or present to a much lesser degree. It’s all about balance, I like to get my protein from a variety of sources. Remember this is my list so if you’re vegetarian and disagree, that’s perfectly fine. Why Organic? I’m not obsessive with organic except when it comes to certain items and this is one of them. It simply means the meat hasn’t been injected with growth hormones, antibiotics or fed from sources that contain pesticides and fertilizers. The best meat really is organic and grass fed, note that organic doesn’t mean grass fed.
Other foods that I wanted to include and maybe should have but if I did this list would have been endless: were cocounut oil, coconut butter, coconut water (in the photo if you look carefull, it’s blue), almond butter, organic eggs and various herbs.
Hope you enjoyed having a peak in my fridge and cupboard.
