My Fridge Essentials
plus brands I love and recommend
While the produce in my fridge is constantly on rotation since I do try to eat seasonally as much as possible, there are a few items (produce, sauces, yogurts, etc.) that I do keep stocked in my fridge.
Leaving my essential fridge items below (25 to be exact) that I can’t live without. Plus, I’ve also included my go-to recipes for a few of the ingredients below - just in case you're looking for inspo!
Fresh Produce
Herbs: Including cilantro, parsley, and dill. I use these three herbs throughout most of my dishes, especially salad and grain bowls.
Persian cucumbers: Love using these for my pickled cucumber salad, which is a staple recipe in the summer.
Carrots
Arugula: Think of arugula as spinach; nutrient-dense, versatile, slightly spicy, and easy to hide in any dish you want.
Romaine or any leafy green
Green cabbage: My cashew crunch salad is a weekly staple for me - so I always have this cabbage on hand.
More Produce (that doesn’t go in the fridge)
Potatoes: Specifically fingerling or baby gold potatoes.
Onions
Fresh garlic
Lemons: For salad dressings, drinks (mainly lemonade and my morning tonic), and baking.
Limes
Avocados: Because avocado toast is a must, and homemade guacamole is a need. If you’re looking for a guacamole recipe, linking mine here.
Bananas
Plus any seasonal fruits and veggies
Proteins
Tempeh: I refuse to buy tempeh from any other brand but Lightlife - they use very minimal ingredients and their soy is non-GMO and organic.
Extra-firm tofu: I use tofu a lot throughout the week - mainly for making tofu nuggets, curries (like this butter chicken curry), my cashew crunch salad, etc.
Local eggs
Local beef
Quick disclaimer for these last two items. I source eggs from either the farmer’s market or friends of ours (we’re lucky to live in an area where I can choose who I purchase eggs from/support. And meat (particularly beef) is also local and purchased from an amazing (woman-owned) farm near our home.
Dairy & Drinks
Nut milk: I refuse to buy nut milk from the store because every plant milk I’ve bought in the past has been watery (not to mention filled with a ton of unnecessary ingredients). Anywho, I switch between making homemade almond milk and cashew milk - it just depends on what meals I have planned that I’ll need milk for.
Coconut yogurt: GT Dave’s and Cocojune are my go-to brands for all things coconut yogurt. Especially love the strawberry and vanilla coconut yogurt from Cocojune.
Butter: I love Kerrygold butter (yes, I’m aware that they’re facing a lawsuit, but there are only so many things you can worry about in the name of health). Miyoko’s plant-based butter is also amazing if you’re dairy-free/vegan.
Tart cherry juice
Kombucha
Misc.
Soy sauce: Love Bragg’s liquid aminos. If you’re looking for a soy-free option, coconut aminos get the job done just as well (although sometimes it’s a tad sweet for certain dishes).
Bread: Sourdough bread is a must! Typically, I’ll get this from our farmers market, but Whole Foods has good sourdough as well. Ezekiel is also another go-to bread for me.
Hope this list was helpful!! If you missed my 30 essential pantry staples, linking it for you here.
Chat soon!
XO, Yasmeen