Forget a stack of alfalfa sprouts and a pile of nuts, there is much more in a modern vegan’s fridge than you would ever realise. Jenna Zoe, who has created our Get The Gloss vegan guide takes us through hers, by Susannah Taylor
ST: What in your fridge at the moment?
JZ: Chia Pods in the new dark cacao flavour for breakfast in a hurry (so good!), shelled hemp seeds for bumping up the protein and Omega-3 content of salad (they are best kept refrigerated to keep them from going rancid), a big head of red cabbage (which lasts for weeks and weeks so it's a great 'emergency veggie'), a tub of hummus, a block of tempeh, and these new edamame-mushroom burgers I found in Whole Foods the other day. Plus there's a ton of green veggies in my crisper.
ST: What staples do you keep in the fridge at all times?
JZ: Ton of liquids! Chi Coconut Water, Vivid Unsweetened Matcha Tea, Liquid Stevia (which I use to sweeten drinks with - it doesn't raise blood sugar levels at all so it's perfect for those watching sugar intake), and the new Plenish Almond M*lk - it's by FAR the best almond milk on the market because it contains nothing but almonds, water, and salt. Most commercial almond milks are filled with preservatives and junky ingredients like carageenan, which is a known carcinogen.
ST: Which 3 veggies do you eat the most and why?
JZ: I encourage my clients to only eat things they love the taste of, and I try to do the same. Like everyone I go through phases of things I love, so when I'm shopping the produce aisle I just grab whatever's really good at the time - sometimes I'm into the same veggie for two months straight! But I don't stress about it. I don't think you have to vary things as much as the nutrition industry would have you believe - it's variety over the course of the whole year that counts. Right now I'm craving cucumber, asparagus, and hearts of palm.
ST: Are there any ingredients you keep in there for flavouring up your food?
JZ: I am obsessed with fresh herbs and can't make a salad without throwing in a handful each of mint and coriander. Herbs are just as nutritious (if not more) than dark leafy greens, so I treat them like a serving of veggies rather than just a condiment. I love Coconut Aminos by Coconut Secret, which tastes kind of like soy sauce, but super clean and healthy. The same brand also does a Coconut Vinegar which has the same benefits as apple cider vinegar, and a teriyaki kind of sauce. I rotate between all 3 and they're all super yummy.
ST: Is there any alcohol in there?
JZ: I have a glass of red wine very occasionally (maybe a dozen times a year), but when I do I absolutely adore Jordan Estate's Chameleon Red - it's an organic, sulphate-free Cabernet/Merlot blend that is soooo smooth and light. Did you know that wine is the one food and drink category where organic is cheaper than conventional? It's a great reason to switch, especially since it's usually the heavy use of chemicals in wine that give us the next-day headaches. Wine is not regulated the same way that food is, so manufacturers can sneak a lot of nasty stuff in there.
ST: What do you use instead of butter?
JZ: Tahini! I can't get enough. I always have a tub in my fridge as a fallback source of fat, given that avocados in this country are hit and miss.
ST: What do you always run out of or get to the bottom of and need more?
JZ: French's Yellow Classic Mustard - it goes with everything (and surprisingly, doesn't contain junky fillers). Lemons and limes, as I put them on everything, oh and olive oil plus a good quality salt.
ST: What unusual ingredients do you keep in there?
JZ: There's nothing so unusual in my fridge, but my cabinets are full of medicinal superfood powders! I make a superfood hot chocolate every morning and I throw in all kinds of healthy powders like pearl powder, he shou wu, reishi mushroom, chaga, cordyceps, mucuna and ashwagandha. Again Amazon is a one-stop shop for all of these things. I mix a few of these in with some cacao powder, stevia and maca, then pour in a generous dose of frothy almond milk - it comes out like a latte!
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