It’s really hard to pick a favorite speaker from the W.E.L.L. Summit this past fall, but if I had to choose, Phoebe Lapine would be right up there at the top. Phoebe is not only a chef and author, but she’s also a Hashimoto’s advocate who knows a thing or two about gut health. Her session at W.E.L.L. Summit was so interesting and full of great takeaways. My biggest takeaway? I had no idea that probiotics really only work if you’re feeding yourself fiber rich foods and giving them fertile ground to grow in. After checking out her latest book, The Wellness Project, I was beyond curious to see how she keeps her healthy eating habits on point in everyday life. I’m very excited to have Phoebe on the blog today, giving us a peek inside her fridge and giving us the lowdown on everything from what she eats in a day to what her go-to comfort food is!

What’s In Her Fridge?

With Phoebe Lapine

What do you eat in a typical day?

For breakfast I usually keep it light, either a berry smoothie with a handful of greens and a spoonful of almond butter or a few balls from the fridge. There’s a recipe for Raw Gingerbread Cookie Balls in The Wellness Project book that are always on rotation, but recently I’ve been making these fabulous golden milk collagen balls that are grain-free and packed with healthy fats.

Alongside, a green tea if I’m having caffeine, or mushroom coffee if I’m not.

For lunch, I eat at home most of the time and it will be a concoction of various different leftovers! I’m always testing recipes for the blog, and most recently, my new course, 4 Weeks to Wellness, that my fridge is always full of various make-ahead meals. My most recent lunch was a bowl of this Beet Soup with some added sprinkles of hemp seeds and half an avocado on top.

Dinnertime is a joint effort between my partner Charlie and myself. He makes a mean garlicky arugula salad that is on the menu almost every night. When we’re feeling lazy, we get an organic rotisserie chicken from a market down the street (no one makes it better), and I’ll make some quick sweet potato fries. Then we’ll fill the plates with an excessive number of condiments (Lusty Monk whole grain mustard and Sir Kensington’s sriracha mayo are two favorites).

Your health journey began after being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Was it challenging to rethink the way you ate and ultimately learn to cook and eat differently?

Yes and no. It was incredibly difficult emotionally, especially since I made my living in the food world as a private chef and culinary instructor. I was told by my doctor that I had to remove gluten from my diet a few weeks before my first cookbook hit stores. So I was setting off to promote 100 recipes, half of which I could no longer eat! But after I got through a few stages of grief, I was lucky to be able to use my experience in the kitchen to get more creative around my restrictions. It’s so hard to change your diet when you don’t have any cooking skills. I truly believe it’s the best place to start if you’re trying to make healthy changes.

What kind of staples would we find in your fridge on any given day?

Eggs. Salad greens, especially kale and arugula. Lemons. I also have 10 different types of mustard in my fridge right now. Other favorites: tahini, harissa, curry pastes.

Do you have any go-to comfort food? 

French fries!! I make them myself now because most fryers out on the town are cross-contaminated with gluten. I love baked sweet potato fries and pretty much every type of crispy potato in existence.

Are you a meal planner or do you cook on more of a whim? 

A little bit of both. I have to do a lot of planning for my cooking work, so I batch cook by default. But even on lighter weeks I try to make an effort to get a few dishes in the fridge. I’m not a big meal planner on a daily basis. I like the freedom to mix and match and supplement according to my cravings as the week progresses.

Any foods you can’t live without?

Fresh lemon juice! And the above mentioned crispy potatoes.

Photo via feedmephoebe.com

Thanks so much Phoebe! I’m with you on the crispy potatoes! They’re one of my favorites too. For more information, tips and recipes be sure to check out her site, feedmephoebe.com and her book, The Wellness Project. You can also follow along on her Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to see what she’s up to and get the scoop on new recipes, upcoming classes, speaking engagements and more.  xo