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Welcome toGrocery Diaries, a new series that illustrates just how varied and personalized healthy eating really is.
Chelsea Kyle. Food Stying by Drew Aichele. Prop Styling by Campbell Pearson.
Why do they buy what they buy?
How much do they spend?
Who are they shopping for?
Chelsea Kyle. Food Stying by Drew Aichele. Prop Styling by Campbell Pearson.
For Emily Jan, its an adventure.
Emily looks for new recipes more frequently now that she works from home.
Emily is first-generation Taiwanese American and recreating her moms recipes brings back a lot of happy childhood memories.
Recently, she tested a Chinese turnip cake that she loved as a kid.
We usually come back with, like, 50 bags, she says.
Here are 10 items she picks up in a typical grocery trip.
(Zhajiangmian is a Chinese dish made with noodles, soybean paste, and sweet bean sauce.)
Now she eats it every few weeks when she wantsan easy, happy meal.
Comfort food is a bowl of noodles, she says.
Like we mentioned, Emily buys most of her produce through the CSA.
However, she supplements this by purchasingher favorite vegetablesat the grocery store so she always has them around.
For some reason, Adam and I really love cabbageits our vegetable.
I think people tend to dislike it or not think about it, she says.
She uses cabbage in so many ways: salads, grain bowls, stir-fries, slaws, and soups.
Its nice to have a mix of warm and then some colder vegetables on top like cucumbers or tomatoes.
I just love ginger.
I definitely love the spiciness, and it clears up your sinuses and is really refreshing, says Emily.
She commonlyuses gingerin dressings, sauces, stir-fries, and drinks.
Every Sunday, she brews loose leaf oolong tea using a ceramic teapot she inherited from a family friend.
We relax on the couch and steep, sip, and repeat, she says.
Emily buysavocados in different stagesof ripeness so theres always one ready to eat.
She uses them in tacos, grain bowls, and even smoothies because she enjoys their texture and flavor.
I like the creaminess of it.
I tend to like things that have an earthy element to them, she says.
Emily also just feels more satisfied when she eats avocado.
They just feel like a little bit of luxury to add to our diet.
Theyre very rich and filling, she says.
There’s a good reason that Emily feels satiated aftereating avocados.
Theyre agood source of monounsaturated fat, so our bodies take time to digest them.
I really prefer full-fat yogurt because its thicker and richer, Emily says.
Generally, the couple prefers yogurt in lieu of sour cream or other sauces.
It’s a little lighter and tangier [than sour cream].
It’s much more versatile, and I can use it in savory and sweet dishes, she explains.
Emilymakes her own dressingwith yogurt, lemon juice, and herbs, then adds it toa lotof dishes.
Adam and Emilysplit their shopping listand meet back at the checkout counter with one unplanned item each.
Im usually unreasonably disciplined about buying mostly what we need, Emily explains.
Theyve recently surprised each other with Cheetos, wine, and cheesecake.
There are really good apples in Michigan.
Going apple picking in the fall is sort of a homey, nostalgic thing, she says.
Emily says she gets her love of apples from her dad.
I think because my dad ate them a lot, I did too, she says.
Emily and Adam buy several types of milk to use in tea,smoothies, and savory recipes.
Emily prefersoat milkand Adam, who likes almond milk, is coming around.
Eggs are something that we put on top of other dishes, Emily explains.
The coupleinclude runny fried eggsin their grain bowls, ramen, salads, and fried rice.
We both like yolky eggs that break when you cut into them, says Emily.
It adds just a layer of creaminess or richness that feels yummy, she says.
Freshherbs, e.g., scallions, parsley, and cilantro, transform simple meals, Emily says.
Scallions and eggs in any form are a near-perfect combo.
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