Welcome to The Globe’s new series, What’s In My Cart?, where we’re asking Canadians how they stock their kitchens. To share your thoughts, fill out this form or e-mail reporter Daniel Reale-Chin at: realechin@gmail.com
What’s In My Cart?Illustration by Illustration by The Globe and Ma
Silvana Taffo has always had a penchant for staying fit and eating healthy. She played soccer competitively growing up – but taking an aerobics class at 17 years old prompted her true love of exercise. It led her to study fitness in college and pursue a career as a personal trainer, which she’s done for more than 30 years now.
Throughout the week, the 53-year-old starts her day at Taf Force Fitness, her personal-training business, at 5:30 a.m. and sometimes sees her last client at 9 p.m. She gets in her own workout in between clients, and finds time for her husband, four kids (three of whom live at home) and the family’s latest addition: her seven-month-old grandchild.
With her demanding schedule and energy-taxing job, Taffo says she needs to choose foods that will keep her energy levels high and be quick to prepare between clients. Each meal needs to balance her macronutrient needs with high protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Her secret to keeping her meals healthy – instead of relying on ready-made foods high in sodium – is marinating her meats, cutting up vegetables and washing fruit every Sunday to use throughout the week. Keeping all of this in mind, here’s how she grocery shops.
How I save: I buy my rice, oats, oil and other products in bulk. You get a better price for the amount you’re buying, and they last longer.
How I splurge: On high-quality, fresh meats, fish and produce. I like fresh salmon, and I always have some type of protein – whether it’s chicken or steak – that I usually prepare on Sundays to marinate in the fridge, so I can quickly cook it throughout the week.
The eating habit that’s hardest to keep up: Food prepping, for sure. I try to keep all of my meals balanced: a healthy fat, like avocado or olive oil; heavy on protein, like chicken breast; and also heavy on carbs, which give my body the fuel and the calories it needs to keep training throughout the day.
How I’ve changed my diet recently: One thing I’ve started adding more of to my diet is nuts. I also choose complex carbohydrates – like sweet potatoes or whole-grain pasta – over simple ones, because they give me that added boost of essential nutrients, like fibre. Measuring your carbohydrates, and getting enough in, is also a conversation I have with all my clients. A lot of people think that restricting carbohydrates in your diet is an easy way to lose weight, but without them, you’ll have no fuel to move.
What’s in my cart?
- Eggs – Burnbrae large free-run eggs, two packs of 12 – $9.99: I’m splurging by buying free-run eggs, which I appreciate for the nutrition, but at the same time, I’m saving by buying the two packs, in bulk. I eat eggs often – they’re a good source of protein and have Omega-3 fatty acids.
- Greek yogurt – Kirkland fat-free, plain Greek yogurt, three packs of 650-gram containers – $13.79: I eat Greek yogurt often. It’s a good source of protein and probiotics, so it’s good for my gut health and makes me feel good. And it’s versatile – I can make it sweet with fruit and honey, or make dips, such as tahini, to use with savoury food.
- Mixed nuts – Kirkland roasted, unsalted mixed nuts – $19.79: These make the perfect snacks. There’s a mix of cashews, almonds, pistachios and pecans. They have a lot of healthy fats, protein and fibre, so they satiate me and keep me going. I also like them on salads because they give it a nice crunch.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – Terra Delyssa organic extra-virgin olive oil, two packs of one-litre bottles – $30.89: I use olive oil for everything. I cook with it, use it for salad dressings and drizzle it fresh on my dishes for a bit of an exotic taste. It has a lot of monounsaturated fat, which is heart-healthy.
- Oats – One Degree organic sprouted rolled oats, 2.27-kilogram bag – $11.99: I eat oats probably every morning. I make overnight oats almost every night, with some fresh fruit, some Greek yogurt and some liquid, and it keeps me full while I’m with my first couple of clients. I also mix my liquid collagen in the oats; it just makes me feel healthier to have my supplements.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.