🥔 Food People, Parent Picks: Alina's Favorite Things
From olive oil to air fryers, Alina breaks down the pantry staples and simple swaps that make nourishing her growing boys sustainable.
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Food People, Parent Picks: we ask our favorite chefs, food writers, and industry insiders who we interview in our Order Up! Series to share the products, books, and bites they can’t live without.
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Earlier this week in Order Up!, Alina Mauritz shared the deeply personal story behind Hopeful Food Finds: how a mother’s intuition, a developmental diagnosis, and a lot of late-night research reshaped the way she feeds her family. (If you haven’t read that conversation yet, start there. She talks about discovering the Nemechek Protocol and reading the book in one day. You can find the book The Nemechek Protocol on Amazon.)
Now, she’s back in rapid-fire mode — less about the why, more about the how. In this edition of Food People, Parent Picks, Alina shares the everyday staples, smart swaps, and weeknight shortcuts that make her approach sustainable: the olive oil upgrade she still swears by, the protein-packed pantry staples her boys actually eat, the air fryer she’d replace without hesitation, and the brands she trusts when label-reading fatigue sets in. It’s not about perfection; it’s about consistency, accessibility, and building habits that hold up in real life.
You need dinner on the table fast. What are three pantry or fridge staples you always keep stocked to make that happen?
Olive oil is number one. I use a California olive oil and cook almost everything in it. It was one of the first swaps I made, and it’s still foundational in our kitchen.
Bone broth is another staple. I’ll cook pasta or rice in it to add protein and nutrients without changing the flavor too much — it’s an easy win.
And then a protein-rich pasta. There are so many good lentil, quinoa, and brown rice options now. My kids love pasta, so this feels like a simple upgrade that still meets them where they are.
Beyond olive oil, what are two other gut-health supports you rely on (food or supplements)?
We do both. My boys take an omega-3 supplement daily. That’s been a consistent part of our routine for years.
Food-wise, bone broth again — it’s soothing and easy to incorporate — and Greek yogurt. We eat it straight, but I also bake with it or stir it into meals. It’s such an easy way to add protein and probiotics without making it feel like “health food.”
Olive oil was an easy swap. Were there other cleaner upgrades that felt manageable and budget-friendly?
I really focused on ingredient quality. We switched to grass-fed ground beef and milk. I shop at Walmart, I’m not doing specialty grocery runs. You can find better-quality options without blowing your budget.
I also shop organic strategically, such as following the Dirty Dozen list and prioritizing where it matters most. It’s not about perfection. It’s about making small, smart swaps that add up.
If one kitchen tool broke tomorrow, what are you immediately replacing?
My air fryer. No question. I was literally evangelizing about it at a Super Bowl party. It makes weeknights so much easier.
What are your go-to grab-and-go snacks for your now older boys?
Beef sticks are huge for us: easy protein on the way out the door.
I also bake mini muffins every week so there’s always something homemade ready to grab. Fresh fruit is a constant: apples, tangerines, whatever’s in season.
And if I’m buying packaged snacks, I just check the ingredient list. I’m looking at the type of sugar used and keeping it simple.
Is there a brand you trust so you don’t have to overthink labels every time?
I like Simple Mills, Siete, and LesserEvil. We eat a lot of popcorn because it’s such an easy snack swap.
And the nice thing is you don’t have to go to a specialty store anymore. You can find these at Walmart or your regular grocery store. It’s much more accessible than people think.
When your family wants something sweet, what do you reach for?
Usually fruit. My kids genuinely love it now.
I also make what we call “ice cream”: frozen bananas blended with other frozen fruit. A lot of families realize they have dairy sensitivities when they try that swap.
Smoothies are another go-to. I actually organize frozen fruit in the freezer so the boys can scoop and build their own combinations. It gives them ownership, and they’re more excited to drink it.
Anything else you want parents to know?
One quote I’ve kept on my phone for years is: “A little progress every day leads to big results.”
There isn’t a magic pill. It’s consistency. When you look back months later, you realize how far you’ve come.