The Farmers Market Essentials That Kimberly Snyder Can't Live Without

Welcome to our series #CartedByT30, where experts, influencers, and anyone who just really knows how to nail down a grocery list show us exactly what goes in their carts. Tune in to our Instagram to see their weekly haul from their favorite grocery store, farmers market, or online food retailer and to find out how much it really costs to eat healthily. 

On our list of experts to tap and learn from for this series, holistic wellness expert Kimberly Snyder is one of our favorites. As one of the most sought-after celebrity nutritionists, a three-time New York Times best-selling author, and founder of her own wellness brand, Solluna, Snyder has helped to educate many others about the transformative benefits of adopting a plant-based diet. 

When it comes to her own dietary staples, Snyder relies heavily on her weekly trips to the Malibu Farmers Market, opting for seasonal and local produce when available and prioritizing building strong relationships with the farmers.

Keep scrolling to see what grocery essentials Snyder stocks up on for her and her family.

My Food Philosophy

I adhere to a plant-based diet and always start the day with my Glowing Green Smoothie and like to eat light to heavy throughout the day, with my biggest meal being dinner. When it comes to sourcing food, I always like to try to buy organic and local whenever possible. If you are on a budget, you can check EWG's Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen lists to see which conventual fruits and vegetables contain the highest and lowest concentrations of pesticides.

When it comes to sourcing food, I love shopping at farmers markets. One of my tips for shopping at your local market is to take the time to get to know the farmers, as they usually specialize in one or two things that they do well. So you may have one farmer who has great kale and spinach and another who has amazing heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers. Therefore, it's great to get to know the farmers at your local farmers markets since they are there every week. So what you do is get the best for the different farmers. I also love that all the fruits and vegetables are constantly rotating by what's in season. Right now, there's tons of kale, which is awesome, and winter veggies. So it helps you eat seasonally when you shop at the farmers market.

As far as buying organic, it takes a long time to be certified as organic, so sometimes, these amazing small, local farms and farmers are going through the process and not certified yet, but they are pesticide-free, and they are doing the best practices. So it's important to ask them and get to know the farmers and support them.

When I shop from grocery stores, I shop at local organic markets whenever possible, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Trader Joe's. It's always nice to have a new and interesting variety of groceries available to you when you want to prepare a meal for yourself or your family, but there are certain things I like to always have on hand for those days when I just need to go into the kitchen and whip up something quickly or for the days I just don't feel like making what I planned to. Here is a typical weekly shopping list for me.

Editor's note: If you can't make it to a farmers market, we've included similar links for Snyder's essentials below.

Tomatoes 

Tomatoes are essential on my grocery list because they are high in antioxidants such as lycopene as well as vitamin C, vitamin A, and potassium.

Cucumbers

A serious beauty food that is high in all the B vitamins (except for B12), vitamin C, zinc, iron, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Cucumbers will give you energy while helping to repair and smooth the collagen in your skin.

Celery

These can help reduce inflammation in your body as well as high blood pressure. Celery has become a wonderful food for overall health and overall regulating the homeostasis in your body. They also have organic electrolytes, organic sodium, and potassium, which help to reduce puffiness and under-eye circles.

Spinach

I love spinach because it is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate as well as manganese, magnesium, iron, and vitamin B2.

Avocados

Avocados are loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, fiber, and potassium.

Grapefruits

Grapefruits have amazing antioxidant qualities. They're really hearty in nature and help build so much resilience in our bodies. I like to mix up my tart fruits and will sometimes opt for passion fruits, too.

Sourdough Bread

Many people are worried about eating bread, but sourdough is fermented, so it really helps to digest the gluten. Since it "predigests," it doesn't make you bloated. I usually am gluten-free, but sourdough bread is something that my family eats every week, and it's delicious, hearty, and nutritious.

Gluten-Free Wraps

This is essential to a quick and easy meal. I like to fill my wraps with hummus, avocado, and tomatoes.

Kidney Beans

Kidney beans are an excellent source of plant-based protein. They're also rich in various minerals, vitamins, fibers, antioxidants, and other unique plant compounds.

Sweet Potatoes

These antioxidant powerhouses help protect cells against aging and disease. For even more antioxidants, sometimes, I'll go with purple sweet potatoes. The pigment that gives them their gorgeous hue has particularly potent antioxidant properties.

Almond Milk

Almond milk is low in sugar, high in vitamin E, a good source of calcium, and naturally lactose-free.

Hummus

I love hummus because it is packed with protein, rich in ingredients proven to help fight inflammation, and high in fiber that promotes digestive health and because it feeds your good gut bacteria.

Up next, The Grocery Staples This L.A.-Based Vegan Chef Always Has in Her Cart.