A Real Nutritionist's Kitchen with Mia Rigden

Plus a flank steak recipe!

Welcome to Real (Food) Kitchens, a series from Cooking in Color where we peek inside the fridges, pantries, and freezers of some of my favorite real food humans — home cooks, nutritionists, and everyday eaters who make nourishing meals with what they have on hand. This series was born from my obsession with snooping in other people’s kitchens to see how they actually eat day-to-day. Not just the perfectly curated “what I eat in a day” videos on Instagram, but the real stuff. My hope is that these glimpses spark ideas, introduce you to new products or brands, and remind you that there’s no one right way to COOK IN COLOR!

If you missed my intro post about this lil’ series, see here.

We also did a Substack live tour of Mia’s pantry and kitchen - replay below. Do you guys like these? Are they fun? What would make them more fun? Should I do more? Sometimes putting content out into the ether can be lonely so I personally find live things like this so fun, but give me thoughts because I want them to be helpful for you!

Umm this is the cutest photo of a human holding carrots I’ve ever seen

Let’s start with some background. Meet Mia!

This week, we’re diving into Mia Rigden’s kitchen! I first connected with Mia about five years ago when I was working at Levels and she was one of our early affiliates. We later met up for coffee (or maybe it was matcha?) in LA, and we’ve been cheering each other on ever since. Mia is a Los Angeles–based Board-Certified Nutritionist, chef, author, and mom of two—so she deeply understands the challenge of prioritizing health amidst a full (and sometimes chaotic) life. With so much conflicting nutrition advice out there, she’s made it her mission to simplify things. Through her work, she helps make healthy eating more delicious, more doable, and more joyful—empowering people with the tools and confidence to nourish themselves in ways that feel good, taste amazing, and fit into real, dynamic lives.

You can find her on Substack too! 👇🏼

First things first, what’s your food philosophy?

Good food should taste as good as it is for you.

SM: Plain and simple. She means what she says when she said her mission is to simplify things!

What are five pantry staples you ALWAYS keep stocked, and why?

Aside from a lot of kids' snacks, I always have the basics:

1. olive oil: my preferred oil for everything

2. good sea salt (like Jacobson or Evermill): makes everything taste better

3. seeded crackers (I love Ella’s Flats and TopSeedz): my favorite high protein, high fiber snack

4. tinned fish: for an improvised protein, favorite brand is Fishwife

5. Eden Foods organic unsweetened soy milk: This is my preferred milk for my morning coffee. It foams really nicely, has only two ingredients, no sugar, and a lot of protein.

Organization GOALS

Ok next up, name five fridge staples and their why.

I like to always be able to whip up an easy, nutrient dense meal:

1. Farm fresh eggs: for protein, omega 3s, choline and so much more!

2. Greens (washed and ready to go): to add to sautes, egg dishes or make salads. Arugula is my spring favorite.

3. Berries: A great source of antioxidants and fiber (and super delicious)

4. Nonfat Icelandic Yogurt: I am obsessed with Norr Organic yogurt and have it every morning with berries, chia seeds and a little peanut butter.

5. Hummus: I love snacking on hummus and veggies (bonus–my kids love it too!)

Very impressed that Mia does a weekly purge of her condiments, I certainly do not and often have random condiments in there for a liiiiitle too long so I’m going to try and start doing a more regular condiment purge!

Now onto the freezer, what are five things always in your freezer, and why?

1. Grass fed ground beef: I always have some ready in the freezer for when I need it

2. Seatopia Salmon (discount code: MIA): I am obsessed with this sustainably-farmed seafood. Really high in nutrients, tested for heavy metals and other contaminants.

3. Frozen berries: for smoothies

4. Frozen cauliflower rice: I love to mix cauliflower rice in with grains and also sometimes sneak into smoothies.

5. Berry Dream Pops: My 5-year old son loves these. Only 1 gram of added sugar.

SM: I think we might have actually first bonded over our shared love of Seatopia….if you have not used my discount code (COOKINGINCOLOR) or Mia’s yet (or both?), what are you waiting for?!

What’s in your fridge to add color or zhuzh up a meal?

1. Fresh herbs: I always keep some herbs in the fridge (store them like flowers) to add flavor and nutrition to meals.

2. Pickles: The ones that need to be refrigerated are fermented.

3. Pesto: Everyone in my house likes pesto, so we always have some ready to go. I usually get a pesto from the farmers market each week.

Any tips for someone just starting to build a “real food” kitchen?

Turn your fridge into a salad bar–with everything ready to go: a lettuce mix, some roasted, steamed, or cut vegetables, ready-to-go proteins, a few sauce options and maybe a grain (quinoa is my favorite!). You’ll be able to throw together a healthy and delicious meal in minutes.

What’s a go-to meal on rotation right now?

I’ve been on a farro kick lately. I make it with roasted broccoli rabe, capers, lemons, and olive oil. It’s great with everything from flank steak to seabass.

What’s a grocery or food rule you don’t follow anymore—and why?

I used to really shy away from gluten and dairy, but I now always have a good whole grain bread (Ezekiel is my favorite) and fermented dairy products like yogurt and cottage cheese. When I was younger I was more susceptible to wellness trends, but as I matured in my practice I’ve realized that I digest high quality gluten and fermented dairy just fine.

SM: I love this honest answer—and I completely agree. It’s up to each of us to experiment and figure out what works best for our own body. Years ago, I avoided dairy too, but over time I reintroduced it and found I digest it just fine. Unfortunately, gluten hasn’t been the same story for me—but everyone’s different!

What’s your favorite way to make a meal more nutrient-dense?

More plants!! Have cut crudites, fresh herbs, seeds like hemp, chia and flax, roasted veggies and washed lettuce ready to go. Protein is also usually the hardest to improvise, so make sure to cook extra so you have some for lunch the next day.

Broiled Flank Steak with Italian Salsa Verde and Farro Salad by Mia Rigden

SM: It was so nice of Mia to share a recipe with us! I LOOOOVE flank steak. I was down at Primal Pastures farm this week and had a flank steak with their team for lunch and it was divine. If you are looking for a place to order high quality, grass-fed, pasture-raised, regenerative flank steak - try out Primal Pastures!

As I mentioned, I personally don’t do any gluten, so I’d swap out farro here for cauliflower rice, regular white, or quinoa but I love that Mia’s recipes are all very customizable if you prefer something just a tad different!

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Steak

1–1.5 lbs flank steak

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp olive oil

For the Italian Salsa Verde

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1–2 anchovy fillets, finely minced

1 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

Zest of ½ lemon + juice to taste

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil (add more if needed for texture)

Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

Salt to taste

For the Farro Salad

1 cup semi-pearled farro

1 bunch broccolini, trimmed

1 tbsp olive oil

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp capers, rinsed

Salt & black pepper

Optional: shaved Parmesan or toasted almonds

Instructions

1. Cook the Farro - Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add farro and simmer for 20–25 minutes, or until tender but chewy. Drain and set aside.

2. Roast the Broccolini - While the farro cooks, preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss broccolini with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 15–20 minutes, flipping once, until slightly charred and tender. Chop into 2–3” pieces once cooled slightly.

3. Make the Salsa Verde - In a bowl, mix parsley, anchovies, capers, garlic, lemon zest, and juice. Slowly stir in olive oil to desired consistency. Season with a pinch of salt and optional chili flakes.

4. Broil the Flank Steak - Preheat broiler on high and position rack about 4–6 inches from heat. Pat steak dry, season with salt and pepper, and rub lightly with olive oil. Place steak on a foil-lined broiler pan or wire rack over a sheet tray. Broil 4–5 minutes per side for medium-rare (depending on thickness). Let rest under foil for 5–10 minutes before slicing against the grain.

5. Assemble the Farro Salad - Toss cooked farro with roasted broccolini, capers, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, and salt to taste. Optional: add shaved Parmesan or toasted almonds before serving.

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Okay, that’s it for issue #2! Thank you so much, Mia! 👏🏻 🙏🏻 Please let us know what you thought of this in the comments below!!

The next Real (Food) Kitchen Tour will be one of my all-time favorites, Beth Bollinger! You’ve seen us collab together in the past, and I can’t WAIT to share her pantry and fridge tour with you guys. It’s gold!

Much love,

Sonja