Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East Just Shared the High-Protein Staple They Always Have In Their Pantry

Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East may have retired from athletics, but their lives are certainly still keeping them active! The retired Olympic gold medal gymnast and former NFL player are parents to three young children, so they are no strangers to the liveliness that comes with a full house. 

The couple currently host a YouTube channel where they document their family’s milestones and offer a personal look at their life together. In this interview, Johnson East and East gave us the inside scoop on their nightly routine, kitchen organization hacks, the pantry staples and snacks they always have and their favorite ways to relax.

EatingWell: What are your top three tips for keeping your kitchen organized? 

Johnson East: I’d say just constantly working on it. We have a place for everything.  Another thing that helps is storing things properly. I absolutely love the new Rubbermaid Brilliance collection, and I literally threw out every storage container that I had just for this because they’re incredible. They’re stackable and you don’t have to try to match the lids to the actual containers because the lids fit universally. 

East: We actually got to test how durable they were. We got to throw them from crazy heights and run them through the dishwasher with really smelly stuff. We have a five-year-old, a three-year-old and a nine-month-old, and they don’t have the same kind of etiquette with the organization that we do as parents. The Rubbermaid Brilliance collection makes it easier and we’re big fans. I feel like organizing the kitchen is something that Shawn takes a lot of pride in, and I’m really impressed with how she does it.  

EatingWell: What are some of your favorite meal prep recipes? 

Johnson East: Especially with toddlers, meal prepping for us just means chopping up a bunch of produce and getting things ready for school lunches. Every Sunday, we try to do a big grocery haul. We empty out the refrigerator or the pantry of anything that’s gone bad or just things that we’re not going to use, and then I try meal prepping. 

East: We have found that the more visible things are, the more likely the kids are to eat them. Shawn does a great job at making the kids’ lunch and having it ready the night before, which is big. Like she mentioned, we do a weekly evaluation of what foods we have, what foods we need to get rid of and what foods we need to get, and then we’ll make the meals appropriately. 

EatingWell: What pantry staples do you always have on hand? 

Johnson East: We go through so much pasta, especially with kids. We always use the pasta that has protein in it, which is incredible. The kids love smoothies too, and we try different types of nuts and trail mixes.

East: Bars; the kids crush bars. We also do a lot of fruit, veggies and dips. We always have some s’more stuff ready to go because the kids love that and it’s a fun nightly activity. 

EatingWell: What does your nighttime routine look like as a family? 

Johnson East: It’s kind of chaotic, but it’s fun. We always like to get in some family activity. So whether we go outside for a walk or a bike ride or even just do a movie together to get some of their energy out before we put the kids down for bed. And then Andrew and I will hang out for a little bit and talk, maybe have dessert. 

East: Sometimes we’ll read some books, or we’ll just go straight to bed. We’re in the phase of life where we’re eating dinner at 5:15 p.m. The kids go to bed at 7 p.m. and then Sean and I are in bed at like 8:30 p.m. 

EatingWell: How do you two decompress and relax after a busy week?

Johnson East: Sitting out by the fire, having a glass of wine, going for a walk. 

East: I like to play guitar for Shawn. I would call it a serenade, but I think she would call it a loud and obnoxious band practice. And we cuddle every now and then and watch a movie.

EatingWell: What does “eating well” mean to you?

Johnson East: Everything in moderation and being able to enjoy life and enjoy food. And that doesn’t mean overindulging all the time, but truly putting love into what you cook and how you share meal times with your family or friends and community. 

East: I think eating well means eating with those you love. 

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.