Last updated on May 4th, 2023 at 02:11 pm
Today we are finishing up “A Real Food Kitchen” series, and I hope it has been helpful and encouraging – whether you are new at switching to a nutrient-dense real food lifestyle or you are pretty seasoned but just needed a little refresher. The last thing we will tackle to set you up for success is upgrading your pantry with this healthy pantry staples list.
Transitioning to a real food kitchen can seem overwhelming, especially if learning about organic products, nutrient-dense foods, pastured meats, and coconut oil is all new. But I want to assure you that you can totally do it!
There are super simple and practical ways to make the necessary changes. The first step would be to go through your pantry, fridge, and freezer and read every single label to determine which foods contain processed ingredients, preservatives, and additives. This simple step will help you identify all the foods you will replace with better options or eventually eliminate over time. Another simple step is to start with foods in the pantry wrapped in plastic or cardboard – those probably have the most ingredients (like preservatives, additives, and the like) that we want to reduce or avoid.
When you are ready to start the change, make just one or two weekly changes. So, discard one item each week, and replace it with one organic or unprocessed item in your pantry. After about six months, your pantry, fridge, and freezer will be overhauled and look completely different. If you are an all-in type of person (like I was), you can do more at once, as long as it doesn’t overwhelm you or you stress about it.
Being well prepared and having a stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer with all the raw ingredients is the first tool to help you cook nutrient-dense meals at home and to overcome the temptation to purchase processed and fast foods.
Below I will outline a little checklist to guide you into cleaning out your pantry, fridge, and freezer and replacing those foods with nourishing, whole, organic ingredients.
Please note: I will not zero in on one specific diet (grain-free, paleo, gaps, gluten-free, dairy-free) because I believe in simply eating real food. This is also not a complete and comprehensive list. Instead, I will focus on replacing processed foods with unprocessed foods. So you can choose which foods to add to your kitchen according to your dietary needs.
Ingredients or foods you should remove from your pantry staples list
- hydrogenated oils and trans-fat
- bleached white flour
- white sugars, high fructose corn syrup, and corn syrup (see all the different names for sweeteners here)
- agave (you can learn more here)
- artificial sweeteners – Sweet ‘n Low, Splenda, etc
- all vegetable oils (corn, canola, soybean oil, cottonseed)
- soy
- packaged foods with ingredients you can’t pronounce or you don’t know what it is
- any food with ingredients that weren’t around a few hundred years ago – as Michael Polled says, “If your great-grandma wouldn’t recognize it, don’t eat it and consider removing it.”
Ingredients and foods you should add to your pantry staples list
Oils & Fats:
- extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil
- organic coconut oil
- grass-fed, unsalted butter
- palm shortening (always check and purchase from a company that uses sustainable practices)
- ghee (here is an easy homemade recipe)
- lard or tallow from grass-fed cows or pigs
- pastured duck fat
In The Fridge
- fresh fruits and vegetables – think colors and variety – but also the kinds you enjoy eating.
- organic, pastured eggs
- raw, organic cheese
- organic cream cheese and/or cottage cheese
- cultured plain or greek yogurt
- grass-fed, organic unsalted butter
- raw milk & cream
- organic sour cream
- fermented vegetables (sauerkraut, kimchi, beet kvass, etc.)
- kombucha
- coconut aminos
- fish sauce
- raw organic apple cider vinegar
- better ingredients condiments (ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, etc.)
In The Pantry
- nut & seed butters (I love Artisana)
- almond flour
- coconut flour
- einkorn flour
- rice, quinoa, buckwheat, etc. (make sure to properly prepared them by soaking or sprouting)
- raw cacao powder
- pure vanilla extract
- baking powder
- arrowroot powder (this is a great substitute for corn starch)
- tapioca flour
- beef liver powder
- unflavored gelatin
- sea salt
- soaked or sprouted nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, macadamia, etc.)
- dried beans
- soaked or sprouted seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, chia, sesame, hemp, etc.)
- loose leaf organic tea
- tea crystals
- organic coffee or mushroom coffee
- dark chocolate chips
- full-fat coconut milk
- grass-fed meat sticks or carnivore crisps
- tomato puree
- vinegar (balsamic, white wine, red wine, rice, etc.)
- tomato paste
- sourdough crackers
- one ingredient dried fruit
- spices & herbs (ground cinnamon, Italian seasoning, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, black pepper, cayenne pepper, etc.)
- sweeteners (raw honey, pure maple syrup, maple sugar, coconut sugar, molasses, sucanat)
In The Freezer
- pastured, organic meats & organ meats
- wild-caught seafood
- pastured, organic poultry & pork
- chicken broth
- beef broth
- frozen organic veggies in a pinch
- homemade leftover soups & stews
- frozen organic fruits for smoothies (berries, mango, pineapples, cherries, etc.)
Extras
The following are extras and definitely not necessary, but I love having some of these around to add extra nutrient-dense ingredients to my smoothies, tea, and coffees.
- bee pollen
- superfood honey
- collagen peptides
- reishi mushroom powder
- colostrum powder
- pearl powder
- mct oil
As you make these changes to unprocessed foods, you must find some glass jars and containers to store all your real food ingredients. I love to use inexpensive mason jars in various sizes, and I also like Kilner jars.
One of my favorite things to do during colder months is to make a big pot of soup and stew (a great way to use many pantry, fridge, and freezer ingredients) full of nourishing ingredients. The leftovers make fantastic lunch (or even breakfast) and freeze wonderfully to use later when you need a night off from cooking.
Never underestimate the power of baby steps – any little intentional step is better than no steps at all.
Resources to stock your new real food pantry
After all, as you can see, stocking a real food pantry doesn’t have to be overly complicated or scary. When you run out of something, replace it with a better alternative. Any small step to build a real food pantry staples list is better than no steps.
- Thrive Market (use this link for 40% off your first order)
- Azure Standard
- Miller’s Organic Farm
- Amazon
- Butcher Box (use this link to save $50 on your first box)
- US Wellness Meats
- Tropical Traditions
- Wildy Organic
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