Tips For A Healthy Pantry

Food shopping can seem daunting and overwhelming, but it does not have to be! It is a great time to fill up on exciting new foods and stock your home with lots of delicious options for the week.

Read through this quick guide to get started on establishing a routine.

Check your fridge, freezer and pantry stock before you go. 

• If you know what you are stocked up on, this will avoid you from getting duplicates, or spending more money on something that may end up going to waste later on. This could be a good opportunity for some good organization to help give you more control over your kitchen! 

Make a list/menu of your food for the week. 

• If you know what the family is going to want for the week, it makes it easy to know exactly where to go in the grocery store! I like to look at the circular ahead of time to see what specials the stores have going on, so I can plan around certain items for my menu that week to save money and time. This is also a great way to get the family involved in what they may want to eat that week, to get them excited about family dinners together, and to stimulate creativity in their food decisions outside the home.  

Know your food labels. 

• Make it easy on yourself by knowing what to look for on labels when shopping in the middle aisles of the store. I recommend first starting with the ingredient label. If it is a packaged item with a long list full of ingredients you do not recognize the names of, chances are, it may not be the best option. The closer to whole foods that the product is, the better! If you have a food allergy or sensitivity, you are going to want to know what ingredients to look out for on the label, and certifications on the front of the package, such as for “certified gluten free”. 

Stock up on pantry/freezer staples if needed. 

• If you know what low inventory in your kitchen is, it will be easy to stock up on items for the week, and also for back up items. For example, if you don’t have much time one night to wash and cook a whole bunch of kale, you can grab a bag of frozen broccoli out of the freezer, coat with a bit of oil, and dump in the air fryer for a quick veggie to add to dinner. Having frozen items is a great way to ensure you will never be without a veggie at your meal! See pantry staple ideas below for some ideas on what to stock up on. 

Separate and prepare the fresh fruits/veggies when you get home.

• If you want your family to have delicious and nutrient-dense snacks ready to go for after school or work, wash and cut up some crunchy dipping veggies for easy snacking throughout the week. Some great examples are cucumbers, bell peppers, snap peas, carrots, celery, radishes, and cherry tomatoes. 

Food Pantry staple list: 

• Oils- olive oil, unrefined coconut oil, avocado oil, grass fed ghee 
• Grains/Legumes- rice, oats, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, millet, teff, lentils, chickpeas, beans
• Dried herbs/spices- sodium free savory blends, sea salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract, pure stevia or monk fruit, ginger, turmeric, etc.   
• Frozen Veggies- stir fry blend, cauliflower, zucchini noodles, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, peas, Mediterranean blend, California blend, root veggie noodles, asparagus, artichoke hearts. 
• Other: 
  • Tea
  • GF baking flours- almond, coconut, cassava, green banana, oat, arrowroot, etc. 
  • GF pasta 
  • Canned crushed tomatoes
  • Coconut Aminos 
  • Nut Butter 
  • Nuts/Seeds
  • Organic popcorn 
  • Apple cider vinegar 
  • Condiments- mustard, ketchup, hot sauce, harissa, tahini, etc.