Having a well stocked pantry will become the key to maintaining your healthy lifestyle. It can take some time to obtain all of the items you need to have a well stocked pantry, but after years of experience, I can tell you what’s key for me and what items I’ve simply done away with. Keep on reading..

What does it mean to have a well-stocked pantry?

Having a well stocked pantry means a couple of things. First, it means that you have items in your pantry or cupboards that promote health [i.e. whole foods] that you can use to cook or bake with. Second, this includes having a few staples in the fridge or freezer that can be used to whip up a quick meal or snack. And lastly, this includes having “ready to eat” snack-type items that you can quickly grab when you’re needing something to munch on in a hurry.

The typical American pantry sadly includes mostly junk food like: store-bought chips, sugary cereal, crackers, cookies, candy bars, etc. These foods are extremely easy to over eat, and they tend to leave you wanting more. You see, junk food is actually purposefully engineered to keep you wanting more! There’s just the right amount of sugar, salt and unhealthy fat that’s completely irresistible. While great for the junk food industries pockets, it’s not so great for your health [body, mind and soul].

My Guide to Your Well Stocked Pantry.

Pantry Staples.

pantry staples are foods that make creating a meal or snack simple. These are foods that are mostly shelf stable but still whole-food based.

• canned or dry beans
• coffee beans
• canned tomatoes
• sweet potatoes or other potatoes
• pasta: whole grain, lentil pasta or other gluten-free pasta of choice. I love these gluten-free buckwheat noodles for stir-frys
• whole grain oats
• flours for baking: whole wheat flour, almond flour, coconut flour
• bakings items: baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract
• sweets: maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar
• arrowroot starch [used for thickening sauces]
• collagen peptides [for smoothies or bulletproof coffee] or protein powder
• oils/fats: coconut oil, olive oil, sesame oil, ghee, grass-fed butter
• things to make sauces: tamari or coconut aminos, tahini, raw apple cider and red wine vinegar
• nut butters: almond butter, peanut butter [no sugar or other oils added, please!]
• nuts and seeds: ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, raw almonds, raw walnuts, raw cashews,
• cacao nibs
• unsweetened shredded coconut

I always have my pantry ingredients on hand to make these super delicious Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Check out the recipe here.

Spices.

when we moved from the US to the Netherlands we couldn’t bring any food items with us, not even spices. I ended up either throwing out or gifting a ton of spices. What I realized by doing that is that I really don’t use that many spices. I have a core few that I use for pretty much everything.

• cinnamon
• ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg [or pumpkin pie spice]
• taco seasonings: chili powder, cumin, paprika — or a pre-made taco seasoning without additives
• garlic powder
• herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning
• turmeric
• red pepper flakes [if you like some spice!]
• sea salt
• black pepper

if you havent tried a turmeric latte yet, check out my recipe here.

Fridge Staples.

these are less shelf stable items that I typically have on hand for easy meals, breakfast or snacking.

• whole organic yogurt
• unsweetened almond milk or other nut milk [I’ve recently been keeping my homemade vanilla cashew milk on hand]
• sparking water
• lemons
• grass-fed butter
• seasonal fruit
• organic, pasture-raised eggs
• organic cheese
• whole grain or gluten-free bread
• condiments: mustard, organic ketchup, hot sauce, nut butters, tamari or coconut aminos, tahini, sweet chili sauce

Freezer Staples.

I like to stock up on a few freezer items just in case I can’t make it to the store and we need a quick dinner.

• ground chicken, turkey and/or grass-fed beef
• whole grain or gluten free tortillas
• leftovers
• frozen fruit for smoothies
• pre-peeled bananas for smoothies
• frozen spiralized zucchini for smoothies [I buy this pre-spiralized at the grocery store]
• frozen peas or other veggies on occasion

green smoothies are so easy to make and require just a few pantry and freezer ingredients. 

Ready-to-eat Staples.

these are things that make a quick, on-the-go snack that are ready to eat.

• raw nuts and seeds [or a homemade trail mix]
• dark chocolate [70% cacao or higher]
• dried fruit [no added sugar or oils if possible]

one of my favorite snacks is homemade trail mix — I like a mixture of raw nuts and dark chocolate chips.

I rarely buy chips or other snack foods because I typically make my own. If you’re looking for some healthier snack alternatives, send me an email [simply reply to this email] and I can give you some specific recommendations, but as a general rule of thumb, look for foods with 5 ingredients or less, without added sugar, vegetable oils, and artificial anything. 

I almost always have these homemade snacks on hand:

• Healthy Gingerbread Granola
• Whole Wheat Flax Crackers
• No-Bake Cocoa Granola bars or Healthy Whole Grain No-Bake Granola Bars [I store these in the freezer!]

And there you have it, friends!

**Please note that my pantry staple items do not necessarily include my meal planning items which will include lots of fresh veggies and meat or fish that I’ve planned for weekly dinners. If you’d like more information on meal planning, I have an awesome step-by-step guide to meal planning as well as a sample meal plan to get you started!**

Happy Spring! And here’s to many warm, sunny days — and a well stocked pantry!