As mothers, we set the tone for our family in our homes, and that includes teaching our children the importance of eating real food. We want to create lifelong health habits for our children and prevent things like heart disease, obesity, unhealthy cholesterol and blood sugar problems. Making a list of whole foods that I have on hand has really helped me with this.
Two priorities for my family are avoiding processed foods with additives and added sugars and eating more whole foods. I do this by keeping my kitchen well stocked and by planning meals. This keeps the less-than-stellar options out of the house, making it easier to choose healthy items. It also saves money on groceries (which is huge right now!).
But what does a real kitchen-diner look like? There are so many options at the grocery store, and it can be overwhelming when you’re making a grocery list. These are the foods I regularly focus on for my family. These products make it easy for us to choose a complete diet.
List of whole foods for your pantry
Pantry items are a great place to stock up because they last longer. And if you can buy in bulk or find a sale, this is a great way to save money! I cook with a lot of fresh and frozen ingredients, and I have a limited pantry. But I like to have pantry items on hand for cooking and baking.
Here is a list of the non-perishable foods on my shopping list. I often use these products in my clean eating recipes.
Coconut products
We use many different coconut products, from coconut oil and coconut milk and cream to shredded coconut and coconut flour. I love making chocolate coconut bunches for a treat and coconut granola for breakfast. We use a lot of coconut oil for roasting vegetables and baking, and my kids even eat it off the spoon!
I buy most of my coconut products from Tropical Traditions. You can also find these products online or in stores at reasonable prices. Just look for unrefined, organic, cold-pressed versions.
Olive oil
Olive oil is a great source of monounsaturated fats. Make sure you buy extra virgin olive oil as it is the healthiest option. I use it for homemade salad dressings and mayonnaise. There has been some controversy about whether to use it in cooking. From my research I have discovered that it is safe to cook with. That said, it’s not the cheapest option for cooking oil.
Unfortunately, some less than ideal olive oils are marketed as extra virgin. I trust Kasandrinos and recommend it because it is the best quality I have found for the price.
Other healthy fats
I also like to use lard, tallow and ghee in cooking and baking. When I have time, I make them to save money. But when I don’t have time, I buy them from trusted sources. I make or buy them in bulk to take advantage of cost savings and store them in 1 or 5 gallon buckets. US Wellness Meats has grass-fed, organic tallow (rich in CLA) in bulk at a competitive price.
Vinegar
For cooking I use balsamic vinegar, red wine and apple cider vinegar. I usually use this vinegar for salad dressings and marinades. When I feel like I have a cold, I drink a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in water.
Nuts
For on-the-go snacks, I keep walnuts, cashews, almonds, macadamia nuts, etc. on hand. I like to soak these and then dehydrate them before storing to reduce the phytic acid. PS Macadamia nuts dipped in 90% dark chocolate and then cooled are one of my favorite treats.
I also use them to make homemade nut butters like almond butter and homemade nut milks like almond milk. Make sure you buy organic ones, and if you want to dehydrate them, opt for raw instead of roasted.
Raw nuts have a shelf life of about 6-9 months, so keep that in mind when purchasing. If you want them to last longer, you can freeze them.
Canned fish
Canned fish is an easy way to pack protein on the go or a quick meal in a pinch. I keep sardines, tuna, wild caught salmon, etc. on hand to make tuna salads and salmon patties. Buy wild-caught fish for the most sustainable, healthy option.
Home-canned vegetables
We have a large garden with lots of tomatoes and other vegetables. To preserve these vegetables for future use (and to save money!), I canned most of my own vegetables and sauces. It takes more time, but I can make ketchup, tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, hot sauce, tomato soup, etc. from the tomatoes in our garden.
There was concern about BPA in cans (which is what started my canning adventure), but now most canned foods are free of BPA. If canning your vegetables isn’t an option, make sure the label says no BPA, or look for these foods in glass jars.
Vegetables
Some vegetables do not need to be refrigerated and have a long shelf life in the pantry. We have sweet potatoes, onions, winter squashes, garlic, etc. in the pantry, and they always get eaten before they go bad.
Baking ingredients
We love baking! I have lots of different paleo and gluten-free ingredients on hand, so when the mood strikes, we’re ready. We have a number of different types of flour in stock. Sometimes we make our own products, but often we buy them in large quantities
For sweeteners, I have raw honey (my parents have beehives, so we get it from them!), organic maple syrup, dates and coconut sugar on hand. We also store:
Dry goods
We don’t eat a lot of grains and legumes, so I don’t buy a lot of them. Now that I am in remission for my Hashimoto’s, I have added a small amount of organic jasmine rice. We eat it once a week or less. I prefer white rice to brown rice (you can read why here).
I also keep dry black beans on hand for Mexican beef and rice bowls. These are first soaked and cooked in the pressure cooker to make them easier to digest. Because they are legumes, I don’t eat them that often (along with lentils and chickpeas).
Herbs and spices
I have an entire cupboard dedicated to herbs and spices. In my opinion, good spices can make the difference between a good meal and a great meal. Some herbs also have medicinal properties, sometimes fulfilling a dual function.
Oregano is antimicrobial and peppermint and ginger are great for nausea. Elderberries make great syrups and gummies. Some of these herbs and spices also help in appetite control and weight loss when used in cooking.
Culinary herbs and spices
When cooking I use different herbs and spices:
Stocking a real food refrigerator
With six kids it’s harder to keep the fridge stocked! A full refrigerator never seems to last long. Sometimes I find it difficult to find the space I need for all the fresh food we eat. That’s why I bought an upright freezer and an extra refrigerator.
These are the whole foods I stock so we have healthy choices at our fingertips.
Vegetables
For quick snacks the kids can grab, I keep sliced cucumbers, carrots, and celery in the refrigerator. I also save lettuce and spinach for salads and cabbage to make sauerkraut (which is usually in some stage of fermentation on my counter). To add some variety, I also buy a wide range of healthy vegetables for side dishes and recipes. I also keep some frozen vegetables from last year’s garden in our freezer.
Fruit
We buy fruit based on what is in season. These include blueberries, strawberries, kiwis, mangoes, tangerines, etc. I always like to have apples and oranges for the kids. I also buy lemons and limes when they are in season to add to our water. When they are not in season, I use lemon and lime juice.
Alternative milk
We don’t normally drink dairy products, but we use other milk alternatives. There is always at least a gallon of store-bought or homemade coconut milk in the fridge for smoothies and drinks for the kids. We sometimes have almond milk or even delicious homemade macadamia nut milk.
Yogurt
Although we don’t eat much yogurt, I buy the full-fat organic kind to separate and make whey for fermentation, and yogurt cheese for cooking and vegetable dips. When I have time, I make my own (this is especially great if you have access to raw milk).
Meat and seafood
Meat tends to get a bad rap, but it’s super important for our diet and health. I aim to eat 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight every day. (Listen to this podcast and this one to learn more about meat in our diet!) I buy chicken breasts and ground beef every week to cook in batches.
It saves money to buy meat, and even part of an animal, from a local farmer or online from regenerative farms or cooperatives. I stock up on nitrite-free bacon, sausage and hot dogs when they are on sale. I also like to keep frozen wild-caught shrimp and wild-caught salmon for seafood recipes.
Eggs
We go through at least a dozen eggs a day so it’s hard to keep these around. I buy 5-6 dozen a week, including the dozen I hard boil for snacks. If you can afford them, buy organic, pastured eggs. Or better yet, find a farmer who sells them. We have ducks now, so we have fresh duck eggs that we really enjoy.
Spices
I started making most of my own spices years ago because I’m not too fond of the store-bought options. However, more and more clean eating options are becoming available at stores like Whole Foods Market or online at Primal Kitchen. I regularly have these herbs in my refrigerator:
What are your best tips for stocking a real food kitchen? What are your favorite things to keep on hand? clean eating?