Here are my top pantry staples. These are the things I always have on hand to make life healthier and easier along with bits of information about why I love and how I use these ingredients!
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Avocado Oil – Cooking oils are probably the easiest swap when you begin cleaning up your pantry for natural clean living! This is my favorite avocado oil. I always have this oil on hand for any high heat cooking.
Grass Fed Ghee – I also have this ghee (which is clarified butter) on hand. It’s dairy free since the milk solids have been removed and is also great for high heat cooking when you want the butter flavor without the burt butter flavor, know what I mean?
Grass Fed Vanilla Bean Ghee – This stuff is amazing! I love it for bulletproofing my coffee or subbing out for the called for butter or ghee in a baked goods recipe, it adds such a nice flavor and aroma.
Grinder Salt – I’m a little bit picky about my salt…. I mean it’s in the name right! Everything should be “Finished with Salt”! I always use a salt grinder (unless baking, in which I then use fine sea salt for even measuring).
Sea Salt Flakes – Yes, more salt! Told ya, I’m serious about it. This salt is the perfect finishing salt when you want it to be a visible finish and what I always use on my Chocolate Almond Butter Cups and Sunbutter Cups.
Apple Cider Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar is known to help improve digestion and I keep it on hand for everything from cleaning to cooking!
Balsamic Vinegar – I’m a bit obsessed with balsamic vinegar and do occasionally fulfill my cravings with a loaf of artisan bread, olive oil, flaky salt and this balsamic vinegar for dunking.
Balsamic Glaze – Yes. Yes, I do keep two types of balsamic vinegar on hand at all times….sometimes more! This glaze is thicker than your traditional vinegar and sweetened with sugar but it is amazing on top of salads and makes a tasty and decorative finish to dishes like my Watermelon Balsamic Skewers and Mozzarella Salami Summer Skewers.
Mushroom Coffee – If you follow me on Instagram you probably already know that I’m really into mushroom coffee and I get these convenient individual servings sized mixes which allow me to get my coffee ready in a flash. I alternate between my usual Lion’s Mane and Chaga and this Cordyceps and Chaga. And I just saw they also have a ground brewable option which I haven’t tried yet. I love that lion’s mane is a natural nootropic which supports the cognitive functions of memory, focus and concentration – all things I can use some support for as a mom!
Collagen Peptides – Adding collagen into your diet is vital in aiding your body’s natural process of repair. It also is beneficial for gut health and helps to strengthen your skin, hair and nails. SO many benefits! I love this grass fed collagen which also adds a nice boost of protein. I add it each morning to my coffee and it’s tasteless! Perfect! I also use this ingredient in my Raspberry Orange Pomegranate Protein Smoothie recipe.
Unsweetened Coconut Milk – This is my FAVORITE coconut milk that I add to all recipes because it doesn’t make the food taste like coconut but it does impart creaminess. I use this coconut milk in my Whole30 Zuppa Toscana Soup, Creamy Potato Leek Soup, Whole30 Mashed Potatoes, Chocolate Peppermint Cups and Pineapple Green Smoothie and SO many more!
Arrowroot Powder – Arrowroot powder is used in many of my recipes, both in baked goods and as a thickener. You can find this ingredient in my Whole30 Gravy, Egg Free Pie Crust and Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies.
Cassava Flour – I’ve been loving Cassava flour for baked grain free paleo goods like my super easy and delicious roll out/cut out Cassava Flour Sugar Cookies!
Almond Flour – Try my Paleo Shortbread Cookies, Healthy Turkey Meatballs and Grain Free Double Chocolate Chip Muffins which all use this super fine almond flour!
Coconut Flour – I use this coconut flour in Paleo Baked Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Sauce recipe for a crispy texture (without the coconut flavor)!
Egg Replacer – Being a family who loves eggs, it was really hard to learn of an egg allergy but this egg replacer has worked amazingly to replace eggs in some of my favorite recipes I developed with eggs! Helloooo Double Chocolate Almond Cake Brownies! (I also have since subbed cashews for almonds and that works equally as well.)
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – This mild (not bitter) chocolatey cocoa powder is what I use in all my recipes like my Chocolate Smoothie, Paleo Hot Cocoa and Grain Free Double Chocolate Cookies.
Chocolate Chips – My favorite allergen free dark chocolate chips are always in my pantry and I don’t use anything else! I use these in my Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies and Double Chocolate Almond Cake Brownies.
Pure Vanilla Extract – You probably grew up like I did with imitation vanilla extract and I probably don’t need to tell you that it’s no replacement for the real thing. Pure vanilla extract is a MUST when baking!
Peppermint Extract – While you can probably get away without having peppermint extract most of the year, don’t be caught near December without it! I LOVE this extract for making my Chocolate Peppermint Cups.
Palm Shortening – One of the key ingredients in my Egg Free Pie Crust is this palm shortening.
Chia Seeds – I keep chia seeds around for adding to smoothies or making chia seed pudding from my homemade nut milks.
Flax Seed – I use flax seed in smoothies or for making flax eggs. I always buy whole seeds and grind them as needed to retain the most nutrients.
Maple Syrup – I love the flavor maple syrup brings! I use it to sweeten my coffee and in many baked goods such as my Paleo Pumpkin Bars with Maple Walnut Frosting (the frosting is AMAZING!), on my Gluten Free (and Egg Free) Waffles, and in my Blackberry Winter Cobbler.
Raw Local Honey – I use honey in MANY of my recipes and I’m really picky about my honey. Bees are vital to crop production and deserve a lot of respect. I believe you should always find local honey either direct from a local farmer or from a farmer’s market both to support local honey production AND because local honey provides you with allergy support from what grows in your area.
Some of my recipes that utilize honey include: Montmorency Sour Cherry Crumble and No-Bake Almond Energy Bites.
Basmati Rice – I love white basmati rice! My very first client as a postpartum doula (read more about that experience on my Baby Must Haves post!) told me basmati rice is the best rice ever! I’d never tried it at that point but man, was she right! I haven’t bought anything but basmati rice since! Recipes I serve over basmati rice include my Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken, Asian Stir Fry and Tandoori Fried Rice which is made with basmati rice.
Banza Pasta – I had just about given up on finding a suitable non-gummy gluten free pasta that wasn’t filled with corn and was still enjoyable to eat. I tried ALL the brands and then found Banza and now always have it on hand for quick and easy meals! I’ve been recently enjoying their Spaghetti on repeat.
Castelvetrano Olives – The BEST olives I’ve ever had! And I’m already an olive fan. These are amazing and add so much fun and salty brine to a dish. Make sure to get them pitted!
Kalamata Olives – Yep, so we’ve established that I love olives and these kalamata’s were my favorites before I found the Castelvetranos but I still love them in dishes like my Zoodles with Pesto Shrimp! Yum!
Canned Tuna – A quick and easy protein source to have on hand for any situation. I love this brand because they test each and every fish for a mercury limit even lower than what is legally allowed. Their Elite Wild Skipjack Tuna is my favorite!
Tomato Paste Tubes – Long gone are the days when I buy a jar of tomato paste only to never finish it. Now I’m all about the tubes! And I always have one on hand for when it’s needed.
Nutritional Yeast – Anytime you want to give a dish a cheesy flavor without the dairy, you’ll want nutritional yeast on hand.
