So you want to start cooking more healthy, real foods for your family? That’s wonderful! If you are going to turn this “goal”, “resolution”, or “distant dream” into a reality, you need to plan for success. Hands down, the most important part of being successful in reaching your goal of healthier food for your family is going to be having a well-stocked pantry. Life became infinitely easier for me once my pantry got to the level it is at today.
Before, I would have a vague idea of wanting to cook something healthy. I’d consult my cookbooks or Mr. Google and search for a recipe. Numerous recipes would get shot down because I’d inevitably be missing something. Sullen and defeated, I’d return to the same, boring chicken, rice, and sauteed vegetable routine and have an unsatisfying meal.
Once in a while, though, I’d find a recipe I really wanted to try, and I’d go out and buy the missing ingredient. Then I’d make it a point to use that ingredient in other recipes. Then, I decided I could keep doing that. One by one, I added more healthy ingredients to my pantry.
It was a learning process. I’d often come across ingredients that I was clueless about. I’d do some research and add it to my grocery list. Eventually, these once-scary ingredients became staples. A transformation took place and my pantry became a place that I could go to and find ingredients I needed to make flavorful, healthy meals for my family.
You can do the same thing I did. It takes time, so if you have only a few or none of these ingredients in your pantry, don’t get discouraged! Choose one or two a week that you want to add and eventually you’ll have a well-stocked healthy pantry.
If you came to my house right now, here are some of the staple items you’d find gracing my cupboards, refrigerator, and freezer.
Nuts and Seeds
peanuts
walnuts
cashews
almonds
natural peanut butter
almond butter
coconut butter
sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
tahini (ground sesame paste)
flax seeds
chia seeds
Beans and Legumes
black beans
white beans
pinto beans
navy beans
kidney beans
chickpeas
lentils
Grains
brown rice
quinoa
barley
millet
wheat germ
bulger
rolled oats
steel-cut oats
corn meal
Dried Fruit
cranberries
raisins
cherries
bananas
Condiments
organic ketchup
stone ground mustard
dijon mustard
balsamic vinegar
apple cider vinegar
rice vinegar
red wine vinegar
reduced sodium organic tamari (a fermented soy product with more amino acids than regular soy sauce; wheat-free)
mellow white miso
Oils/Fats
organic real butter
extra virgin olive oil (first cold pressed)
coconut oil
grapeseed oil
Sweeteners
stevia
agave nectar
raw honey
sucanat
xylitol
pure maple syrup
Milk
almond milk
coconut milk
soy milk
Baking Essentials
baking powder
baking soda
unsweetened cocoa powder
unsweetened baker’s chocolate squares
pure vanilla extract
Flours
white whole wheat flour
whole wheat pastry flour
brown rice flour
spelt flour
coconut flour
Spices
I won’t name all of my spices as I have a lot, but here are the ones I go to most frequently.
sea salt
black pepper
cinnamon
nutmeg
allspice
ground cloves
ground ginger
basil
oregano
thyme
rosemary
turmeric
cumin
coriander
chili powder
curry
paprika
cayenne pepper
crushed red pepper
Freezer Items
Especially important for us during the winter when we can’t get certain produce items in season.
blueberries
raspberries
mixed fruit
edamame
corn
peas
spinach
Other Staple Items
nutritional yeast
fresh garlic
fresh ginger
arrowroot (a natural, plant-based thickener that I use instead of corn starch)
powdered kelp
organic eggs from a local farm
plain organic yogurt
fresh, in season produce
I know that I am not finished with building my healthy pantry; I will continue to find more healthy ingredients to add that will help me in my mission of serving real food to my family. How have you done with building a well-stocked, healthy pantry? What essential items is my pantry missing?
I am IN LOVE with your pantry. I have been a vegetarian for 18 years (just turned 30) and am 4 months pregnant with my first child. I am so excited to have found your website, and I think I might even print out a picture of your panty and put it on my fridge!
Thanks – your website is beautiful!!
Thank you so much, Angela! Congrats on your pregnancy and best of luck!
Maryea,
Where do you usually shop? I have a Sunflower Farmer’s Market, Vitamin (Natural Grocers) Cottage, Whole Foods and of course my normal grocery store King Soopers (which is the same as Kroger or any of the other branches). I do have a limited budget of about $80/week. Can I make this happen buying foods like this? I know some of them are pretty expensive especially nuts and such. What are your tips for me for starting out. What would you recommend me starting with? Also where do you find your recipes for healthy meals usually?
I have 4 different stores that I normally shop at. I know most people get all their groceries at one store, but unfortunately there isn’t ONE grocery store that has everything I need at the best price. So I rotate between Dorothy Lane Market (which is a local natural grocery food store that is similar to Whole Foods. I love it, but it can get pricey), Trader Joe’s, Kroger, and Health Foods, Unlimited.
I think buying healthy foods is totally doable on a budget of $80/week, you just may need to put in more effort and forgo some convenience in order to save money. I would look into buying things like nuts in bulk online. I haven’t done this, but have heard that you can save a lot of money by doing so. You can also save a ton of money by doing things like making your own vegetable stock, bread, etc. but like I said it just will take time and effort.
My recipes come from a lot of different places. I have a decent cookbook collection that I draw from. I’m working on a new page where I review my cookbooks; it should be ready this week so look for that. 🙂
Good luck on your journey and let me know if there is anything else I can do to help!
I am so completely jealous of how organized your pantry is! Something to aspire to for sure.
Now if I could only get my clothes closet this organized. 🙂
Hi Maryea,
Oh I just found your blog from Chronicles of a Babywise Mom (which I love!). I for sure need your help. I have one daughter and she is almost 18 months old. She doesn’t eat everything, she is pretty picky. She has never had any jarred baby food, etc, b/c I’ve made everything for her. She has all her teeth already so she can eat anything I guess. My husband and I are wanting to have a healthier lifestyle but it’s so hard to get started. I need your help! This post was awesome but I wouldn’t know what to use most of that for. 🙂 Please help me the best you can. I am desperate and we really want to be more healthy especially for my little girl, and hopefully more to come :).
Thanks so much!!
Getting started is the hardest part! Once you get going, you will get more and more comfortable with new ingredients and it will start to seem natural. Take it slow. Make a goal to try one new recipe a week with healthy, real foods. If it calls for an ingredient you don’t have, buy it and give it a try. Just make sure you then seek out new recipes with that new ingredient! Building your healthy pantry takes time, but you will get there eventually if you take this approach. Good luck! 🙂
Maryea,
One other question, where did you purchase all of your lovely containers for the nuts in your pantry? I need to get some, as mine are currently stored in my freezer and I only have containers for some of them. Thanks!
I love that you called them lovely containers! 🙂 The smaller ones are recycled apple sauce containers (I always save those for when I need a glass container) and the larger ones are from Health Foods Unlimited. They had them for about $2.00. I just made some labels in my word processing program and taped them on with packing tape.
What a great post! Our pantries look very similar, but something I recently started keeping on hand is canned light coconut milk for soups and sauces and brown rice syrup for baking. And popcorn seeds for the air popper and snacking.
I just did a whole makeover on my spice cupboard (post coming soon), so maybe next I should do my pantry. 🙂 Yours looks great!
I use a lot of coconut milk, too, as much as I hate to use canned goods (because of the BPA in the lining). I have never used brown rice syrup though. It’s definitely something that’s been on my radar for a while, but I haven’t tried it yet. We make our popcorn the old fashioned way with real butter or coconut oil. 🙂 I’ll have to check out your post on your spice cupboard–mine could use some organization! I think I need a spice rack or something–with so many bottles it’s hard to keep them neat. (Even though I admit I do have them alphabetized. ha ha)
Great list! I also always have a few cans of diced tomatoes on hand, especially in the winter months when fresh tomatoes aren’t so great.
Yes! Why didn’t I list diced tomatoes? I always have them on hand, too. Thanks, Lee.
I’m on the learning curve too, but this is a helpful list. I love how organized your pantry is! Mine is such a mess right now. I’ve really changed a lot of our staple items, and so it needs a major overhaul.
I have a question for you. Where do you get the white miso? I’ve looked for it three times now– at a regular grocery store, at whole foods, and at Trader Joe’s. The only thing I can find is the white miso soup packages, and dehydrated miso that isn’t white. I’ve seen the ingredient in several recipes from here, and some cookbooks, but I’ve just skipped it because I can’t find it. What exactly is it, and what does it add to a recipe?
Jane,
I found the white miso at Whole Foods in the refrigerated section. Hope this helps!
We don’t have a Whole Foods, but the grocery store I shop at regularly has it in the refrigerated section. It is a fermented paste made with either barley, rice, or soybeans, most typically soybeans. Fermented foods are very healthful. Miso is known to be good for digestion, have anti-viral effects, and build your immune system. It also adds great flavor to soups, dressings, etc. They say that it has “umami” flavor, the fifth human taste. If you can’t find it near you, maybe you could order it online?
Thanks Lisa and Maryea. I wasn’t looking in the refrigerated section. I guess I thought it was a powder, because I had seen some other red miso that was powdered. I’ll see if I can find some on our next shopping excursion.
Maryea, What do you use coconut butter for? I have just about everything you have except for coconut butter and grapeseed oil. I haven’t been able to bring myself to pay the price of grapeseed oil yet. It is quite pricey here in TN. Oh, and I really want to add powdered kelp, brown rice flour and coconut flour. Are you soaking your nuts in your pantry? I really want to learn how to do that, but, I don’t have a dehydrator yet. Do you dehydrate yours after soaking? And, we just tried chia seeds for the first time this morning in our green smoothie. Thanks for helping me on my journey to better health for my family. We just started on this journey in August, so, I’m still on the learning curve.
No, the nuts aren’t soaking in the pantry. I do occasionally soak my nuts, but only when a recipe calls for it. I’m not quite there yet, but I’m really interested in learning more about soaking nuts, grains, etc. and sprouting grains and beans. There’s so much to learn! It sounds like you are doing great in a very short amount of time! I’m glad I’ve been able to help you some. 🙂
Oops I forgot to answer your question about coconut butter. The jar in my pantry is actually the first jar I’ve had, and I love it. It is so delicious. I think of it as a healthy indulgence because it is really high in calories, but I melt it and put it on my oatmeal, use it on toast, or melt it and put it on fruit for a snack. A little goes a long way and it really is so delicious. I’m going to experiment with making my own in the food processor because it’s pretty expensive. I’ve had the one jar for a while though, it lasts a long time because I don’t use a lot at a time. Meghan looooooves it, too and I like getting healthy fats in her.