As mothers, we set the tone in our home for our family, and that includes teaching our children the importance of eating real foods. 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 to keep on hand has really helped me with this.
Two priorities for my family are avoiding processed foods with additives and added sugar and eating more whole foods. I do this by keeping my kitchen well stocked and meal planning. This keeps the not-so-good options out of the house, making it easier to choose healthy items. It also saves money on grocery shopping (which is huge right now!).
But what does a real food kitchen look like? There are so many options at the grocery store and it can be overwhelming when creating a shopping list. Here are the foods I focus on for my family on a regular basis. These products make it easy for us to choose a whole food diet.
Whole foods list for your pantry
Pantry items are a great place to stock up as they last longer. And if you can buy in bulk or find a sale, it's a great way to save money! I cook with a lot of fresh and frozen ingredients, and have limited pantry space. But I like to keep pantry items on hand for cooking and baking.
Here is a list of non-perishable foods on my grocery list. I use these products often 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 like to do chocolate coconut clusters for a treatment and coconut granola for the morning. We use a lot of coconut oil for roasting vegetables and baking, and my kids even eat it by the spoonful!
I buy most of my coconut products from Tropical traditions. You can also find these products at reasonable prices online or in stores. Just look for unrefined, organic, cold-pressed versions.
Olive oil
Olive oil is a great source of unsaturated fats. Be sure to buy extra virgin olive oil, which is the healthiest option. I use it for homemade salad dressings and mayonnaise. There has been some controversy over using it in cooking. From my research, I have found that it is safe to cook with. That said, it's not the cheapest alternative to cooking oils.
Unfortunately, some less than ideal olive oils are marketed as extra virgin. I believe and recommend Cassandrino because it's the best quality I've found for the price.
Other healthy fats
I also like to use lard, greaseAND ghee in cooking and baking. When I have time, I do them to save money. But when I don't have time, I buy them from reliable sources. I make or buy them in bulk to take advantage of the cost savings and store them in 1 or 5 gallon buckets. US Wellness Meats has organic grass-fed fat (high in CLA) in bulk for a great price.
vinegar
For cooking, use balsamicred wine and apple cider vinegar. I use these vinegars mainly for salad dressings and marinades. When I feel a cold coming on, I drink one two tablespoons apple cider vinegar in water.
nuts
For on-the-go meals, I carry them nuts, cashews, almonds, macadamia nuts, etc. I liked absorb and then dehydrate these before storing to reduce phytic acid. PS Macadamia nuts dipped in 90% dark chocolate and then cooled are one of my favorite desserts.
I also use them to make homemade nut butters as well almond butter and homemade nut milk as well almond milk. Make sure you buy them organic and if you want to dehydrate them, choose raw instead of roasted.
Raw nuts last about 6-9 months, so keep that in mind when buying. You can freeze them if you want them to keep longer.
Canned fish
Canned fish is an easy way to pack protein on the go or a quick meal in a pinch. STAY sardinestuna, wild caught salmon, etc., on hand to make tuna salad and salmon patties. Buy wild caught for the most sustainable and healthy option.
Self-canned vegetables
We have a big garden with lots of tomatoes and other vegetables. To preserve these vegetables for future use (and to save money!), I canned most of my vegetables and sauces. This takes more time, but I can make ketchup, tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, chili sauce, tomato soup, etc. from the tomatoes in our garden.
There were concerns about BPA in cans (and that's what started me on my canning adventure), but now most canned foods are BPA free. If canning vegetables isn't an option, make sure the label says BPA-free or look for these foods in glass jars.
Vegetables
Some vegetables do not need to be refrigerated and can be stored in the pantry for a long time. Sweet potatoes, onions, winter squash, garlic, etc. we keep them in the pantry, and they are always eaten before they spoil.
Baking ingredients
We want to bake! I keep lots of different paleo and gluten-free ingredients on hand, so whenever the mood strikes, we're ready. We carry several different ones types of flour in hand. Sometimes we make them ourselves, but often we buy them in bulk
ABOUT sweetenersI carry raw honey (my parents have beehives so we get it from them!), organic maple syrup, dates and coconut sugar in hand. We also carry:
Dry goods
We don't eat a lot of grains or legumes, so I don't buy a lot of them. Now that I'm in remission from my Hashimoto's, I've added a small amount organic jasmine rice. We will eat it once a week or less. I prefer white rice over brown rice (you can read why here).
I also keep dried black beans on hand Mexican Beef and Rice Bowls. These are soaked and pressure cooked first to make them easier to digest. BECAUSE are legumesI don't eat them very often (along with lentils and chickpeas).
Herbs and Spices
I have an entire cabinet dedicated to herbs and spices. In my opinion, good seasoning can make the difference between a good meal and a great meal. Some herbs also have medicinal properties, so they sometimes do double duty.
oregano it is antimicrobial and menthol and ginger are great for mixed. elders make great syrup and gum. Some of these herbs and spices also aid in appetite control and weight loss when used in cooking.
Herbs and culinary spices
I use a variety of herbs and spices in cooking:
Providing a real food fridge
With six kids, it's harder to keep the fridge stocked! A stocked fridge never seems to last long. Sometimes I struggle to find the space I need for all the fresh food we eat. So I bought a deep freezer and an extra freezer.
These are the whole foods I keep stocked up on so we have healthy choices within reach.
Vegetables
For quick snacks that kids can eat, I keep sliced cucumbers, carrots, and celery in the fridge. I also keep lettuce and spinach for salads and cabbage to make sauerkraut (which is usually in a fermentation stage on my counter). To add 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.
Fruits
We buy fruit based on what's in season. These include blueberries, strawberries, kiwis, mangoes, tangerines, etc. I love having apples and oranges for the kids all the time. I also buy lemons and limes when they are in season to add to our water. If they are not in season, I use lemon and lime juice.
Alternative milk
We usually don't drink dairy products, but we will use other milk alternatives. There is always at least one gallon of store bought or homemade coconut milk in the fridge for smoothies and drinks for the kids. Sometimes we have almond milk or even delicious homemade macadamia nut milk.
yogurt
Although we don't eat a lot of yogurt, I buy the organic full fat one to split and make whey for fermenting, and yogurt cheese for cooking and veggies. When I have time, I do mine (this is especially great if you have access to raw milk).
Meat and seafood
Meat tends to get a bad rap, but it is very important to our nutrition and health. I aim to eat 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. (I listen this podcast AND this to learn more about meat in our diet!) I buy chicken breasts and ground beef for group cooking every week.
She saves money to buy meat, even a part of an animal, from a local farmer or online from regenerative farms or cooperatives. Stock up on nitrite-free bacon, sausage, and hot dogs when they're on sale. I also like to keep frozen wild-caught shrimp and wild-caught salmon for seafood recipes.
egg
We go through at least a dozen eggs a day, so keeping them is difficult. I buy 5-6 dozen a week, including the dozen I boil hard for snacks. If you can afford them, buy organic, pasture-raised eggs. Or better yet, find a farmer who sells them. We have ducks now, so we have fresh duck eggs which we really like.
seasoning
I started making most of my own spices years ago because I don't like the options in stores. However, more clean eating options are becoming available at stores like Whole Foods Market or online Primary kitchen. I regularly have these spices in the fridge:
What are your best tips for outfitting a real food kitchen? What are your favorite things to hold? clean food?
