Photograph by Kylie Martin
April showers bring May flowers and spring cleaning your pantry brings a happier and healthier YOU! Well I wish someone would come deliver a bucket of colorful tulips to me, but a girl can dream right!?
Creating and stocking your pantry is one of my top keys to success in eating healthy! That way you can create whatever your heart desires and feel great about it! Sharing my top 8 favorite necessities to always keep in your pantry, what to swap them out for (yes, yes just get rid of the junk I say!) and how to use them in your daily meals!
After all food should be fabulous and fun right?!
Celtic Sea Salt
swap refined, processed table salt with mineral rich Celtic sea salt
Salt is good for me? Why yes, unrefined mineral rich salt that is! We need salt for mineral balance, nourishing our adrenal glands and staying hydrated. Drinking too much water can actually dehydrate you more if you don’t have the proper minerals. Plus, Celtic sea salt will make your food come ALIVE!
Sprinkle it on everything—fried eggs for breakfast, roasted potatoes, and any grilled meats, burger bowls or steak, yes I promise your food will taste that much more amazing!
Grab your Celtic sea salt HERE.
Duck Fat, Pork Lard, Beef Tallow
swap processed vegetable oils with pure animal fats for frying and sautéing
Vegetable oils typically used in frying are highly processed, high in omega 6 fatty acids and can cause a lot of inflammation in your body—needless to say, stay away! Animal fats, lard or tallow are my favorite to cook with, and trust me your potatoes won’t actually taste like duck! 😉
If you are sensitive to dairy, these healthy oils will add rich flavor and fabulous texture to any of your seared meats or roasted vegetables, plus they make the crispiest of French fries, just saying! Be sure you are using high quality animal fats, because toxins are stored in the fatty tissues, so quality is most important here!
My favorites are:
- US Wellness Meats Duck Fat
- Epic Provisions Animal Fats
Almond, Coconut, Arrowroot Flour
swap gluten free flour blends (sorry usually the ingredients are bad) and white flour with these grain-free, nutrient dense flours
These grain-free flours are lower in carbohydrates so they won’t spike your blood sugar leading to that awful sugar crash that happens with most baked goods. Grain-free flours are also easy on your digestive system so you won’t have that brick in your stomach feeling. Arrowroot is a starch, so I think it should be used in small amounts such as to thicken sauces or as a dusting for frying!
Coconut Flakes
swap snack mixes, granola bars and chips with toasted coconut chips for the perfect amount of crunch
Simply toast thick, unsweetened coconut flakes in the oven at 350 for just a couple minutes until they are golden brown. Allow them to cool completely or place them in the refrigerator for the best, crispy texture!
Raw Honey and Maple Sugar
swap regular white sugar or processed honey with these mineral rich sources instead
*I also recommend coconut sugar, however I do not like how it bakes so I use it sparingly.
Grass-fed Collagen Peptides
swap highly processed protein powders (yes, even the one’s marketed as healthy!) with grass-fed collagen peptides
Collagen peptides can be added to any milkshake, smoothie or butter bullet proof coffee for extra protein. Grass-fed collagen is a real food, pure source of protein that can greatly help your skin, hair and digestive system!
Macadamia Nuts
swap sugar or candy filled trail mix with raw or lightly roasted macadamia nuts
Raw macadamia nuts are rich in healthy fats and proteins and my favorite snack! Just a handful will satisfy your cravings for something to snack on!
Raw macadamia nuts HERE
Spice Blends
swap sugar and gluten filled sauces or junk filled spice blends with real food based Primal Palate’s spice blends
Keep it simple and dress up your weeknight meals with some already prepared quality spice mixes! Sprinkle your burger patties, roasted vegetables, steak or chicken with some spices and voila dinner is served!
My favorite: Primal Palate’s Spice Blends
I love the ideas. I am living in Iceland so these things are impossible to find or too expensive for a single mother of 4. Do you know of companies that ship international and are not crazy expensive?
Thanks
These are great tips for keeping a well stocked pantry! I have about half of them but will definitely be adding the rest to my list 🙂 Thank you!!