pantry essentials

Having a fully stocked kitchen makes healthy cooking at home so much easier. With this guide, you'll be recipe prepared throughout the week, just pick up the produce or specialty items you need and you're good to go!

Many of these items I buy in bulk and constantly keep stocked, others are just by the container or package. If you have never used some of these items before, wait to get them until you are going to use them, and keep in mind, everyone's kitchen is going to look different. 

Dry bulk items:

Grains

• quinoa
• brown rice
• oats
• buckwheat groats
• popcorn

Buy these in bulk and keep them in large jars to preserve freshness.

Other

• nutritional yeast
• beans- usually lentils, black beans, garbanzo beans (canned or dry)
• coconut milk cans
• almond milk or other nondairy milk (store in the refrigerator once opened)
• protein powder (Arbonne's vanilla flavor is my fave!)

Beans are a great foundation to a meal and, whether canned or dried, have a long shelf life.  Keep cans of coconut milk for making curries and coconut yogurt. I'm always stocked with some extra almond milks for making smoothies or protein shakes. And my favorite protein powder! Check it out here.

Nuts, seeds, dried fruit

• almonds and walnuts (or whatever nuts you like)
• chia seeds
• hemp seeds 
• pumpkin seeds
• sesame seed 
• flax seeds (or flaxmeal) 
• goji berries
• dates
• honey

These are all great things to buy in bulk and store in mason jars.

Things for the refrigerator:

• peanut butter or other nut butter
• tahini 
• maple syrup
• spirulina
• cacao nibs or powder (or both)

You'll find these ingredients in a lot of my sweet treat recipes. Add spirulina to smoothies for extra protein and tons of micronutrients.

Oils and vinegar: 

• coconut oil
• sesame oil
• extra virgin olive oil
• Braggʻs amino acids
• rice vinegar 
• apple cider vinegar
• balsamic vinegar

It's nice to have a variety of oils and vinegars to choose from. Even if you are stuck in a cooking rut and making the same veggies every week, you can mix up the oil or vinegar to give the same dish a whole new dynamic.

Baking supplies:

• flours (whole wheat, unbleached white, gluten free, your choice)
• baking powder and baking soda
• sugar (I always have organic cane sugar for making kombucha and usually use maple syrup when I bake)
• vanilla extract

If you don't bake much you might be able to skip this section, although it is good to have these things around for when you do, they last a long time when stored correctly. On Maui I store all of these things in the fridge (flours, sugars, baking powder and soda) because of the humidity and the ants!

Spices:

• cumin
• paprika (smoked and regular)
• cayenne pepper
• chili powder
• chili flakes
• cinnamon
• dried herb mix (Italian herbs) 
• curry powder
• salt (Himalayan pink salt or Red Alaea salt)
• black pepper

Of course stock your favorite spices or the ones that you use the most. For me, these are the ones I am constantly using. Yes, I do have more than just these spices on my spice shelf, but these are the ones I try to always have on hand. 

What's in your pantry? I'd love to know what you can't live without so leave your comments!