As moms, we set the tone at home for our families, and that includes teaching our kids the importance of eating real food. We want to build lifelong healthy habits for our children and prevent heart disease, obesity, unhealthy cholesterol, blood sugar problems, and more. Making a list of all the foods I can store has been a huge help with this.
Two priorities for our family are to avoid processed foods with additives and added sugars and to eat more whole foods. I do this by keeping my kitchen well stocked and planning my meals. This will help you get the not-so-good options out of the house and make it easier to choose healthy items. It also saves you money on grocery shopping (which is a huge amount right now!).
But what does a real food kitchen look like? There are so many options at the grocery store that it can be overwhelming when making your shopping list. Here are the foods I usually focus on for my family. These products make it easy to choose a natural food diet.
Complete Food List for Your Pantry
This is a great place to stock up on pantry items because they last a long time. And if you can buy in bulk or find items on sale, this is a great way to save money! I cook using a lot of fresh and frozen ingredients, and pantry space is limited. But I like to keep things in my pantry 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 a variety of coconut products, from coconut oil, coconut milk and cream to shredded coconut and coconut flour. I love making chocolate coconut clusters for a snack and coconut granola for breakfast. We use a lot of coconut oil when roasting vegetables or baking, and even my kids eat it with a spoon!
I buy most of my coconut products from Tropical Traditions. You can find these products online and in stores too at reasonable prices. Look for unrefined, organic, cold-pressed versions.
olive oil
Olive oil is a great source of monounsaturated fat. Buy the healthiest extra virgin olive oil. Use in homemade salad dressings and mayonnaise. There has been controversy over whether it can be used in cooking. Studies have found that it is safe to use in cooking. That said, it’s not the cheapest option among cooking oils.
Unfortunately, some less-than-ideal olive oils are sold as extra virgin. I trust and recommend it Cassandrinos Because it is the best quality I have found for the price.
Other Healthy Fats
I also love using lard, tallow, and ghee in cooking and baking. I make it when I have time to save money. However, when I am short on time, I purchase from a trusted source. I make or buy them in bulk and store them in 1 gallon or 5 gallon buckets to take advantage of the cost savings. US Wellness Meats offers organic, grass-fed tallow (high in CLA) in bulk quantities at affordable prices.
vinegar
Use balsamic and red wine in cooking, apple cider vinegar. I mainly use this vinegar in salad dressings and marinades. When I feel like I have a cold, I drink two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in water.
nuts
So you can have it as a snack on the go walnut, cashews, almonds, macadamia nuts, etc. are available. I like to soak and then dehydrate before storing to reduce the phytic acid. PS Macadamia nuts dipped in 90% dark chocolate and then cooled are one of my favorite snacks.
I also use it to make homemade nut butter like almond butter or homemade nut milk like almond milk. Be sure to buy organic, and if you want to dehydrate, choose raw rather than roasted products.
Raw nuts will last about 6-9 months, so keep this in mind when purchasing. If you want to store it longer, you can freeze it.
canned fish
Canned fish is an easy way to pack protein on the go or make a quick meal in a pinch. I keep going sardine, grab tuna, wild salmon, etc. to make tuna salad and salmon patties. Buy wild-caught for the most sustainable and healthy option.
self canning vegetables
We have a large garden with lots of tomatoes and other vegetables. To save these vegetables for future use and to save money, I have been canning most of my vegetables and sauces. It may take more time, but you can make ketchup, tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, hot sauce, tomato soup, and more using tomatoes from your garden.
There used to be concerns about BPA in cans (which is why I started my canning adventure), but most canned foods now contain BPA-free. If you can’t eat canned vegetables, make sure the label says they’re BPA-free, or look for these foods: in a glass bottle.
vegetable
Some vegetables do not need to be refrigerated and can be stored in the pantry for a long time. Keep sweet potatoes, onions, winter squash, garlic, etc. in the pantry and always eat them before they spoil.
baking ingredients
We love to bake! I keep a variety of paleo and gluten-free ingredients on hand so I’m ready whenever the mood strikes. We have several types of flour on hand. Sometimes I make it myself, but I often buy it in bulk.
Sweeteners include raw honey (we get it from beehives because my parents have beehives!), organic maple syrup, dates, coconut sugar In your hand. We also maintain:
textile
We don’t eat a lot of grains or legumes, so we don’t buy a lot of them. Now that my Hashimoto’s is in remission, I’ve added a small amount. organic jasmine rice. I will eat it no more than once a week. I prefer white rice over brown rice (you can find out why here).
I also prepare dried black beans to use in Mexican beef and rice bowls. Cooking them in a pressure cooker first makes them easier to digest. Because it’s a legume, I don’t eat it very often (along with lentils and chickpeas).
herbs and spices
I have an entire cabinet dedicated to herbs and spices. In my opinion, good spices 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 is an antibacterial agent, and peppermint and ginger are good for nausea. Elderberries make great syrups and gummies. Some of these herbs and spices may also help with appetite control and weight loss when used in cooking.
Culinary herbs and spices
I use a variety of herbs and spices in my cooking.
Buy a Real Food Fridge
Keeping the fridge stocked is even harder when you have six kids! A full fridge never seems to last very long. I sometimes have a hard time finding the space we need to store all the fresh food we eat. So I bought a stand-up freezer and an additional refrigerator.
These are whole foods we stock up on to help us make healthy choices.
vegetable
Slice cucumbers, carrots, and celery into thin slices and store them in the refrigerator so kids can eat them quickly. I also keep lettuce and spinach for salads and cabbage for sauerkraut (usually fermenting on the counter). For added variety, I also buy a variety of healthy vegetables to use in side dishes and recipes. I also have some frozen vegetables from last year’s garden stored in our freezer.
fruit
We buy fruit according to the season. These include blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, mango, and tangerines. I always like to have apples and oranges for my kids. I also buy lemons and limes to add to my water when they are in season. If it’s not in season, I use lemon and lime juice.
alternative milk
We don’t typically drink dairy, but we do use other milk substitutes. There’s always at least a gallon of store-bought or homemade coconut milk in the fridge for smoothies and drinks for the kids. We sometimes have almond milk or delicious homemade macadamia nut milk.
yogurt
We don’t eat a lot of yogurt, but I buy full-fat organic yogurt to isolate and make whey for fermentation, and yogurt cheese for cooking and vegetable dips. If I have time, I make it myself (especially good if I can find raw milk).
meat and seafood
Meat tends to get a bad rap, but it’s very important for nutrition and health. I aim to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight each day. (Learn more about meat in our diet by listening to this podcast and this one!) I buy chicken breasts and ground beef every week for batch cooking.
Buying meat and animal parts online from local farmers, regenerative farms or cooperatives saves you money. I stock up on nitrite-free bacon, sausage, and hot dogs when they’re on sale. I also like to freeze wild shrimp and wild salmon for seafood recipes.
egg
We lay at least a dozen eggs a day, which makes maintaining them difficult. I buy 5-6 dozen a week, including a dozen that I boil for snacks. If you can afford it, buy organic, pasture-raised eggs. Or better yet, find a farmer who sells it. Now that we have ducks, we have fresh duck eggs which we really like.
Condiment
I started making most of my seasonings a few years ago because I didn’t like the options in the stores. But cleaner eating options are becoming available online and in stores like Whole Foods Market. Primal Kitchen. My fridge regularly contains the following condiments:
What are your best tips for stocking your real food kitchen? What is your favorite object? clean eating?
