People have been asking me what I keep in the pantry and the fridge. Now that I don’t have all those grain products they have thought I might have lots of empty space! Especially with just two of us.
When we first decided to adopt the primal lifestyle I had a clean out of the pantry and fridge. We were already eating fairly healthy foods so it was really more a matter of getting rid of the grains, legumes, oils and a few processed things. My husband has type 2 diabetes and has had a heart attack so we were very conscious of these things. Thus there was not a stock of sugary foods, rice, potatoes etc. But there was plenty of low fat things!
I decided early on that it was best practice for us to have only the right things in our pantry/fridge. That way we would always have them available and not be tempted to eat the old SAD `foods’. The big change over became a weekend project. Out with the old and in with the new!!
So here is a list of the basics we now keep in the kitchen. I have divided it into Pantry, Fridge/freezer, Homemade things I keep on hand, and the garden.
Pantry
- Raw almonds (I make my own almond meal/flour – it’s cheaper than buying it ready made)
- Raw macadamia nuts
- Raw walnuts
- Coconut flour
- Coconut sugar
- Coconut flakes
- Coconut – desiccated
- Coconut milk/cream (I like to make my own, but it doesn’t always happen)
- Coconut aminos (a great soy free alternative to soy sauce)
- Coconut vinegar – balsamic style
- Coconut oil
- Canned pink salmon (Aldi have a nice one that is reasonably priced)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Red wine vinegar
- Mustard (a variety)
- Olive oil – (I like the light oil for making mayonnaise. I also like to get a local Australian brand. I read recently that some of the others may have seed oils added.)
- Olives – make sure they are not in seed oils
- Pure maple syrup – I think a bottle will last about a year!
- Honey – dark, raw, organic if possible
- Sea salt – Celtic sea salt is my favourite & it has lots of minerals & natural iodine
- Himalayan pink salt
- Nori sheets
- Raw cacao powder
- Liquid stevia
- Pine nuts
- Sesame seeds
- A wide variety of herbs and spices
Fridge
- Eggs
- Bacon
- Cream
- A2 full cream milk
- A2 yogurt
- Limes
- Lemons
- Strawberries
- Frozen berries
- Frozen prawns
- Salmon
- A variety of meats (fresh or frozen) – cuts that don’t take much to make a meal.
- ….and a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables
Home-made supplies I keep on hand
- Tomato sauce
- Mayonnaise
- Salad dressings
- Vegetable stock paste (A Thermomix recipe)
- BBQ sauce
- Chilli sauce
- Butter
- JLM (Just like Milo) See our recipe here
- Coconut milk
- Coconut butter
Garden
- Parsley – lots planted in various places (if one dies there is usually another coming up somewhere else)
- Basil
- Coriander
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Chillis – various types
- Kafir lime
- Chives
- Mint
- Vietnamese mint
- Lemon grass
- Stevia
Kitchen equipment
I got a Thermomix in February and it has revolutionised how and what I cook. Amazing kitchen `must have’!!! (If you’re in the Newcastle area I’d be happy to refer you to a consultant.)
I’d love to hear about some of the basics that you keep in your pantry, or fridge, or garden. Leave a comment here and let us know.
A very nice list, especially for those just getting started.
We hope that it’s helpful for all Pamela. It’s so much easier with a bit of a list.