The Best Food Products for a Healthy Pantry

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Having a well stocked pantry is key to being able to cook healthy meals in a pinch. But what exactly do you need for a healthy pantry? This guide will help you identify the essentials for a healthy pantry to make quick delicious meals at home!

I am all about cooking healthy pantry meals at home that are delicious, but don’t take a lot of time to make. With two little kids running around, I really want to be in and out of the kitchen in under an hour.

On those days when I haven’t gone grocery shopping, I really tend to rely on my pantry and freezer for those essentials that help me get dinner on the table. So what are those essentials? What staples are “must haves” when creating a healthy meal?

That’s where this list comes in! I hope this helps you to plan for days when you really don’t want to have to visit the grocery store in order to still have a healthy meal at home!

What Items Should Be In A Healthy Pantry?

#1 | Healthy Pantry Essentials: Oils, Vinegars & Condiments

Look for oils that are packed in glass bottles. It’s healthier to keep your oils in plastic, as well as a better flavor. Keeping healthy oils, and other condiments in your pantry will make cooking a breeze! You can quickly add seasoning or extra flavor when you have simple condiments on hand.

One thing to be careful of when purchasing condiments is the sugar content. There are hidden sugars in condiments such as ketchup, BBQ sauce, pasta sauce, and salad dressings.

• Extra-virgin olive oil: Adds great flavor for cooking, perfect for salad dressing, and has tons of healthy fats and antioxidants
• Canola Oil: If you need a high heat oil, this is the one to use. Buy organic, as it will not have GMOs.
• Avocado Oil: I like to buy avocado oil spray. It has a neutral flavor and can also be used for hight heat.
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Ketchup – Look for a sugar free or low sugar version.
• Barbecue Sauce: Make sure you get one that is super low in sugar – around 45 calories for 2 Tbsp
• Reduced-sodium soy sauce
• Salsa
• Pasta Sauce
• Hot sauce
• If you’re into salad dressings – make sure to pick a variety that does not have sugar added and uses extra virgin olive oil (not vegetable oils). Or, you can make a simple, fresh dressing at home using olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper – that’s what I do!
• Real maple syrup: Be sure to avoid the sugary syrups like Mrs. Butterworth’s “syrup” that you can find at your local grocery store – those don’t provide any of the antioxidant health benefits that real maple syrup has, and they are often super high in sugar & high fructose corn syrup
• Fresh fruit preserves that are low in added sugar (Better than jelly because they contain real fruit!)
• Pizza Sauce: Make sure you get one that is low in added sugar
• Optional: Dijon mustard or regular mustard; organic mayo or vegan mayo made from organic oils.

#2 | Healthy Pantry Seasonings

A well stocked spice rack will help you add loads of flavor to homemade soups, chilis, curries, and all your savory meals. Dried spices last a long time, so you can slowly build your spice collection. Below are my must have favorites!

• Salt: Sea salt is better than regular salt because it’s less refined and has more minerals – but it is also less salty so you have to account for that in recipes
• Black pepper
• Crushed Red Pepper
• Dried herbs: Italian seasoning blend, dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried basil, bay leaves
• Dried spices: ground cumin, chili powder, curry powder, cayenne pepper, ground cinnamon, garlic powder, ground ginger, ground coriander, ground turmeric, taco seasoning, ground nutmeg, paprika
• Vanilla extract

#3 | Long Lasting Items: Canned Goods & Bottled Items

When buying canned foods you want to make sure you are buying BPA free canned items. Most organic canned goods are BPA free. Also, make sure to look for items that are low-sodium. It’s best to turn the can over and take a look at the ingredients. The fewer the better.

• Canned tomatoes (crushed with Italian seasonings are great for sauces)
• Tomato paste
• Reduced-sodium broths
• Canned beans: cannellini, kidney, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), black beans and pinto beans
• Low calorie canned soups: Amy’s Organic and Trader Joe’s has a great variety of organic, low sodium soups
• Refried black beans
• Light coconut milk
• Nut butters (peanut and almond are my favorites because they are the highest in protein)
• Sunflower seed butter

#4 | Healthy Grains & Legumes To Always Have On Hand

Stock your pantry with whole grains. This means whole wheat, and other unrefined grains.

• Assorted whole-wheat and chickpea/legume pasta
• Brown rice
• Whole-wheat couscous
• Quinoa: So easy to make and the only complete protein on the list! You can substitute it for anything you’d use rice for.
• Regular and quick-cooking barley
• Bulgur
• Rolled oats, or steel cut oats
• Dried lentils
• Dried beans
• Bread: I like Ezekiel’s / Food For Life sprouted grain breads, english muffins, bagels, tortillas. All breads, tortillas, etc. freeze really well, and if you heat them in a toaster oven they taste just like fresh bread!

#5 | Baking Products for a Healthy Pantry

• Whole-wheat flour and whole-wheat pastry flour
• Oat flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Unprocessed wheat bran
• Quick-rising yeast
• Cornstarch
• Coconut sugar or brown sugar
• Honey or Agave
• All-purpose flour (optional)
• Granulated sugar (optional)
• Dark chocolate chips (choose one that is 70% dark chocolate)

#6 | Nuts, Seeds and Dried Produce

Look for raw unsalted nuts. If you prefer the roasted flavor, you can roast them yourself. When it comes to nut butters, look for ones that are organic, and do not have added sugar, molasses, or palm oil.

• Nuts: Peanuts, Walnuts, Cashews, Almonds and Pecans
• Seeds: Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds
• Seeds that can also be ground or eaten whole: Chia seeds and flax seeds (these are a great addition to oatmeal, smoothies, etc)
• Dried fruit: Make sure to get dried fruit that has no added sugar or oils. Freeze dried fruit is the ideal choice. Some favorites include: dried apricots, dates, raisins; freeze dried strawberries, blueberries, apples, mango and many more options here!
• Freeze dried vegetables: Carrots, Broccoli, Okra, Snap peas, and many more options here as well!

#7 | Refrigerator & Freezer Basics

All of these refrigerator/freezer items last at least 2 weeks if not longer so you can buy them in bulk as needed!

• Organic 1% or skim milk
• Organic Butter, Unsalted
• Low fat sour cream
• Cottage cheese
• Greek yogurt
• Organic free range eggs (Try using only egg whites in your omelettes/fritattas/etc – you’ll get all of the protein with none of the fat)
• Cheeses: Sharp Cheddar, Pepperjack, Feta, Parmesan, Mozzarella and shredded cheese blends
• Frozen Fruit: Frozen berries are the best – super high in fiber, and freeze really well
• Frozen Vegetables: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Mixed Vegetables (green beans, carrots, peas), Corn, Bell Peppers, Spinach
• Extra Firm Tofu

How Do I Keep My Pantry Stocked?

There are a few basic rules I like to follow to keep my pantry well stocked and ensure I don’t run out of anything I need!

1. Keep things organized and clean. I group like items together on the same shelf so that I can easily see what I need and what I might be running low on.
2. Once you start running low on a particular item, add it to your grocery list! I keep my grocery list on my phone, but a simple post-it on the fridge would work too.
3. Keep extras of non-perishables. We have some extra shelving in our garage so for things that I know will last for a year (e.g. canned goods) – I’ll keep some in a separate location from our pantry just in case.
4. Regularly take inventory, clean things out. That way you won’t end up with an expired box of pasta from 2009 sitting in your pantry for years!

How Do You Organize a Healthy Pantry?

I like to organize my pantry visually – keeping things I use the most frequently on eye-level shelves, and keeping things we use less frequently (or extras of items) on the higher shelves.

My pantry has shelving all around the room so I have two sets of shelves to work with. I group similar items together in this way:

• Shelf 1: Bulk dry goods, nuts, seeds, spices, baking goods
• Shelf 2: Grains, pastas, rice, cereals
• Shelf 3: Canned goods, nut butters, sauces, oils, condiments
• Shelf 4: Snacks, crackers, Extra items

Top Tips for Organizing Your Pantry

• Make Space: Create a space that is just for your pantry items. Not all kitchens have a nice big pantry. If that’s the case for you, find a space in your kitchen. That can be a cabinet, or even open shelving. Dedicate enough space that you can organize your pantry items so that they easily visible and accessible.
• Storage Containers: Using clear storage containers for foods like pasta, grains, dried lentils/beans etc – will allow you to easily see what you have without having to dig around a bunch of boxes!
• Group Foods Together: As mentioned above, group common foods together. This allows you quickly and easily find what you are looking for without having to search through your pantry.

Where Do You Shop For Healthy Food?

You can find healthy pantry food at any grocery store. You just need to know how to find and shop for the foods that are best to keep in your pantry.

Costco: Believe it or not you can find a lot of healthy foods to stock up on at Costco. I buy canned beans, oils, nuts, nut butters, baking supplies and more.

Whole Foods: Another excellent place to find healthy organic pantry items is Whole Foods. They have a great bulk section where you can purchase rice, lentils, and flours by the pound.

Trader Joe’s: One of my favorite places to stock up on healthy pantry items is Trader Joe’s. From canned beans, coconut milk, cheeses, milk, frozen fruit, nuts, dried fruit, and more. Items are priced at an affordable range, and many pantry staples are organic.

Super Market: You can also find all the healthy pantry items you need in the aisles of your local grocery store. Just don’t get distracted by the processed foods!

Try Some of These Healthy Pantry Recipes!

• Vegetarian Quesadillas with Cumin and Lentils
• Whole Wheat Pasta with Sauteed Vegetables
• Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash
• Vegan Tikka Masala with Tofu
• Curried Lentil Soup