One of the keys to maintaining a real food lifestyle is to have all the right ingredients and essentials on hand and removing foods that no longer serve you on your journey to better health. I have listed the essentials I always have in my fridge, pantry and kitchen, as well as a list of foods to remove.
In the Fridge
This is my list of essentials items I always have in my fridge.
- Eggs
- Grassfed butter
- Long lasting vegetables such as cabbage, beans, sweet potato, cauliflower, broccoli, fennel, onion, garlic (to add to my bone broths, make quick salads, fry up or roast and keep up my daily portion of vegetables)
- Fresh herbs and spices to superboost my meals with flavour and nutrients such as coriander, mint, basil, spring onions, parsley, ginger, turmeric and lemongrass
- Fermented vegetables & kombucha (two easy home made superfoods we consume daily – find recipes here)
In the Kitchen
Cast Iron Pans
I love cooking in cast iron over the gas, it gives all the food extra flavour and a nice charring when needed. My favourite brands that I use at home are Staub, Lodge and Le Crueset. I recommend a griddle pan to give the nice charred lines on meats, fruit & veggies and a pan for every day use and roasting in the oven. Cast iron cooking can also enrich your food with essential iron.
Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker or Multifunctional Cooker
I have both the Instant Pot and Breville Fast Slow Cooker, both do a similar job with the Instant pot having more preset functions and I really love the stainless steel insert. Unfortunately it’s only available in the USA so I need to use it with a 120v to 240v converter. I highly recommend a multifunction cooker as you can sauté, slow cook or pressure cook in one but if you already have one of the three it will serve you well! I use mine to make bone broth daily, soft fall part meats in no time and complete meals. This is a must in any whole foods kitchen.
Food Processor
For shredding and grating veggies to make kraut, hash and one ingredient nana ice cream
Magic Bullet
A gem for the compact and smaller kitchen, it’s perfect to grind spices and nut flour / meal, smoothies, banana pancakes, marinades and anything a blender can do.
Vitamix
A powerful blender capable of making nut flours and butters
Cold Pressed Juicer (aka slow juicer, masticating juicer)
Juicing has been a positively beneficial addition to our household being able to add extra nutrition and energy with vegetable juices
Spiraliser
To make vegetable noodles such as zoodles and other amazing raw dishes.
Mandolin
Great for making consistent thin slices or julienne vegetables, also good alternative to a spiraliser
In the Pantry
My list of essential pantry items I always have on hand
- Fats and Oils – olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, ghee, sesame oil
- Full fat coconut milk
- Seasonings – good quality salt like pink Himalayan or Celtic salt, pepper, turmeric powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon powder, dried herbs
- Gelatin powder to make healthy gummies and treats
- Agar powder to make Vegan friendly healthy treats that can be stored at room temperature
- Apple Cider Vinegar (I use Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother)
- Wholegrain Mustard (check the ingredients list for whole ingredients only)
- Tomato Passata in glass jars
Gluten Free Baking Flour Alternatives and Essentials
These are the essentials I always have in my pantry and make gluten free baked goods and treats
- Cassava Flour (substitutes wheat flour 1 for 1 in non rising recipes)
- Coconut Flour
- Almond Flour
- Flax Meal
- Buckwheat Flour
- Rice Flour
- Tapioca Starch
- Shredded Coconut
- Raw Cacao Powder
- Raw Cacao Nibs
Gluten Free Grains and Seeds
These are the grains and seeds I find easier to tolerate and are gluten free and are a sometimes food inner house
- White and Wild Black Rice
- Quinoa
- Millet
- Buckwheat
- Chia Seeds
- Flax Seeds
- Sesame Seeds (White and Black)
- Hemp Seeds
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Gluten Free Pasta
- Almonds (we only have almonds in the house as my middle son is severely allergic to all other nuts)
Refined Sugar Alternatives
My preferred and healthier sweetener alternatives to refined white sugar, however I use these sparingly as they are still a sweetener
- Honey
- Maple Syrup
- Backstrap Molasses
- Coconut Sugar
- Liquid Stevia
- Natvia Powder
Health Supplements
My must have health supplements
- Essential Oils (Oregano oil, Clove oil, Frankincense oil)
- Vitamin C
- Iron
- Fish Oils
- B vitamins
- Hydrolysed Collagen
- Diatomaceous Earth
- Slippery Elm
- L-Glutamine
Foods to Remove
These are the foods we removed from our kitchen many years ago over a gradual lifestyle changeover
- Wheat Flour
- Refined Sugars
- Processed and packaged foods (cereal, instant noodles, chips/crisps, commercial baked goods and treats)
- Juice boxes/poppers
- Ready made sauces, marinades and salad dressings
- Processed and refined oils (Canola, Vegetable, Sunflower, Peanut)
