Pantry & Fridge Staples

The trick to making delicious, simple, nourishing meals is to have a well-stocked pantry. It’s easy to whip up a delicious meal without using packet sauces, a salad dressing from scratch or a quick snack when you have the basics on hand.

Stocking up on everything at once can get pricey, so just get 1 or 2 things each week or as you can afford them. Since you generally only use a little of the basics at a time, they usually last a decent amount of time once you have them.

Here’s a list of our pantry basics. The top 5 are the ones I recommend you start with.

The Top 5

1. Good quality celtic / macrobiotic sea salt (greyish in colour) (optional: get one with kelp flakes in it).

1. Raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar

1. Extra virgin cold pressed olive oil

1. Extra virgin coconut oil

1. Organic balsamic vinegar

 

Staples

• A good quality water filter and remineraliser

• For almost 10 years now, I personally use www.waterscoaustralia.com.au – use discount code HelenP2017 for 15% off any purchase.

• Sesame oil (for dressings)
• Unhulled tahini
• Organic AND free range / pastured eggs
• Raw cashews

• Raw Almonds
• Seaweeds – kelp, arame, wakame, kombu, karengo. Your choice.
• Sesame seeds
• Raw almonds
• Raw cashews
• Raw pepitas
• Red / brown onions
• Fresh garlic bulbs
• Organic preservative free shredded coconut
• Grass fed gelatin powder (gels) and / or collagen powder (doesn’t gel)
• Preservative / additive free coconut cream

If tolerated:

• Australian / locally grown quinoa (avoid quinoa from south America for ethical reasons)
• Raw buckwheat groats
• Organic ghee (for cooking / baking / snacking)

 

Herbs and spices (organic)

• Black pepper (whole – for freshness of flavour) in a grinder
• Turmeric
• Cinnamon

• Bay leaves
• Cardamon pods
• Cumin powder
• Nutmeg powder
• Oregano
• Basil
• Sage
• I like preparing or buying some ready to go herb and spice mixes like an Italian herb mix or a Mexican spice rub to help speed up the process of cooking a meal when in a hurry.

 

In the Fridge

• Leafy greens
• Broccoli, cauliflower
• Fermented veggies
• Organic / grass fed and finished meat
• Organic chicken
• Organic eggs
• Kultured Wellness Starter cultures for making coconut yoghurt and water kefir. AFFILIATE

 

In the freezer:

• Organic berries

• Organic liver and homemade pate
• Organic pasture raised meats
• Wild caught seafood
• Portions of leftover meals
• Portions of bone broth (broth ice cubes / cups / 500ml are good size portions).

 

In the Garden or Pot Plants

• Your choice of easy to grow fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary, lemon balm, mint, coriander, basil, oregano, chives, sage, kaffir lime, parlsey, chilli.
• Easy to grow leafy greens like lemon sorrel and rocket

 

With pantry basics like that, your day to day life in the kitchen will be a whole heap simpler.  Enjoy!