Scanning the kitchen cupboards for inspiration when you’re trying to follow that new healthy diet can be a pretty painful experience. How can you possibly make your meals tasty while sticking to all of those clean eating rules, right? It’s a question I’ve been asked a lot – “But, what do you put on your food then?” This usually comes accompanied by a look of desperation with a side of suspicion; perhaps I am privy to a secret that they’ve missed out on. Well, the short answer is, I do have some tricks of my own, developed throughout years of healthy eating and helping others to do the same. These are a few of our healthy eating staples; some obvious, some obscure. This is how to stock a healthy pantry for faster, stress-free, nutritious food prep.
How to Stock a Healthy Pantry
Contents
Herbs, Spices and Flavours
Sea Salt
We use Himalayan sea salt (you can go for Celtic, kosher or whatever floats your boat) on everything from our morning eggs for breakfast, to season our dinners, a pinch in home-made chocolate (recipe coming soon), or sprinkled over salads. We add a pinch into our water as Himalayan sea salt is said to have a great trace mineral profile which could help balance your electrolyte levels, lost during exercise or excessive sweating. The salt in the water will also encourage you to drink more by increasing your thirst. Having sea salt in the kitchen means you can mix up a home-made body scrub whenever you need to. Simply add a tablespoon or two to your oil of choice (I generally use coconut oil), throw in a couple of drops of essential oils (lavender or peppermint are both great options) et voila – instant body scrub.
Flavoured Salt
Flavoured salt is a big personal favourite. It can lift most simple dishes from fish to meats to a wedge of fresh of avocado as a snack. You can buy a ready-made flavoured salt, or make your own depending on your palette. We love chilli salt (on everything), rosemary salt (think roast chicken) and lemon salt (for fish, chicken and summer salads).
Black Pepper
Ground organic black pepper is a must to give both our food and metabolism a kick.
Turmeric
Turmeric is one of those wonderful spices. Whether you travel a lot, you are stressed, you suffer from an autoimmune disease or you simply like to nourish from the inside out, turmeric should become a healthy pantry essential. It’s the curcumin in the spice that might help to ease inflammatory symptoms. The spice itself has a warming and slightly bitter taste, so for something that is cheap and inoffensive flavour-wise, it is worth adding to curries, a turmeric spiced latte or smoothie or even sprinkling on your scrambled eggs. Beware the yellow colouring stains very quickly and easily so be careful to wipe down bench tops, wash blenders and cups as soon as they are marked.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon just smells like a winter holiday. It tends to add a little magic to my smoothies, home-made chocolate, overnight oats and I will also add some to my coffee for a delicious twist. Some studies have shown that cassia cinnamon may help with blood sugar regulation, so what better reason for diabetics, those with insulin resistance issues or those trying to lose weight to try it.
Curry Paste
I never used to be a curry person but since including more warming foods into my diet to help with gut healing, curry is a regular weekly or bi-weekly meal and it is something I whip up before I jump on a plane to give my gut a healing head start. Curry paste can be a challenge for those on a low FODMAP diet. There are a few organic curry pastes around without garlic, onion and other no-go ingredients, but if in doubt, buy straight curry powder and add a little sea salt and olive oil or ghee in yourself and it’s almost as good. Beware when choosing a curry paste as some will contain sugars, additives or lots of sunflower oil. Go for a simple organic spice mix without the nasties.
Vanilla
Who could live life without vanilla? Not me, that’s for sure. Vanilla adds a little sunshine to a every meal and it is thought to be antioxidant-rich too, so that’s a pretty handy bonus, I say. I use vanilla almost daily in smoothies, when baking, a little drop can make a coffee taste indulgent without the sugar, add it to home-made chocolate or protein balls. The list is endless. Make sure you buy an organic, sugar-free vanilla extract or use vanilla beans or bean powder (again, check for sure). If you are using the extract in raw dishes, opt for an alcohol-free brand as the alcohol is only burned off during the cooking process.
Chilli
Chilli powder, chilli flakes, fresh chilli and chilli oil are always a part of our cooking routine. A little is often added to marinades, when serving cooked meals, thrown into sauces or used as a garnish.
Cacao
Raw cacao powder is an ingredient that we use in smoothies, baked goods and even simply with a little warm water and stevia as a hot chocolate alternative in winter. Raw cacao doesn’t have the sweetness that chocolate or cocoa can have so be prepared for its bitter taste. It does not taste like a highly processed and sweetened chocolate bar, but the health benefits are much greater.
Peppermint Essence
Peppermint essence is one of those cheeky ingredients many overlook but it can be so powerful. We use peppermint essence and orange essence in sweet dishes, from protein balls to chocolate truffles and much more. Try our Chocolate Peppermint Protein Balls recipe and you will be hooked too.
Nutritional Yeast
Terrible name, great ingredient. A bag of nutritional yeast can be found in most vegans’ healthy pantry shelves as it’s a great alternative to cheese. It has a nutty, cheesy flavour while being dairy-free. It is rich in folate, protein, zinc and B vitamins, particularly B-12 which is important for vegetarians, who can be lacking. A little goes a long way, so start with a teaspoon and see how you go with the flavour. We add nutritional yeast to our Chicken Balls, soups, home-made popcorn, cauliflower bites, mashed sweet potato and meat-based sauces. The kids shouldn’t even taste it if you only add a sprinkle.
Stevia
Stevia is one of those divisive ingredients. Who’s kidding who? It does not taste like cane sugar. I have friends who love stevia and others who simply can’t stand it. When buying Stevia, make sure you are buying simple stevia in its more organic form – it should still be green (unbleached) and not mixed with other synthetic sweeteners. If you can’t do stevia, rice malt syrup, raw honey, coconut sugar or maple syrup might be for you. Just remember they have different names and different fructose to glucose profiles but they are still all sugars and should be treated accordingly; only use them occasionally.
Mint
It’s safe to say I’m obsessed with fresh mint. You will find it in our salads, stir-fries, desserts and even simply tossed into some hot water as a fresh mint tea. It is cooling, uplifting and good for digestion.
Basil
Fresh basil is a weekly buy and it is used in our Pesto, thrown into dishes with Italian flavours like bolognese or a vegetable bake and tossed into Asian soups and stir-fries.
Dill
Dill is a fish’s best friend and so it has become one of mine too. We use dill in salads on its own and whenever we have salmon. It also sometimes goes into our Lemon Tahini Dressing.
Lemon Thyme
Lemon thyme is an occasional buy for when I cook a roast chicken and lends a subtle flavour to the meat.
Rosemary
We eat a lot of lamb as great quality organic lamb is available locally so rosemary is a must when roasting lamb on a Sunday.
Dried Herbs
Dried herbs can be a lifesaver when you are pulling out the last of your produce from the fridge to fashion dinner from. Dried Italian herbs are something we always have as a back up for fresh herbs. We add them to cauliflower pizzas, frittatas or omelettes or a good vegetable soup.
Dulse Flakes
Dulse flakes are something I have just added back into our diet since my diagnosis with hypothyroidism. Rich in iodine, potassium and plant protein, it’s an easy addition to salads, smoothies, soups or warm dishes as it doesn’t have a strong flavour. Other similar options are kelp flakes or sea vegetables and can be used in the same way.
Fats & Protein
Olive Oil
Ah the great oil debate. Exciting, isn’t it? Well, our general rule of thumb is to cook in coconut or ghee and dress with other oils. We are never without olive oil – we use in for salad dressings, pesto. Flavoured olive oil is a daily staple in our household. We use lemon oil, garlic oil, chilli oil and basil all on rotation. Buy it ready-made or simply infuse your own.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has been a staple in our kitchen for many, many years. I use it in smoothies, savoury and sweet recipes and even as a hair mask, body moisturiser or makeshift sunscreen when needed.
Avocado oil
Avocado oil is something I only use occasionally but always have in the cupboard. Perfect as a light dressing on salads, green vegie bowls or even over eggs.
Sesame oil
Sesame oil is another occasional-use oil in our home. I drizzle a little on to Asian-style dishes when serving. It has a beautiful rich flavour and you only need a very small amount (particularly if using dark sesame oil from roasted seeds). Sesame oil is also considered to have a number of powerful benefits in the healing system of Ayurveda.
Butter
We keep organic butter made from grass-fed cows in the fridge for occasional use. I generally add it to dishes when plating or serving. I sometimes put a teaspoon of butter into my coffee or a little stirred through soft-scrambled eggs.
Ghee
We choose locally made ghee made from the butter of grass-fed cows. Ghee is a type of clarified butter. You get the rich taste of butter and the fat, without the lactose or casein that can be a bother for those with allergies to dairy. Ghee is a go-to when we are making curries or warming soups and even for cooking my famous chicken meatballs. It’s an ingredient I will always be added to a pre-travel dish to heal and support the gut before travelling.
Parmesan Cheese
Not necessarily a “healthy ingredient” parmesan is a low FODMAP cheese and its powerful flavour means very little goes a long way. So it’s a healthier alternative to having blocks of ordinary dairy cheese on rotation in the fridge. We always have a block of good quality of parmesan in the freezer. It’s something that only gets pulled out once a week or a fortnight to add a little something extra to dishes like a frittata or a good salad or zucchini noodle spaghetti Bolognese.