Today I wanted to share with you my pantry essentials. When I post recipes online or start working with new clients (both individuals and food establishments), this is the most common question that comes up. What ingredients should we just have on hand all of the time? I made this list to hopefully make it easier for you to eat healthy at home and ensure you have the basics for most of your paleo and plant-based kitchen endeavors—without having to do any last minute runs to the store!
Note: I always recommend buying organic due to increasing health concerns with pesticide use and the superior quality of organic products (you can really taste the difference!). Especially in scenarios where the price difference is not super significant, it’s always worth it.
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Oils
Virgin Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil: I go through a lot of coconut oil. I add it to my nut milks and morning coffee, and I use it for baked and raw desserts, high-heat cooking, and oil pulling in the evening. Please make sure that you are buying virgin unrefined coconut oil (refined coconut oils have been stripped of beneficial nutrients and could have toxic residue from the refining process, which often includes bleaching). Cold-pressed is always preferable but expeller-pressed will do if that’s all you can find.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Olive oil is an important one to get right as the quality of your olive oil can make or break a dish. With olive oil being one of the most fraudulent industries in the world (many “olive oils” are mixed with other lower-quality seed oils and intentionally mislabeled), you want to be extra careful. While we occasionally invest in specialty olive oils (since I don’t drink, olive oil and coffee beans take the place of fine wine!), La Tourangelle is my go-to olive oil because it’s organic, tastes amazing, and is cost-effective.
Virgin and Refined Avocado Oil: Avocado oils are essential to have on hand. The reason I recommend that you buy both virgin and refined is because these have a different smoke point. If you’re cooking on low heat and want to use an oil with plenty of healthy fats and nutrients, virgin avocado oil is great. However, if you’re trying to choose the most stable (and therefore, the least inflammatory) oil for cooking on high heat, refined avocado oil, with a smoke point of 500°F/260°C, is what you’ll want to use. I purchase naturally refined avocado oil from Chosen Foods, processed without chemicals or high heat. Keep in mind that the virgin avocado oil has a strong flavor and the refined is neutral.
Coconut-Derived MCT Oil: This is totally up to you. I do not use MCT oil in cooking but I occasionally add a dash to my nut milks, warm beverages, and smoothies to help with satiety and brain function. MCT oil (along with a zero-sugar diet) also helped me gain control of my gut issues and food cravings a few years back. Never a bad thing to have on hand!
Coconut Butter: Although coconut butter can be pricy, it’s extremely high in calories (yes, this is a good thing!), deliciously healthy fats, and is a great ingredient to have on hand for many raw treats. I personally LOVE having a teaspoon of coconut butter as a treat when I’m feeling like a little something sweet. You can also mix this with your homemade nut and seed butters to make them even more satiating.
Nuts, Seeds, Grains & Flours
Raw Nuts and Seeds: These are the nuts and seeds I always have on hand, organic, raw and ideally sprouted where possible.
- Cashews
- Almonds*
- Walnuts*
- Pecans*
- Macadamias
- Hazelnuts
- Pumpkin seeds*
- Sunflower seeds*
- Hemp seeds
- Flaxseeds
- Chia seeds
*These are the nuts and seeds that I frequently see available in their sprouted form, online or in the bulk section of health-forward grocery stores.
Nuts can be expensive and if you wanted to concede on any, I would say that macadamia nuts and hazelnuts aren’t ones you necessarily need all of the time. It may help to keep in mind that even though some of these nuts may seem to be really pricy, there’s a lot of calories in them! Especially if you are making nut butters (another staple—store-bought or homemade), you’re getting fat and protein that can sustain you throughout busy days and save you money on protein bars and other snacks.
Almond Flour: I recommend keeping almond flour in the house. Almond flour is more finely ground than almond meal, so just make sure you get almond flour if you’re planning to do any baking. If you had blanched almonds handy you could technically make your own flour in a food processor, but having flour on hand just makes sense with how frequently it’s called for in paleo and plant-based recipes.
Ground Flaxseed: I use ground flaxseed in place of eggs in many recipes. I highly recommend having ground on hand so you don’t have to pulverize the flax yourself (especially if you only need a tablespoon or two).
Buckwheat Flour: I have always really loved buckwheat flour. Buckwheat pancakes and waffles are especially fun to make and are in and of themselves a great reason to keep this flour in your pantry.
Buckwheat Groats: I always keep buckwheat groats in the house but I admit that this is not an ingredient I reach for all of the time. I typically soak (to initiate the sprouting process) and then dehydrate these groats—with the end result being a deliciously crunchy and aromatic groat, much different than the raw form. I then use them in raw dessert crusts, granola, and as a topping to coconut yogurt or chia pudding. You can also try making this delicious buckwheat porridge from Angela Liddon.
Sprouted Oats: Although not paleo, I reintroduced oats into my diet during my pregnancy. Previously, I couldn’t eat oats without feeling heavy and feeling like it slowed down my digestion noticeably. Now that I purchase sprouted oats, I am feeling much more at ease with this ingredient and have enjoyed making cookies, muffins, and good ol’ oatmeal.
Oat Flour: Similarly, oat flour has made its way into a number of cookies, cakes and muffins in this house. Although not sprouted, I don’t mind including this insofar as it enables me to eat gluten-free and keeps me from using certain paleo flours that don’t make me feel good (such as cassava).
Tigernut Flour: I recently started experimenting with this flour in the kitchen. Technically not a nut but a root vegetable, tigernut flour can be an alternative to almond flour in many recipes.
Miscellaneous Flours: There are other flours that you will see in many paleo recipes online, such as coconut, arrowroot and cassava flour. I occasionally use coconut and arrowroot flour, but I have totally stopped using any cassava as it makes Joe and I feel noticeably awful.
Sprouted Grains: I like to have sprouted quinoa and sprouted brown rice in my pantry for making grain salads and quinoa/rice pudding!
Rice Paper: This is the paper that is used to make “raw” spring rolls. They are so easy and quick to use (just dip into hot water, and they’re cooked!). Spring rolls are a great way to use up any veg leftovers—make a nice dipping sauce, prep all your veggies for filling, and fill the wraps as you desire. (There’s some skill required in making perfect-looking wraps… I am still working on this myself.)
Organic Pasta or Quinoa Pasta: A good quality pasta is essential for me! I am not totally gluten-free and always have linguine, fettuccine, or spaghetti in the pantry made with Italian-grown wheat or spelt. I also occasionally buy pasta made from quinoa and rice flour. It just makes for quick and easy dinners that you can use plenty of leftover greens, veggies, and herbs in.
Desiccated Coconut and Coconut Flakes: Essentially the same product, desiccated coconut is what you’ll most often use in dessert crusts and other raw treat recipes. Coconut flakes are larger pieces and more aesthetic. I most often use them as a topping for raw desserts, granola or chia pudding. I also LOVE the coconut flakes that still have some of the brown on them. I have only ever see these at Sprouts but I’m sure you can find them online, they are beautiful!
Vinegars & Other Liquids
Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar: A must for dressings, many desserts, sauces, and alkaline-forming tonics. An unfiltered and raw apple cider vinegar is what you want if you are in it for the probiotic and other health benefits. Bragg’s is by far the most easily available brand in the US.
Raw Unfiltered Red Wine Vinegar: This is my go-to vinegar for everyday use and the one I reach for the most when crafting savory recipes. I don’t know how easy it is to find unfiltered and raw red wine vinegar everywhere in the world, but in the US, Whole Foods usually carries the Eden brand red wine vinegar which is my favorite!
Balsamic Vinegar: Good aged balsamic vinegar is a must in any kitchen! I’ve certainly been in the situation where I’m in the grocery store trying to choose a good balsamic, only to be disappointed with my choice as soon as tasting it at home. I think it’s hard to land a good balsamic vinegar in a regular US grocery store or health food store unless you are willing to purchase one of the more expensive ones, as even the mid-tier ones I have been disappointed with. I’m hesitant to name any specific brands here for that reason, but I definitely advise you not to skimp in this area if you can.
Champagne Vinegar: If I want to create an elevated dressing but still keep it simple, sometimes just using champagne vinegar (instead of balsamic, red wine, or apple) is enough to make people comment on the unique flavor profile. Most people are just not that used to having champagne vinegar that it’s such a great ingredient to have on hand. I buy my organic barrel aged champagne vinegar from Kimberley California. (Here’s one of my favorite dressings that uses champagne vinegar: Avocado Green Goddess.)
Organic Rice Vinegar: I specify organic when it comes to rice products simply because pesticide use is notoriously high in conventional rice production. I don’t use rice vinegar very often but it plays an important part in Asian-inspired meals and sauces, so I recommend having it on hand!
Organic Tamari or Liquid Coconut Aminos: Both of these I reach for in Asian-inspired cooking. Although the flavor won’t be exactly the same, aminos can be used in place of tamari or soy sauce in many recipes if you are soy-free. Tamari, which is essentially fermented soy sauce, can also almost always replace soy sauce and is healthier. Whether you are soy-free or not, liquid aminos are great to keep in the pantry for dressings, savory glazes and sauces.
Organic Coconut Cream: I often add coconut cream to soups, pasta sauces, or make whipped coconut cream to top desserts. You could even use coconut cream in your morning latte, adding just enough water to dilute it to your desired consistency.
Good Instant Coffee: I have an espresso machine at home and yet I truly believe in the importance of having some good instant coffee on hand for packing in your bag during work or travel, or simply when you run out of espresso beans. The one linked above is by no means cheap but is truly amazing!
Organic Teas: It’s so important to buy organic teas, because everything we seep into our cups is going to end up in our water. This includes any pesticides lingering on the tea leaves, as well as chemicals on the tea bags themselves. If going with bagged tea leaves, select teas from organic companies that specify that their tea bags are natural and unbleached. My favorites are Traditional Medicinals and Yogi Tea.
Natural Vanilla Extract and Vanilla Bean: I buy my vanilla extract from Simply Organic. Vanilla can be pricy but it’s another one of those ingredients that is really important to buy in the highest quality possible. Mainstream vanilla extracts often have fake vanilla flavor in them, so please look out for this and just buy the most natural vanilla extract you can find (avoid vanilla powder as well, other than ground vanilla bean).
Almond Extract: I buy my almond extract from Simply Organic. I highly recommend using this brand as I’ve had plenty of experience having to change recipes based on the brand of extract the client is using (many have way too much of an alcohol taste which can really ruin a dessert!). There’s no way to even adjust around this, you’ll just end up with a less than ideal flavor (basically, either too much alcohol or too little almond flavor).
Tahini: Tahini (or white sesame seed paste) just tastes so delicious to me. I frequently drizzle it over carrot sticks with some sea salt for a quick snack, or whip up a tahini dip by mixing it with water, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and sea salt. I buy the Whole Foods 365 tahini as it has the perfect nutty flavor, oily/runny texture, and is organic. I have bought many tahinis that simply don’t taste as good as this one (especially many of the organic ones). You can also buy raw tahini (made with raw sesame seeds instead of toasted) which I keep on hand for use in raw desserts.
Salts
There are few things I love more than a good salt collection, hence why salt gets its very own category. I use my salts for a variety of different purposes, with this being how I generally use them.
Pink Himalayan Salt: I add this to boiling water when cooking pasta or vegetables, or blanching herbs. I will also often add this to my drinking water for minerals and electrolytes.
Flaky Sea Salt: Any flaky sea salt is a must for cooking. This is what I use for seasoning vegetables, topping avocado toast, and in raw desserts when I want the presence of salt to be more obvious. Specialty sea salts are a must as well, with smoked salt (I use Saltverk or Maldon) being one of my favorite secret ingredients in savory dishes.
Fine Celtic Sea Salt: I have been using finely ground Celtic salt more and more, and often in place of pink Himalayan salt in the scenarios described above. The flavor of this salt is subtle, slightly sweet, and bodes so well for sauces and raw dessert making. If you’re using this in recipes, keep in mind that you may need to use a little more than the recipe specifies since it’s not as salty as other salts.
Sweeteners
Organic Stevia: Pure organic stevia is my go-to sweetener in beverages, creams, and raw desserts. It is very important to buy organic stevia, and ideally from companies that specify that they use a gentle, chemical-free extraction process (Omica Organics is one of them). Many stevia products (even organic!) can have a harsh aftertaste, which is actually not attributable to the stevia leaf itself but a result of the chemical process. Also note that many stevia manufacturers are diluting their product with water and glycerin, so there’s no standard for potency. This means that no matter what a recipe specifies, you will need to add stevia drop-by-drop to taste.
Pure Maple Syrup: When I reintroduced some sugar during my pregnancy, I found that maple syrup did not make me feel as bad as coconut sugar, yacon syrup, or coconut nectar. I keep Grade A Maple Syrup in the pantry, primarily to sweeten cakes, cookies, and occasional non-keto raw desserts.
Coconut Sugar (Or Maple Sugar): Some coconut sugar is great to take the place of traditional white or brown sugar when you are trying to “healthify” a recipe.
Coconut Nectar: Very sticky and a little less sweet than maple syrup, this is a great sweetener to use in raw dessert making. I find it especially useful when making raw crusts, and you don’t need to use a lot because of its stickiness.
Medjool Dates: I always have a big bag of juicy Medjool dates in the pantry (Terrasoul is my go-to brand). In law school I used to LOVE snacking on these. I would cut them into quarters and place a sprouted walnut and a chocolate chip onto each piece. Sooo good! After drastically cutting sugar, now I use them much more sparingly, usually only in some raw dessert crusts and raw carrot cake.
Powders
Plant-Based Protein: There are very mixed opinions about protein. Part of this conversation is taste, another is sustainability and process, and another is fibre content (i.e. with more not always being better for us!). I personally use hemp protein and chia protein, both of which are very earthy. I add them to smoothies, shakes, or coconut yogurt. (You may prefer a more tasty blend, such as FourSigmatic’s Superfood Protein!)
Vitamineral Greens: Full of organic, wild, and biodynamic veggies and herbs, this is the best greens powder on the market. I appreciate that it contains no fruit, it’s just pure nutrition! I mix a tablespoon of it in water every day as a shot, but it’s also great if you want to add a little green love to a smoothie.
Beetroot Powder: Add a red hue to raw desserts, smoothies, homemade ice cream, frosting, and anything else you can think of! (Can also be added to your pre-workout blend.)
Raw Cacao Powder: The need for this goes without saying, I’m sure!
Roasted Carob Powder: I don’t reach for this very often but I occasionally use it in place of raw cacao when I know I’ll be eating the treat I’m making in the evening (raw cacao can keep you up!). If you decide to buy some carob, make sure to buy roasted carob, as the unroasted powder simply tastes malty (similar to maca).
Maca: An amazing pre-workout boost and adaptogenic herb, maca is one of the most powerful natural supplements I have ever taken. High quality maca you can just feel running running through your veins! Make sure to purchase gelatinized maca as this has been processed for better absorption (and has nothing to do with gelatin!).
Spirulina and/or Chlorella: Useful both as a supplement and healthy food coloring, spirulina and chlorella have high amounts of chlorophyll that can give you a beautiful green hue, in addition to an energy boost. I use chlorella for anything mint chip. I also recommend E3 live blue majik powder, which is the isolated blue pigment in spirulina. It’s a little pricy but worth all the WOWS when you bring out a beautiful blue cake or frosting! (Note: I purchase chlorella from Raw Food World and Hawaiian-grown spirulina. Because these are so detoxifying, they pull out toxins from their environments… Meaning you want to make sure they are being grown in non-toxic waters. Asian-grown algae is affected by the radiation aftermath of Fukushima, for example.)
Pitaya Powder: This is a super fun one to have on hand because there’s nothing quite as fuschia as pitaya (or dragonfruit). Use as a food coloring whenever you want a pop of bright pink.
Miscellaneous
Dark Organic Baking Chocolate: I don’t always want to use raw chocolate in recipes. In fact, if I have too much I get a headache and don’t sleep well (there’s a reason they call it a nootropic!). Joe is similarly sensitive, and therefore we always keep a bar of dark baking chocolate in the pantry for when we’re both interested in something chocolatey but don’t want to stimulate our nervous systems (in the evening, for example).
Raw Cacao Paste: Great for making raw chocolate bark.
Raw Cacao Butter: Great for making raw chocolate and an essential ingredient in many raw desserts.
Nutritional Yeast: These flakes taste very cheesy and are therefore a great way to add cheesy flavor to your plant-based cheeses, sauces, and other savory dishes. For the best flavor and most natural product, make sure to get a natural one that has not been fortified.
Vegetable Stock: Vegetarian-Friendly (and non-toxic!) vegetable stock cubes are basically impossible to find in the US. Most that you will find will likely have sugar, inflammatory oils (like soybean or canola), and MSG. For that reason, I make my own stock and always have organic Kallo vegetable stock cubes in the pantry for when I’m in a pinch. While I usually stock up (pun intended hehe) when I’m in Europe, these can also be purchased online. They even have a yeast-free version! (Yeast extract is a very common ingredient in vegetable stock, sauces, and vegan cheeses. Since it does chemically resemble MSG, I tend to avoid this as much as possible.)
Tomato Paste: Great to have on hand to flavor sauces and soups!
Good Marinara or Arrabbiata: I am pretty obsessed with Rao’s sauce and we always have a few jars of this on hand. While it’s not certified organic, it’s made and bottled in Italy, where agriculture is exposed to fewer and less harmful chemicals. Joe and I frequently argue over whether to buy the marinara or the arrabbiata (I believe red sauce should be spicy!) but whichever one we use, the richness of the flavors never disappoint. You really cannot say the same about most other jarred tomato sauces. My favorite quick dinners with this include sourdough pizza (I’ll make my own cashew cheese or use Miyoko’s cashew mozzarella) and pasta with red sauce and vegetables (sometimes I add Kite Hill ricotta or homemade cheese).
Thai Curry Paste: Curry soup or vegetable curry is one of those easy dinners we turn to when we haven’t prepared anything. We can usually use whatever vegetables we have in the fridge and pantry essentials such as coconut cream and tomato paste. Thai curry paste makes amazing curry possible in just a few minutes!
Spices: I believe in growing a spice collection bit-by-bit and as needed, as many will simply never find a purpose for caraway seeds, sumac, and many of the other spices and herbs I have in my pantry. Similarly, there’s some that I used once and haven’t touched since. Here are the spices I find myself using reasonably frequently…
- Allspice
- Basil
- Bay leaves
- Black peppercorn
- Cardamom (ground and whole pods)
- Cayenne
- Celery seed
- Chili or red pepper flakes
- Chipotle (also known as smoked red jalapeno)
- Clove (ground)
- Cinnamon (ground; regular and Ceylon)
- Cumin
- Curry (various Indian blends)
- Dill
- Garlic powder
- Ginger
- Herbes de Provence
- Mustard
- Oregano
- Onion powder
- Rosemary
- Smoked paprika
- Thyme
- Turmeric
I hope you guys enjoyed this list of pantry essentials and find it useful!
Sarah says
Loved this list and learned so much! Thank you!!
Bridgett says
Such a great list, thank you for sharing! Added to my grocery list for next week 🙂
Michelle says
Great list. Lots of stuff I don’t have on hand currently and will be buying asap! Thank you 🙂