Starting your holistic lifestyle can start in the kitchen, and one way to transition to a whole foods and nutritious way of eating is to start by transforming your pantry!
But you don’t need to be drastic and throw out everything. In my experience, I found it easier to replace items as they were used-up, rather than getting rid of all the existing items in your pantry and replacing them with the ones below. This way you are not wasting food and it’s economical as well. For example, once my white rice ran out, I bought brown rice. Plus, may I suggest, try and buy organic where possible and if it's within your budget.
The aim is to have a pantry that has a wide range of:
Wholegrains
Seeds and nuts
Natural sweeteners
‘Good’ oils
Spices
Legumes
Wild-caught fish
Non-dairy milks (if you don’t make your own)
Gluten-free flours/pasta
Get to you started, I’ve put together a list of items that I essential to my pantry. These are just suggestions and there are many more items that can be added to the list. Once you have your staples, then you can combine them with fresh fruits and vegetables and organic protein to make delicious and nourishing meals.
Quinoa
Dried and canned legumes
Brown/red/black rice
Coconut oil/olive oil/avocado oil
Nuts/seeds, (including chia and hemp seeds)
Tahini
Wild-caught tin tuna/salmon/sardines
Long-life organic almond milk or non-dairy milk of your choice
Coconut milk/cream
Almond meal/buckwheat flour or gluten-free flour of your choice
Apple cider vinegar
Raw honey
Organic maple syrup
Coconut sugar
Raw cacao/cacao nibs
Oats
Shredded coconut
Aluminium free baking powder
Vegetable stock cubes
Gluten-free pasta, i.e. chickpea pasta
Brown rice cakes
Celtic salt/pink Himalayan salt
Nutritional yeast
Cashew/almond butter
As I say, this is a starter list for you to build up in your pantry over time, and make it your own to suit you and your meals! If you’d like some inspiration on how to use these delicious ingredients, head on over to my recipes and let’s get cooking!
