Pump Up Your Pantry (& Fridge)

When you have nutritious foods in your pantry and fridge, you’re more likely to make nutritious food choices.

Plus, when it comes time to plan meals, you’ll have many of your ingredients on hand! Check out my ideas for breakfast and lunch!

So let’s get to work filling your kitchen.

Getting started

• Before heading to the grocery store, check your pantry to make sure that items you need aren’t hidden in the back!

• Stock up on your favorite non-perishables when they’re on sale (but buy only as much as you’ll use before the expiration date)

• Look for opportunities to buy in bulk. When I open a large can of garbanzo beans to make chicken curry, I’ll use the surplus beans in a salad the next day

• Buy fresh foods each week, choosing veggies & fruit you can use in multiple meals

Kelly’s pantry & fridge

Below are nutritious ingredients that I commonly use. Personalize your list based on your tastes and cooking routines, choosing as many whole or minimally processed foods as possible. As you eat and shop and shop and eat, pay attention to patterns. When you have your basics on hand, meals are a cinch.    

Fresh vegetables & fruits*

• dark leafy greens                                        

• onions & garlic                               

• lemons & limes        

• sweet potatoes/yams      

• avocado                         

• berries

• bananas      

• apples                                                         

• carrots, beets and parsnips         

Meat, poultry, fish

I usually buy protein weekly as I go, but when a particular meat or seafood is on sale, I often buy extra and freeze it. I also buy…

• frozen wild Alaskan salmon and Pacific cod fillets at Costco

• canned wild Alaskan salmon

• grass-fed beef

• marked down proteins in the frozen food aisle

Filling out the fridge

• plain yogurt/kefir                                                                                         

• cheese

• frozen fruit & veggies                                   

• raw nuts/seeds i.e. almonds, walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds (refrigerate)

• nut butters

Grains and legumes

• whole grains (quinoa, oats, millet, rice)           

• dried or canned beans & lentils       

Condiments & recipe bases

• diced tomatoes                                             

• tomato paste                                    

• tahini

• coconut milk

• avocado oil mayo           

• coconut aminos          

• fish sauce (if you make Asian dishes)                      

• dijon or hot mustard

• chicken or beef bone broth

• vegetable broth

• apple cider vinegar

• red wine vinegar

• honey                                                           

• maple syrup                                                                                      

Jarred veggies

These are tasty additions to meals, and come in handy when your stash of fresh foods is getting low…

• olives

• artichoke hearts

• pickles (and other pickled veggies)                                   

• roasted red peppers

Stock 5-10 herbs & spices you use most. Buy less common varieties in small amounts at a spice shop.

Spices/seasonings

Stock the dried herbs & spices you use most. Some ideas …

• sea salt & black pepper                                    

• cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger     

• dried onion & garlic

• cayenne, crushed red pepper, paprika, chili powder blend

• basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme        

• cinnamon, nutmeg

Oils/fats

• ghee & coconut oil (for high temps 350°F +)                                             

• butter, olive or avocado oil (for cold dishes or below 350°F)   

Baking

Baking is not my forté so this part of the list is a wee bit thin…

• GF flours (almond, coconut, arrowroot etc.)   

• baking powder                                  

• baking soda

• coconut sugar

*Consider joining a CSA or buying meat through a local farmer. You can save money and then you have a ready supply to defrost at a moment’s notice. Also check out eatwild.com and Colorado farmers markets.