As you are embracing your REAL food journey, there is one area that may need a little help and renovation...
the kitchen pantry!
The pantry has a funny way of accumulating items that never get used, or get lost in time. If you can't remember the last time you did a kitchen pantry clean-out, maybe it is time for a makeover! Especially if you are thinking..."well, I have spices that I received as a wedding gift" and you have been married how many years now?!
In the past couple of weeks, several Eat REAL America members have told us about family members who have watched their progress losing weight, getting off their medications, experiencing huge increases in energy, and more. These family members are asking a variety of great questions, including how they need to stock their pantry to be able to make healthier meals.
Making it so much easier!
When you have the right staples on hand, you can transform a variety of REAL ingredients into flavor-loaded (and nutrient-loaded) meals! And, let's be honest, this just makes life easier!
Yes, it may require a small up-front investment, but we promise, this will actually save you money in the long run! As you use these staples over and over, the cost of your meals is significantly reduced.
We keep our kitchen and pantry stocked with all of the items on this staple list. However, we realize that some people may want to gradually transform their pantry. So, to help you decide on how to prioritize your purchases, we have broken the pantry list down into different categories:
- Items to always have on hand (we consider these to be our "can't live without items" that we always make sure to restock)
- Next in line (items that are extremely helpful to have on hand)
- Others to consider (we think these items are worth the investment)
Make the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice!
In our personal experience, along our REAL food journey, it was helpful to use the "out of sight, out of mind" philosophy. You don't have to get rid of all the processed snacks and foods in your pantry, but this is definitely a good opportunity to reevaluate those items!
When our kids were younger, we created a "red light box" in our pantry (which was really a basket), which included some "from the factory" snacks and sweet treats. (Because as we all know, with kids there always seems to be the treats that come home from the birthday parties, from school, and elsewhere). Our kids knew they needed to ask for permission to take something from the red light box. Different approaches will work best for each family on how to limit consumption of processed snacks, desserts and other not-so-healthy foods.
Feel free to print this PDF version of the pantry staple list and keep it handy until you create the rhythm of staples to have on hand for you and your family.
Also, please share with us, especially if there is something that you consider to be a staple that we did not include on the list!
We love hearing from you!
Thank you for the PDF version of your list! Very handy! I have a question about nutritional yeast. I’ve never used it and wonder what recipes it might be good in. Salad dressing maybe? Does it add a cheesy flavor?
Thank you – we are so glad this is helpful! Nutritional yeast is de-activated yeast, grown on molasses and then harvested, washed and dried with heat. It is available in flakes and powder and has a cheesy, nutty flavor. It works great as a gluten-free and dairy-free alternative to add cheese flavor to certain recipes, like our Fiesta Spiced air-popped popcorn! Fiesta Spiced Popcorn. Many people will use it in pastas, sauces, or dressings. I hope that helps – thank you again!