Essential Pantry Items For Healthy Cooking

A stocked pantry is the foundation to preparing simple, healthy, and delicious meals. Having quality items on hand makes eating the rainbow easier.

Buy organic whenever you can to avoid pesticides and unwanted chemicals. Organic standards ensure producers rely on natural substances, and physical, mechanical, or biologically based farming methods as much as possible. The standards also prohibit the use of most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which can be harmful.[1] Learn more about USDA organic standards here.

The widely used pesticide glyphosate, has been classified as “Probably Carcinogenic to Humans” by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer. Learn more about glyphosate here. [2]

Organic Spices & Seasoning

Buy organic and fresh spices.

Spices are best when fresh and organic. Conventional spices can contain avoidable contaminants like pesticides and unnecessary colorants.[3] Choosing certified organic spices will reduce exposure to these.

Note that spices beyond expiry lose flavor and benefits, so it’s good practice to clean out your spice cabinet periodically.

Organic Ceylon Cinnamon 

Choose ceylon cinnamon over cassia or korintje varieties. Ceylon cinnamon has a slightly sweeter and milder flavor, and is a better quality cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon has a lower concentration of coumarin which acts as a blood thinner and can be dangerous to the liver in high amounts. It is perfect for baking, on top of oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and more.

Redmond Real Salt

Redmond Real Salt is unrefined salt mined in Utah that contains no additives. It contains over 60 trace minerals that help our bodies function properly. Many salt products on the shelves are stripped of minerals and contain anti-caking agents such as calcium silicate. Some even contain dextrose (sugar). Redmond Real Salt tastes great and comes in several varieties - fine (for your salt shaker), kosher, and coarse (for your salt grinder). Get 15% off Redmond Real Salt with discount code Switchnatural.

Organic Black Pepper

Not only does black pepper add flavor to food, but it has health benefits such as reduction of insulin-resistance, anti-inflammatory effects, and improvement of hepatic steatosis thanks to the alkaloid piperine.[9] Black pepper has antioxidant properties and provides manganese, iron and vitamin K.[8]

Organic Cumin

Cumin is my favorite spice to add to when cooking legumes. Cumin has numerous health benefits as it contains minerals such as sodium, iron, zinc, copper, phosphorus, and calcium, and vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin B complex, and folic acid.[4] Cumin is a must have for black beans, lentils, and is great for adding depth to many dishes.

Nutritional Yeast

Nutritional yeast is a good source of B complex vitamins. The flavor of Braggs nutritional yeast resembles a mild cheese and is great for adding creaminess to salad dressing, pasta, and is used in plant based cheese recipes.

Oils, Vinegar, & Sauces

Avoid vegetable oils such as canola oil, soybean oil, corn oil, and cottonseed oil.

Most oils are highly processed, heated, and treated with chemicals which are not listed on ingredient labels. Canola oil is commonly extracted with the chemical hexane, which is a neurotoxicant.[5] High temperatures during processing can cause oils to go rancid. [6][7]

Coco Goods Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is delicious and perfect for baked goods. I use coconut oil as a substitute for vegetable oil and butter in sweets. Coco Good organic cold pressed coconut oil is my favorite as its smooth with a mild flavor. Tip: Use coconut oil as a makeup remover.

California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Olive oil has an amazing taste and nutritional profile. But not all olive oils are great and labels can be misleading. Many olive oils are labeled as pure olive oil but actually contain a mixture of vegetable oils which are heavily processed and treated with chemicals & high heat rendering them harmful. When shopping for olive oil, look for certified extra virgin olive oil that meets the Olive Oil Commission of California (OOCC) standards. [7]

Apple Cider Vinegar

Raw organic apple cider vinegar has been used for centuries for various natural remedies. It is a must have for my homemade salad dressing and is a wonderful addition to numerous recipes and dressings.

*Note: While avocado oil is a mild tasting oil that can be used in high temperatures, the integrity and quality of most avocado oils has been put into question, and I have temporarily stopped cooking with it.

Unsweetened Ketchup

Did you know most ketchup contains added sugars? Buying organic sugar free ketchup is an easy and impactful way to ditch unnecessary sugar without sacrificing flavor.

Tomato Sauce

Otamot organic tomato sauce tastes delicious and is perfect for quick pastas or homemade pizzas. Unlike most tomato sauce, Otamot does not have added sugar. Instead it is full of organic vegetables and comes in spicy or regular.

Tahini

Tahini is 100% made from sesame seeds and is a great source of vitamins, minerals, that contains healthy fats and protein. Tahini has an nutty flavor is delicious with bread and honey, in homemade hummus, and is a creamy addition to salad dressings. Mighty Sesame Seed Company tahini is organic and comes in a convenient squeezable bottle (tahini is sticky!).

Wheat And Grains

Bread made with sprouted grains like barley, brown rice, corn, millet, oats, rye, packs a nutritious punch and is delicious and satisfying.

Food For Life Sprouted Grain Bread, Corn Tortillas, & Pitas

Food For Life offers many sprouted grain options like the 7 Sprouted Grains Bread, Sprouted Whole Grain and Seed Bread, Pocket Bread pitas, and Sprouted Corn Tortillas. These are found in the freezer section and soften when warmed.

Alvarado Street Sprouted Grain Bagels

Alvarado Street Sprouted Grain Bagels are soft and chewy with the same consistency as white bread bagels, and are delicious and filling.

Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oatmeal

While all oatmeal contains healthy fiber and lot of nutritional benefits, steel cut oatmeal is my favorite type. Steel cut oatmeal is cut from whole oat groats and digests slower than rolled oats making it less likely to spike blood sugar. Bobs Red Mill Organic Steel Cut Oatmeal is lightly toasted and tastes delicious. The best breakfast there is!

Modern Table Lentil Pasta

This delicious lentil pasta is made from 3 ingredients: lentils, rice and peas. It provides a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids. I prefer Modern Table because it mirrors the texture and taste of regular pasta.

What are your must-have pantry items? Let me know in the comments below!

References & Resources

[1] https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means

[2] https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/glyphosate-fact-sheet

[3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956713516307149#:~:text=Various%20chemical%20hazards%20may%20be,deliberate%20contaminants%20such%20as%20dyes.

[4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/cumin

[5] https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/hexane.pdf

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6296546/

[7] https://www.oliveoilcommission.org/

[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30740986/

[9] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27671817/#:~:text=Piperine%20has%20many%20pharmacological%20effects,and%20improvement%20of%20hepatic%20steatosis.