“If you keep good food in your fridge, you will eat good food”.
~ Eric McAdams
While it may sound simple, if you also apply the same to your pantry, you really can’t go wrong. Set your kitchen up for success with these suggested kitchen items:
- Almond flour – a gluten free alternative to wheat flour, almond flour is nutrient dense, highly satiating and delicious. These Raspberry & Coconut Muffins are a great place to start and one of the most popular recipes on my site.
- Coconut flour – also gluten free, coconut flour is highly nutritious and packed full of dietary fibre. It is therefore fantastic for blood sugar control, satiety and curbing cravings, all of which are essential for weight management. For more information and a selection of recipes, read Coconut flour: the scoop!.
- Linseed, Sunflower and Almond Meal (LSA) – a great addition to smoothies, cereal and muffins, LSA adds essential fats to improve brain function, mood, exercise recovery and hair, skin and nail quality, as well as assist with satiety and weight control.
- Rice Malt Syrup – a delicious fructose free alternative to sugar or honey, rice malt syrup is a great substitution to make sweet treats more waistline friendly! Read Rice malt syrup – perspective please for further insight and information.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) – packed full of essential omega-3 fatty acids, EVOO makes the perfect salad dressing when combined with apple cider vinegar. It’s also great for making your own mayo and salsa for homemade tacos. Save it for cold use only, to protect the quality of the oil and the associated health benefits.
- Coconut Oil – a saturated fat, coconut oil is ideal for cooking as it retains its structure under heat. It also doubles as a skin moisturizer, lip balm and sunscreen. Read Coconut Oil: the scoop! for more information.
- Coconut Cream – coconut cream offers many of the benefits of coconut oil and is perfect for both savoury and sweet uses. Use in curries, add a couple of tablespoons to your smoothie, or blend with fresh fruit and freeze to make homemade ice cream!
- Quinoa – a great slow-release carbohydrate you can use to bulk up your breakfast or salad, or serve as a side with protein and vegetables. Stock up on quinoa flakes and make these No Bake Energy Bars for a fantastic healthy version to store-bought muesli bars.
- Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) – ACV is so much more than a salad dressing. Take 15ml in water first thing in the morning to kick start your metabolism, detoxify your liver and keep your immune system firing. ACV is also a great vegetable wash, teeth whitener and all-natural cleaning product.
- Cinnamon – cinnamon is nature’s blood sugar regulator. Add to smoothies, cereal, sweet treats, curries and even your spag bol or taco mince. Trust me on the last one, it’s delicious!
How does your pantry score? And what are your ‘can’t-live-without’ items?