What's in a Nutritionist's Pantry?
Ever wondered what’s inside of a nutritionists pantry? Is it about time you did a little kitchen revamp to get rid of the old and bring in new, nourishing ingredients so that you’re prepared to make delicious, nutritious meals?
Here you’ll find a complete guide to stocking your pantry and kitchen with the most nourishing ingredients, tools and sustainable kitchen ideas. I’ve gone ahead and broken it down for you by section so you can be super organized. Get out your shopping list so you can add the ingredients below that you do not already have at home.
Pastas
Choose from any of these pasta below to replace regular wheat flour pasta in your pantry. The options below are packed with added protein and fibre that are lacking from super processed white flour pasta.
Brown rice pasta (GF)
Lentil penne (GF)
Corn pasta (GF)
Quinoa pasta (GF)
Rice noodles (GF)
100% soba noodles (GF)
Spelt pasta
Whole wheat pasta
Flours
It is essential to have a variety of flours in your pantry as different baking and cooking recipes require different flours. Yes, you can sometimes substitute, but if you want your baking to turn out as Pinterest worthy as the photo you’re looking at, using the correct flour is key. Also, different flours have different nutritional properties so switching it up from time to time is always healthy.
All-purpose gluten free flour (GF)
Almond flour and almond meal (GF)
Buckwheat flour (GF)
Chickpea flour (GF)
Cornmeal (GF)
Oat flour (GF)
Spelt flour
Whole wheat flour
Tapioca flour
Canned Goods
Chickpeas
Black beans
Kidney beans
Tomato paste
Crushed/diced tomatoes
Corn
Coconut milk
Tuna
Nuts & Seeds
Having nuts and seeds on hand for a quick snack is always a good idea. They’re also great in yogurt, oatmeal, smoothies, granola and other recipes so having them on hand ensures you don’t have to run to the store every week for a tablespoon of nuts or seeds for one single recipe. Here are my favourites:
Almonds
Brazil nuts
Cashews
Chia seeds
Flax seeds (whole or ground)
Hemp hearts
Pecans
Pepitas/Pumpkin seeds
Pistachios
Sesame seeds (white, black)
Sunflower seeds (raw or toasted)
Walnuts
Spices
Stocking your pantry with a hearty blend of herbs and spices makes cooking and baking that much more fun. As they say, variety is the spice of life! Stock up on the dried spices below and you will basically be able to make any recipe that calls for a variety of flavours.
Basil
Turmeric
Curry powder
Red pepper flakes
Cayenne pepper
Cloves
Onion powder
Kelp flakes
Paprika
Cumin
Oregano
Coriander
Peppercorns
Mustard seed
Ground ginger
Nutmeg
Rosemary
Poppy seeds
Tarragon
Garlic powder
Snacks
Here are some of my favourite snacks that are always stocked in my pantry…
Gluten free rice cakes
Granola
Protein bars
Midday Squares
Trail mix
SmartSweets
Bananas
Refrigerated Items
These items are best kept in the fridge to preserve their shelf life and ensure they stay fresh for longer.
Homemade almond milk/Unsweetened, plain almond milk
Oat milk - homemade or store bought
Dijon mustard
Tahini
Reduced sodium tamari
Almond butter
Natural peanut butter
Vegenaise - vegan mayonnaise
Kimchi
Organic tofu
Sunflower butter
Chickpea miso
Coconut aminos
Pure maple syrup
Vegetable broth base
Berries - strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries
Citrus fruits - lemons, oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, limes
Leafy greens - kale, swiss chard, spinach, arugula, spring mix, romaine, dandelion
Apples
Miscellaneous
Here are some other items I always have stocked in my pantry that I use often in cooking, baking and on salads.
Dried dates
Nori paper wraps
Olive oil
Avocado oil
Apple cider vinegar
Coconut oil
Balsamic vinegar
Himalayan sea salt
Raw local honey
Coconut sugar
Monk fruit sweetener
Wakame (sea kelp)
Rice paper sheets
Nori wraps/sheets
Nutritional yeast
Quinoa
Brown rice/jasmine rice
Bouillon cubes
Hemp protein powder (& other vegan protein powders)
Cocoa/Cacao powder
Cocoa nibs
Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
Arrowroot starch
Baking soda
Aluminum-free baking powder
Popcorn kernels
Vanilla extract
Avocados
Sweet potatoes
Tea - variety of tea blends
Frozen berries
Frozen vegetables
Once you have majority of the above pantry items, you will find that cooking and baking becomes a lot more enjoyable! A lot of the ingredients above have a long shelf life so you do not need to worry about items expiring a couple of months after buying them. Let me know if there are any other pantry items you always have stocked so I can add to this list!