I wanted to share some items that I keep in my pantry. I am not suggesting you buy everything on the list, but here are some items I use regularly or that are nice to have in the pantry, just in case. Aside from these, I keep a vegetable drawer (or two) full of a variety of vegetables, local eggs, and in the freezer, I keep frozen organic berries, edamame beans, and some frozen vegetables. My family and I also try to eat Salmon about once a week. I just heard about this sustainable seafood site called I Love Blue Sea and they do overnight shipping. I hope this is helpful and I will update this with more information from time to time, so check back!Having items in your pantry makes it much easier to make recipes and cook healthy. Here is a list of what I like to keep in my pantry.I buy local or organic products whenever I can. And with oils, I try to use cold-pressed oils and unrefined oils.OILS and FATS:Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, cold pressed- I use this in salad dressings and over vegetables. I try not to bake or saute with EVOO because it changes the composition of the oil and can become not so healthy.Walnut Oil-: High in Omega 3. Keep in the fridge and use in salad dressings. This oil should not be heated.Flax Seed Oil-: High in Omega 3. Keep in Fridge and use in salad dressings or on vegatables. This oil should not be heated.Coconut Oil- virgin and unrefined: I use this for sauteing and roasting and is stable at high temperatures. It has many health benefits due to the presence of acids such as lauric acid and their antioxidant, antimicrobial properties.Rice Bran Oil- I use this instead of Canola or Vegetable Oil in baking recipes. I just started using it and you can buy it here or here and probably at Whole Foods. It is the oil extracted from the germ and bran of rice and is stable at high heat.Organic or Grass Fed Butter: It is stable at high temperatures and I use it to saute, bake and roast various foods.FLOURS:Here are some of the flours I use in baking recipes. Most of these are Gluten Free, but if you have no problem with gluten, I would add whole wheat pastry flour, whole wheat flour but try to stay away from white flour.Almond Flour- high in protein and adds a nice moisture to recipes. Try adding 1/4 cup almond flour for a cup of wheat flour.Brown Rice Flour- I use this as a base for most of my gluten free flour mixesCoconut Flour- high in protein but cannot be replaced in a recipe for wheat flour. Very absorbentOat FlourTapioca FlourQuinoa FlourTeff Flour- has a really nice nutty flavorGRAINS: I encourage everyone to try some new grains. Many of these are ancient grains used widely in other parts of the world. They have a lot of protein and nutrients.Brown RiceQuinoaPolentaMilletTeffAmaranthBEANS/LEGUMES:I keep a variety of dried beans in my pantry including:Black BeansKidney BeansLentilsGarbanzo BeansSUGAR:Organic Evaporated Cane SugarDate SugarCoconut Palm SugarMaple SugarRaw HoneyMaple Syrup- Grade BBrown Rice SyrupSPICES- If you have spices that have been in your cabinet for more the 1 year, Toss them! Spices do not last forever and some even say over 6 months is too long. Most health Food stores have them in the bulk section so you can just buy a little at a time. Buying them in their whole form and grating them as needed is best.Cayenne PepperCinnamonTumericCuminCurry PowderNutmegFennel SeedsVINEGARS:Apple Cider VinegarRed Wine VinegarBalsamic VinegarBrown Rice VinegarOTHERS:Shoyu or Tamari Soy SauceCoconut Milk- thickens and flavors recipesCrushed Tomatoes( In Glass Containers)Tahini- sesame seed pureeDried Mushrooms - can be reconstituted for soups or other dishesMolassesFlax Seeds- Rich in Omega 3 I grind them in my coffee grinder and sprinkle on everything from toast to popcorn to salads.Chia Seeds- Rich in Omega 3Dried Coconut Flakes- great in baking recipesDark Chocolate- try for at least 70 percent cocoaCeltic Sea Salt- contains lots of mineralsCapersVariety of raw nuts and seeds

My Pantry