14 Essential Healthy Pantry Items To Always Have In Your Kitchen

If you take a close look at the foods in your kitchen pantry, you might realize that most of those items may not be as healthy as they should be. I go through a thoughtful process with each of my Nutrition clients to clean out their food pantry. We work to strategically replace and reestablish the unhealthy pantry items with healthier options that support optimal health. Here are 14 healthy pantry items to get you started in creating a healthier kitchen.

Healthy Pantry Items To Always Have In Your Kitchen:

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR:

If you have a hard time digesting heavier foods like animal protein or high fat foods, apple cider vinegar is the perfect staple to help support digestion.  Eating something with a bit of apple cider vinegar in it before consuming a harder to digest food, will help increase stomach acid, help breakdown food, and improve absorption of nutrients during meals.    

Homemade apple cider vinegar salad dressing: 

Into a small bowl, mix up a healthy and light homemade salad dressing by adding a shake of apple cider vinegar, a sprinkle of sea salt, a dash of pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, together.  Customize ingredient amounts, to taste.  Once you find that perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, pour your dressing on a fresh bed of organic spinach salad.  Add additional salad items for the perfect light side salad.   

MINERALIZED SEA SALT:

Did you know that common table salt is highly processed, fortified with iodine, and bleached?  My best advice: STAY AWAY from this kind of salt.  What you should be using on a daily basis is a real, unprocessed, mineralized salt.  Look for a salt that contains trace minerals with no additives or anti-caking agents, and is unprocessed or unbleached. The mineral component here is key.  We need minerals in our body to keep our cells functioning properly.  When we are low in minerals, we tend to have lower overall energy, lower overall mood, higher anxiety levels, higher stress levels, and are more prone to dehydration.  You can easily improve a lot of signs and symptoms you may have related to these feelings by simply adding in real sea salt into your daily diet.  

Add a pinch of Redmonds Real Sea Salt, and a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime, to a 12oz glass of filtered water.  Add more salt or juice to taste.  Drink this mixture once per day for the added benefit of minerals, potassium, hydration, and digestive support.

EQUI.LIFE WHOLE FOOD BARS:

Protein bars seem to be a quick and easy solution to eating on the run, but most of them are low quality options. I always encourage my clients to choose eating a real meal or small snack over eating something that can be consumed in 3 bites.  However, I know sometimes convenience wins over sitting down for a homemade snack.  If you are going to go for a quick power bar, make it one that has high quality ingredients, and no added sugars or preservatives.  

Equi.life Whole Food Bars contain few ingredients that each serve a nutritional purpose for your health.

EQUI.LIFE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE BLEND POWDER:

If you aren’t getting in 7-9 servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis, here's the easiest option to get you there.  Equi.life Fruit and Vegetable Powder has 22 organic fruits and veggies per serving. In addition, it provides your body with superfood nutrients, antioxidants, and digestive support. 

Adding this to your daily morning protein shake or simply adding a scoop to a glass of filtered water first thing in the morning, will help aid in digestion, liven up your daily water, and give you glowing skin from the inside out. 

ORGANIC PEANUT BUTTER POWDER:

I love this organic peanut butter powder as a pantry staple to add into morning protein shakes and baked goods for when you want the delicious taste of peanut butter, but without the added fat.  It has a high amino acid protein profile, no additives, and no added sugar like some other lesser quality brands out there.  

Try this brand for added flavor.

GHEE:

We all know that margarine is NOT the way to go when looking for a healthy fat to cook our food in.  Ghee is one of the best options out there.  If you have never heard of ghee before, it is a clarified butter, with the milk solids removed.  4th&Heart ghee is lactose free, grass-fed, pasture raised, and has a high smoke point.  The delicious flavor is buttery and smooth. 

The 4th&Heart company has so many deliciously infused flavors of ghee for a heart healthy fat to cook with.

ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL and AVOCADO OIL:

Healthy fats should be part of every meal you eat.  We always want to look at the ingredients in our foods to ensure there are no processed seed oils in them.  Processed oils like canola oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil are highly inflammatory, create free radicals within the body, can contribute to weight gain and a whole lot of other health problems.  Using extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil are the healthier options for cooking and dressing your foods with. 

Try sauteing your vegetables in a drizzle of avocado oil or dressing your salad with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and apple cider vinegar.

EQUI.LIFE DAILY NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT SHAKE POWDER:

Equi.life’s Daily Nutritional Support shake is definitely my number one pantry staple item!  This is your FAIL SAFE option for when you need high quality nutrients, protein to satiate you, and a delicious meal that will never have you choosing to eat fast food over this.  In this functional medicine shake, you are getting easy to digest protein, all of your vitamins in an absorbable form, balanced minerals, digestive support, detox support, immune support, and antioxidants.   

It takes 2 minutes to blend up a filling, nutrient dense shake in a blender. No excuses for you to skip breakfast or forego getting in your essential nutrients.

HEMP HEARTS and FLAX SEEDS:

Every nut and seed out there is equipped with loads of vitamins, minerals, protein and healthy fats.  Any option of nuts and seeds should be a staple in your daily diet.  Hemp hearts are a great source of protein, omega 3 and omega 6.  Flax seeds are amazing for added fiber and healthy fats in your diet.       

I personally love adding hemp hearts to a yogurt bowl and flax seeds to a smoothie.

PUMPKIN SEEDS and BRAZIL NUTS:

Food is the natural way of supporting our body’s proper function.  Brazil nuts and pumpkin seeds offer nutrients to help support regulation of our hormones.  Eating 2 brazil nuts a day is a great source of selenium to help support your thyroid.  A ¼ cup of organic, raw pumpkin seeds near a woman’s menstrual cycle can help support hormonal balance. 

Grabbing a handful of  pumpkin seeds or a few brazil nuts as an afternoon snack is a wonderful habit to adapt.

RAW CACAO POWDER:

Who doesn’t love chocolate?  The power of raw cacao is unmatched, not only in flavor, but in nutrients.  Raw cacao powder is the pure, unsweetened, form of chocolate that is high in antioxidants, fiber, and minerals.  The depth of the raw cacao flavor is perfect for adding a chocolatey flavor to smoothies, protein drinks, and baked goods. 

Swap your Starbucks mocha for a homemade chocolate protein shake with coffee ice cubes, so that you can enjoy a chocolate drink without added sugar.

ORGANIC DRIED CRANBERRIES and DRIED TART CHERRIES:

Dried organic cranberries and dried tart cherries are a regular go-to move to have on hand.  Not only do they squash a sweet craving, with their tangy flavor, but they are a nutritional powerhouse of antioxidants, vitamins, and high fiber.  Mix a handful of these dried fruits with some salted cashew nuts, and some raw unsalted walnuts for a perfect pre-workout trail mix.     

INSTANT COFFEE and EQUI.LIFE’S COFFEE REVIVE:

We all know that coffee is a major staple in people’s daily diet. But, what most people don’t know is that coffee can contain high amounts of mold and pesticides.  I'm not telling you to never drink coffee again.  I’m telling you to be smarter about the coffee that you do purchase.  Organic instant coffee is a great low mold option that is high in caffeine and can easily mix in a protein shake or baked goods.  A great option for quality coffee would be Equi.life’s Organic Coffee Revive.  It is organic, full of antioxidants to help rid the body of free radicals, is a single source origin, tested to be free of mold and pesticides, and is mailed as a whole bean to preserve its freshness. 

You can also Subscribe and Save if you order Equi.life’s coffee for repeat delivery, so that you always have it on hand.

ORGANIC LOOSE LEAF TEA:

The ritual of sitting down and sipping on a warm cup of coffee is typically what people enjoy most about their morning drink.  However, if you have high levels of stress and anxiety, caffeine is pretty much the worst thing you can start your day off with.  A healthier alternative to coffee would be loose leaf tea.  Chai tea has a similar flavor profile to coffee and can be a very easy swap for you. 

You can still enjoy a moment of peace while not worrying about the negative impact, on your body, that coffee might contribute to.

If you want to get started on building better healthy habits, click the BOOK NOW button to sign up for your first nutrition session now. All nutrition sessions are personalized for your goals.