What's in my pantry? And should be in yours..

When you’re finished with cleaning out your pantry all the products that are gone need to be replaced with new healthy ones (see clean out your pantry)! So in this post I will give an overview of all the products I have in my pantry. Of course buying all these products at once is very costly and that’s also not what I did, start with some of the items and then slowly expend your pantry! This weekend I will also post a shopping list for beginners to help you get started on your clean eating journey! 

For some products I mention the brand I use for my Dutch readers! I will do most of the explaining for the type of carbohydrates that don’t come from vegetables. For the other products less explanation is necessary but if you have any questions don’t hesitate to leave a comment or send me an email.

Grains, Starches & Legumes:

Carbohydrates from starches, grains and legumes are the fuel for your body. Carbohydrates can be classified into simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are the wrong kind and are found in processed food products like white rice, white pasta, white bread, cookies, cake etc. Complex carbohydrates can be found in whole wheat products, brown rice, quinoa, rye, buckwheat, spelt but also in legumes and of course vegetables. It’s an important group in your pantry! Overall make sure that you have a variation of carbohydrates in your pantry and also some gluten free products like quinoa and oats.

• Spelt Pasta – For me spelt products work really well but for some people it can lead to a bloated feeling or diarree so when you start eating spelt see what it does with your body! If your intestines are irritated by it then it would probably be better to eat kamut pasta or whole wheat pasta. If your body reacts well to spelt you need to make sure that you don’t eat it all the time because it contains high levels of gluten. On the other hand the glycemic index is relatively low so it will supply you with energy for a long time. Spelt products can be bought at your local organic store (Ekoplaza, Heerlijk) and you just have to see which product you like most! I always have spaghetti, penne and spirals and whole grain/spelt lasagna sheets.
• Kamut pasta – Kamut is another ‘old’ grain like spelt and I really like to switch between these two. Also only sold in organic stores. Kamut is more expensive then spelt so if you just starting with clean eating I would advise you try out spelt first.
• Gluten free brown rice spaghetti - Perfect alternative for pasta. They sell it at Heerlijk and tastes great with a red pesto!
• Quinoa – Is definitely a favorite of mine. You can serve it as a hot dish but it’s also perfect for cold dishes and trough salads. And it’s gluten free! You can also get quinoa flakes which you can use in your homemade granola. 
• Oats – My favorite breakfast! If you buy oats for breakfast keep in mind that only oat-flakes are glutenfree. I also buy it at my local organic store (Heerlijk, merk: de Halm; Ekoplaza, huismerk) but you can also buy it at most supermarkets but then make sure you check the ingredients to see if there is no added sugar!
• Brown rice – Is so much better for you then white rice! The best is organic brown rice but I like brown basmati rice the most. I buy the brown basmati rice from Ekoplaza because this one has a cooking time of 20 minutes. Other Brown Basmati Rice with a round grain are a little bit better, but this takes 45 minutes to cook and after work I just don’t have the time.
• Rice crackers – Perfect healthy snack for me! I vary with quinoa rice crackers, spelt rice crackers and normal ones. I buy these from the brand LIMA at Ekoplaza or Heerlijk.
• Spelt couscous – I really like couscous and found a spelt couscous from the brand BIA (couscous di Farro) at Heerlijk which is cheaper than normal couscous and it fills me up quicker!
• Gluten & wheat free brown rice, pumpkin & ginger noodles – These are delicious and I never use any other noodles. I buy them at Heerlijk, 250 gr per package, good for 3 meals  from the Brand Terrasana and they sell them in most organic stores. From the same brand they also sell buckwheat noodles. I don’t like the taste of buckwheat but if you do these are perfect!
• Rye bread – to have some variation I sometimes eat rye bread. You can buy this in any store but again whatch the ingredients!
• Homemade granola
• Lentils
• Chickpeas – Very handy to use trough salads or as a healthy snack.

Other products that would complete your pantry but aren’t my favorites are: black beans, kidney beans, buckwheat products, millet, whole wheat/grain pasta and amaranth.

Nuts & Seeds:

I really like unroasted and unsalted nuts and seeds because you can eat them every day and incorporate them in every menu. They are full of essential nutrients and I recommend to have the following list of nuts & seeds in your pantry:

• Pine nuts
• Almonds
• Hazelnuts
• Pecans
• Walnuts
• Cashews
• Pistachios
• Sunflower seeds
• Flaxseeds
• (black) Sesame seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Poppyseeds

Meats, poultry & fish:

• Eggs
• Chicken breast
• Canned tuna  
• Canned mackerel
• Anschovy fillets
• Tuna steaks and Salmon in the freezer 

Dairy/Non dairy products:

• Unsweetened Almond Milk - You will always find this in my fridge. I use it in cooking/baking or just with  my favorite oatmeal. If you drink coffee I would also recommend using almond milk, but keep in mind that it has a rather mild flavor so you could also use coconut milk.
• Coconut milk – Ideal for cooking and baking! It has a delicious taste!
• Cottage cheese – It is not considered 100% clean but it is a great source of protein with a low fat content! (I buy the one from Danone)
• Feta cheese and Goat cheese – Perfect dairy free options trough salads or other recipes
• Parmesan cheese or Pecorino – Pecorino is diary free!
• Butter – If you use butter I would recommend u use organic real butter and definitely not margarine!
• Quark – great source of protein and I always eat it after my workout
• Natural yoghurt and Greek yoghurt – also not 100% clean but when combined with some nuts and seeds the ratio fats and proteins are right and I like to have it as a variation for my breakfast and my body reacts well to it! If you do have irritated intestines or feel bloated and you eat yoghurt or other dairy products these could be the cause!

Sauces, Oils & Vinegars

Plant based oils are a great source of omega-3 and 6 fatty acids. Oils are perfect for cooking and baking and in combination with vinegars for salads! I have the following oils & vinegars in my pantry, preferably organic, but not always due to costs:

• Coconut oil
• Olive oil
• Olive oil extra virgin
• Sesame oil
• Walnut oil
• White wine vinegar
• Red wine vinegar
• Balsamic vinegar
• Apple cider vinegar
• flaxseed oil
• Soy sauce (brand: Kikkoman; many soy sauce contain extra sugar!)
• Tabasco

Herbs & Spices:

Fresh Herbs:

• Mint – I always have mint because it’s perfect for tea and also to add some taste to plain water
• Thyme – I need this to make my homemade red pesto
• Basil – Always good and necessary for my pesto ala Genovese

Dried Herbs & spices: 
Perfect to season your dishes! I always have the following list of herbs.

• Cumin seeds
• Oregano
• Cinnamon
• Dill
• Kurkuma
• Sweet Paprika powder
• Chili powder
• Nutmeg
• Parsley
• Basil
• Coriander
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Marjory
• Fennel seed
• Himalayan sea salt
• Sea salt
• Pepper

Baking needs:

• Almond meal
• Coconut meal
• Palm sugar
• Raw cacoa
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Vanilla extract
• Spelt or whole wheat flower

Other products which I always have in my pantry:

• Mulberries
• Chiaseeds
• Cranberries
• Dried figs
• Dried dates
• Organic mayonnaise
• Agave syrup
• Sundried tomatoes
• Organic peanut butter
• >80% chocolate: for when I feel like having a treat
• Almond flakes
• Coconut grater
• Vegetable stock cubes
• Double concentrated tomato puree
• Raw food bar
• Mustard

So it is a long list, but still I probably forgot somethings. If you mis an item please leave a comment so others could read it! Coming soon: beginners shopping list to help create your healthy pantry!