Hi Sweet Friends,
My pantry is the trusty scout leader of my kitchen — always prepared!
Over time, I’ve stocked my pantry with items that are the foundation for my meals and can be used in a variety of recipes or all on their own. Once you begin to collect your own favorite pantry pals, you’ll see a few things shrink: your grocery bill, your shopping list and your meal planning woes. Suddenly, half your recipe ingredients are already on hand and all you need at the store are fresh herbs and produce, some toilet paper and a trashy magazine every once in awhile (come on, you know you read them!).
This week, I’m making good use of my pantry with a south of the border inspired dinner — taco night! Psst … Don’t miss the Crazy Sexy Refried Beans recipe at the end of this blog. De nada.
Here are some of my must-have pantry items:
- Coconut Oil: Coconut oil (aka coconut butter) has a sweet, light, buttery flavor. Make sure to choose organic unrefined extra virgin coconut oil, since the hydrogenated kind contains trans fats (boo!). The saturated fat in coconut oil is mostly lauric acid, which supports thyroid function and raises good cholesterol. I spread it on my morning waffles, add a dollop to my veggie sautes or use it as an oil substitute while baking. Oh! And it’s also a divine skin moisturizer (we have a tub of it in the bathroom).
- Protein Powder: Since proteins are the building blocks of every cell in your body, adding a scoop of plant-based protein powder to your smoothies is an awesome way to give your muscles and organs a little extra lovin’. At the moment, my favorite brand is PlantFusion.
- Almond Milk: Almond milk has a sweet, creamy taste that’s perfect for hot breakfasts (oatmeal, millet or quinoa), tasty smoothies and sauces. Did I mention iced chai lattes? Yeah, that too. Word to the wise: If you’re watching your sugar intake, opt for the unsweetened variety, it tastes just as good, if not better. Nutrition label tip: 4 grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon. The American Heart Association recommends (at most) 5 teaspoons of sugar for gals, 9 teaspoons for guys and 3 teaspoons for kids.
- Buckwheat Soba Noodles: I adore these gluten-free noodles in chilled salads or tossed with an Asian-style stir fry. Soba noodles cook in a snap, but be careful not to overcook them — they’ll turn to mush. Buckwheat is also a complete protein, which makes this noodle a no-brainer in my kitchen.
- Nutritional Yeast: Fondly known as “nooch,” this cheese-flavored powder has been a longtime comrade of vegetarians and vegans. Nutritional yeast is full of B vitamins and it’s another (you guessed it!) complete protein to add to your repertoire. I love using nutritional yeast in sauces, salad dressings, soups and even in my organic tofu scramble. Go ahead and smooch the nooch, you won’t be sorry — lordy, I crack myself up!
- Rice Pasta: I usually reach for Tinkyada brand rice pasta, but there are a variety of brands out there. Choose brown rice pasta if you can, since we all know that whole grains are better than the white stuff. Rice pasta can be used as a gluten-free substitute for any wheat pasta, but I use it most often in my Penne a la Vodka recipe.
- Quinoa: In addition to being a plant-based protein powerhouse, quinoa is also high in magnesium (great for your bone health) and iron (immune system supporter). It’s the main ingredient in easy-peasy buddha bowl — a big serving of cooked quinoa topped with diced raw veggies, avocado, hemp seeds, olive or flax oil and an hefty squirt of Bragg’s amino acids or organic tamari. Heaven.
- Pinto Beans: Dried and canned beans are a fiber-filled friend that I always have on hand. Just keep in mind that you should choose a BPA-free brand whenever possible. And when you go for dried beans, head for the bulk aisle to save some bucks. Worried about gas? Soak your beans overnight and cook them with a strip of kombu (seaweed) to tame those pesky toots.
- Lentils: Colorful, protein-rich legumes make mealtime a snap. All you need is a simple sauce, veggies and lentils to create a fabulous one-pot meal, which also means less dishes (halle-frickin-lu-yah!). And if you’re in a pinch for time use red lentils; they cook in a jiffy.
- Sea Vegetables: These sassy sea plants are packed with marvelous minerals, including potassium, calcium and magnesium. It’s also one of the best sources of iodine, which is crucial to thyroid health. I sprinkle dulse flakes on my salads, nibble on sea veggie chips as a snack and roll up veggies and brown rice in nori sheets for some sushi.
- Rice Crackers: The big dipper! Rice crackers are a crispy and delicious gluten-free option when you’re looking for something to munch on. I dip them in hummus, guacamole, organic tofu eggless salad and beyond.
- Goji Berries: Reach for goji berries next time you’re putting together a trail mix or topping your oatmeal. They’re lower in sugar and packed with antioxidants.
Well, that’s my pantry in a nutshell. I hope this up close and personal look at my shelves inspires you to stack your pantry with a treasure trove of nourishing supplies.
Hi Kris, thanks for another great show & tell. I always keep sesame seeds handy, and recently started grinding homemade sprouted tahini paste in the food processor. If anyone uses tahini as often as I do, this is an excellent way to save some mula.
Lauren
“Sprouted” tahini paste? How do you DO that? I make a version of tahini with soaked seeds but it’s a wet tahini, not buttered. I blend 1 cup soaked sesame seeds with 1/2 cup water. It’s lovely for hummus and salad dressings. I’ve heard of processing dry sesame seeds but prefer them soaked. Not sure how you would do both? Pray tell 🙂
Thanks, Kris, for such a fun post!
I have been building up a pantry for a few years now and my favorite part, as geeky as it may sound, is saving and reusing jars for storing pantry goodies. My cupboards are filled with jars of all sizes and it looks so pretty and inspiring when I’m trying to pick what to cook for dinner! 🙂
Some items I’d recommend that haven’t been mentioned already…
– ground cocoa nibs. Since they are intense, I thought I’d make my own cocoa powder so I ran them through my coffee grinder. Now I have a raw powder to add to smoothies, oatmeal, baked goods… even dusted on peanut-butter and banana toast, my fave breakfast treat!
– Dulse. This is my favorite sea vegetable, and the best replacement for bacon on a BLT. Bake a few pieces in the oven for 4-5 minutes until it gets crispy, and add the salty, crunchy goodies to toasted bread w/ tomato, lettuce, sprouts, dijon and vegenaise. SO GOOD!
– Raw honey, agave nectar, and stevia powder. My favorite sugar alternatives 🙂
– Dried chipotle chili peppers. These things are powerful so you only need a little bit, but if you’re making a pot of chili, one little pepper soaked in boiling water for a bit, then ground in a spice grinder makes a killer spicy paste and really take the flavor over the top! You can also grind them up dry to make your own chili powder.
– Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes. These are AWESOME! I use them in chili, sauces, and soups, but most recently I discovered another delicious use: homemade salsa! Just add red onion, salt, lime juice, and fresh cilantro to a can and you’ve got a quick, delicious and healthier alternative to the jarred stuff!
Here’s to healthy and delicious cooking!
Raeanne
Ooops, I forgot to mention garlic in the homemade salsa recipe. Can’t forget the garlic!!
What an absolutely beautiful healthy girl and a beautiful healthy pantry!! Good for you! I love living healthy too! Big hugs!! <3
Kris, I notice that you show the boxes nut milk (almond). Are you concerned with the additive Carrageenan? I have read that it causes inflammation and may even cause cancer. Is used in many many products to make the product more creamy.
Also, do you eat completely gluten free? I don’t know if you have celiac disease, but I am wondering about eating gluten free or if it’s better to have lots of whole grains when fighting the Big C.
Thanks for your thoughts! Your poses are great!
I’d be interested in what you learn about carageenan. It’s my understanding that it is a derivitive of seaweed, so I’m confused about why it would be considered a bad thing — other than no longer a whole food on its own.
this is radical! question- how do you keep lentil from making you tooty? do we soak them as well? Oh lentils, my booty’s nemesis!
Hi Robin!
Check out Kris’ blog post: How to Live in Harmony with High Fiber Foods for her toot tips:)
https://go.kriscarr.com/blog/tips-to-live-in-harmony-with-high-fiber-foods/
Best,
Corinne
Creative Director @ KrisCarr.com
I also wanted to let you know… when making pinto beans, you can add a can of coke at the end. My mom has always done that with her beans….to keep you from having gas. I am not sure if you would want to add a can of coke to other beans, but I know that it doesn’t really change the taste of pinto beans (or at least I don’t think so)…. it may just add a little sweetness. Anyway.. just wanted to share that 🙂
Melissa
Ah – a few must have’s in the Carpentier house. Black beluga lentils are a MUST. They make a terrific beef substitute in lasagna and Mexican food when cooked with regular brown lentils and seasoned accordingly. Dried fruit like figs and apricots as well as a variety of nuts are great to have on hand when you have kids. Peanut, sesame, almond and cashew butter are mega yummy. Buckwheat groats are my gluten free granola go-to and make terrific hot cereal. Thanks for the sneak peek and comments!
I cannot LIVE without veggie broth. I use it for EVERYTHING…sautéing veggies for a recipe, boiling rice or quinoa…anything you’d use plain water for. I have several shelf-stable tetra paks on hand.
Karen,
Homemade broths are so easy to make and freeze in mason jars and or ice cube trays. Keep veggie scraps and what’s not fresh enough to juice or eat for the broth…there are many websites with great tips, i.e. onion skins add a nice rich colour and flavour. With warm weather now here you can throw in some fresh herbs. Keep some cheese cloth on hand and voila! Do it a couple of times and it becomes eazy peazy!
My pantry is stocked up with Tinkyada pasta that hasn’t been eaten since reading the Consumer Reports article about arsenic in rice. Tinkyada gets their rice from the southern US, where the ground has been poisoned with arsenic from old cotton pesticides. Rice pasta’s level of arsenic is especially high coming from this rice (which makes it a better texture). I suggest googling the info. on rice and the amounts of arsenic different rice products contain. Consumer Reports suggests only 1/4 cup serving of rice or rice product per week for children and two of that same size servings per week for adults to prevent arsenic poisoning! It’s not something we can ignore and hopefully will be addressed by good people/farmers in the future. California rice (such as Lunberg) has less arsenic, but it still has it. Just thought I’d let folks know, since the news came out last Sept. and has changed our eaten habits yet once again. “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken!”
Do you know of a brand of unsweetened almond milk that doesn’t have carageenan or or other unhealthy thickeners?
Great health tips! I see there’s a lot to learn about keeping a healthy pantry. I thoroughly enjoy receiving your emails. Thank you!
I love coconut oil! I use it to pop popcorn, spread it on my gf toast in the morning and as a general cooking oil. It’s so yummy I sometimes just eat it out of the jar. (just a little of course.) Mmmm.
In my pantry I have heaps of herbal teas. I love herbal teas, especially liquorice tea. When I have friends over I like to be able to offer them lots of different choices so we can just sit and enjoy a cuppa!
Thanks for sharing your pantry with us! It’s informative and inspiring.
Love Emily,
NZ
I tried your refried beans recipe and LOVED it! It is so good! Thanks for sharing.
Lisa
Thanks Kris for sharing. Trying to get as healthy as possible to help manage my MS.
Love all the information and ideas from everyone. Knowledge is power!
I agree the coconut oil makes a great moisturizer.The nori sheets softened in warm water and positioned all over the face make a wonderful nourishing mask
Lie down and relax for 20 minutes while all the goodness of seaweed is infused into the skin!.
I have many of the same items but instead of pinto beans I always have chick peas on hand, along with fire roasted tomatoes, almond butter and non-GMO corn pasta. I find it holds up better than rice pasta.
Love your blog!! Love your list. I haven’t found a good protein powder I like… I’ll have to try PlantFusion. I also want to try Vega One Nutritional Shake. As for almond milk, I just make my own instead of buying the boxed ones. It’s not as hard as people think. Here’s one I like ::: http://wholenewmom.com/whole-new-budget/almond-milk-recipe-how-to-make-almond-milk-almonds-milk/
I was diagnosed with a sarcoma last April. My tumor was on my inferior vena cava(2nd largest vein in the body) Had an vein replacement last June (10 inch) almost my whole vein, had chemo,radiation but now I am on a blood thinner so blood can travel through my vein. I am limited on eating dark green veggies which are high in vitamin K. I am attempting to get on a plant based diet.I have read your books, The Kind Diet, saw Dr. Neal Barnard (saw his videos).Researching the Kushi Institute. What has been your experience in terms of diet and cancer? Looking for a good nutritionist . I am a patient at Uof M hospital in Michigan and asked about research between diet and prevention. They did not have much info.
Check out Kris’s documentary Crazy, Sexy Cancer
My go to pantry yummy stuff is pumpkin seeds I eat as a snack or sprinkle on salads, flax seeds for salads, avocado and in my oatmeal every morning with chia seeds. I love sea weed with wasabi that i found at trader joes. I sprinkle sesame seeds on raw tofu with a slash of soy sauce or ponzu sauce. I could go on, but I’d probably have to write a book for all my trucks and goodies. I love your crazy sexy kitchen book. You’ve made it so easy for me to go vegan:-). I’m on day #7 of the 21 day challenge and I’m feeling very sexy!
That Nutiva e.v. coconut oil is the bomb!
Hey Chris! You make me smile! At first, I thought the title of your article was panty raid…maybe an idea for a future blog post! Anyway, love your list. You are such an inspiration to me! XXOO, Ann
Thank you ALL for awesome ideas on how to update my grocery list, this is great support for us beginners in the healthy yummy kitchen!!!
Sincerely
hana 🙂