We all have to eat. But what is often the most enjoyable part of our day can also be the most difficult to keep healthy, especially if we don’t have the right ingredients on hand.

To make things easier on myself, I practice what I refer to as a ‘proactive pantry.’ By proactively stocking certain ingredients in my pantry, I nudge myself in the direction of preparing healthy meals.

In this living post, I’ll periodically update the ingredients I keep in the Health Philosophe Proactive Pantry. While this is not a comprehensive list of what I keep in the fridge and pantry, the below reflects ingredients I almost always have on hand because I believe in eating them weekly or, in some cases, daily. If there are ingredients you come across or would like to share, I’d love to hear about them! Please enjoy.

Ingredient Categories:

• Fruits & Vegetables
• Beans, Grains & Flours
• Animal Protein & Dairy
• Nuts & Seeds
• Fats, Oils & Vinegars
• Salts, Sugars, Condiments & Additives
• Beverages
• Snacks
• Miscellaneous
• Sweets & Dessert

Fruits & Vegetables

The list below is deceiving; my goal is, as they say, to “eat the rainbow”, which has me cycling through various other fruits and vegetables in any given week, such as bananas, cantaloupe, oranges, pineapple, asparagus, bell peppers, brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, cucumbers, dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard, arugula, etc.), eggplant, mushrooms, potatoes (white, sweet), squash (green/zucchini, yellow, butternut, etc.), tomatoes, and others. However, the below reflects what I almost always have in stock – a nod to their importance in my diet.

• Avocados
  • Ripe avocados are almost a non-negotiable in my pantry these days. One of the healthiest and tastiest sources of fat available, I generally eat a third to a half of an avocado daily. I don’t feel the need to obsess about these being organic due to the outer skin and price premium (they’re already expensive enough!)
• Organic frozen berries – blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
  • Historically I’ve blended these into protein shakes, but also have stirred them into oatmeal. I find frozen berries much easier to utilize, as fresh ones would tend to go bad in 1-2 weeks, despite my best efforts (believe me, I’ve tried a lot of things to keep the mold at bay). I aim to get at least 3-4 servings of berries per week.
• Broccoli
  • Of the cruciferous vegetable family, broccoli is my favorite due to its ease of preparation (steamed or raw) and taste/texture over its relatives (e.g., brussels sprouts).
• Onions & garlic
  • The best base to almost any dish, and a particularly flavorful add to beans & rice (below). My nutritional preference is for red onions (cooked or raw), followed by yellow, then white.
• No-salt added canned tomatoes
  • Whether used in chili, to make a marinara sauce, or in the myriad other recipes that call for tomatoes, having these available in their various forms (i.e., diced, whole peeled, crushed, paste) can often be the difference between making a dish and not.

Beans, Grains & Flours

This category of ingredients is vital for quality carbohydrates and fiber, but can be the most difficult to conquer. We’ve all been warned about ultra-processed foods, which most often contain these ingredients in pulverized form, making them hyper-digestible but also a danger to blood sugar levels. As such, I believe focusing on the least processed, whole grain forms of these foods are the most nutritious for our bodies.

Beans – lately I’ve been upping my bean intake, as they are fiber and protein powerhouses. I’ve also not shied away from eating these for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, gallo pinto style. I almost exclusively (if not time-crunched) buy beans dry and cook them in an Instant Pot, which turns out to be far cheaper than buying canned, not to mention being able to control/eliminate the salt. I generally try to eat 1-2 cups (dry) per week.

• Black beans
• Garbanzo beans / chickpeas
• Kidney beans
• Great northern beans
• Navy beans
• Note: lentils can achieve the same goals, but I haven’t mastered the cooking technique well enough to trust they’ll taste good. Hence, I don’t typically stock them in the pantry.

Grains

• Quinoa
• Brown rice
• White rice
• Black / forbidden rice
  • One of the nutritional tenets I subscribe to is: the more color, the better. Fruits, vegetables, and eggs rich in color tend to be denser in nutrients, and I believe the same goes for rice. Like other dark blue/purple foods like blueberries or blackberries, black rice is high in antioxidants called anthocyanins as well as carotenoids. Additionally, black rice has the highest amount of protein, fiber, and iron compared to other varietals. In short, if I’m going to eat rice, I like to maximize the nutrient density by eating black rice.
  • I recently found a local health foods store that sells black rice in bulk, which is now where I purchase it. Previously, my favorite brand was Lotus Forbidden Rice, which can be found at many grocery stores like Whole Foods and also on Amazon
• Sprouted whole grain bread
  • Though I don’t eat bread often, Ezekiel 4:9 low sodium “bread” is the least processed product I could find on the market, and without the added salt that is in almost 99% of conventional breads, it’s my go-to when I’m out of other grain options. “Sprouted” is an added feature that makes nutrients more bioavailable and digestible vs. an unsprouted grain, so I try to opt for sprouted varietals where possible.
• Organic sprouted rolled oats & steel cut oats
  • I’ve cycled on and off oats over the past several years, but often come back to them as a great source of complex carbohydrates, whether as oatmeal or in granola (my latest rediscovery). Historically, oats were known to have high levels of glyphosate, an industrial pesticide. Though levels have seemingly come down over the years, I still opt for brands that are glyphosate-free, with my favorite being One Degree Organics. Additionally, sprouting increases nutritional bioavailability (as above), so I prefer sprouted varietals if available. Last, I try to incorporate as many unprocessed and unrefined grains into my diet as possible, so when I can I love a bowl of steel cut oats over rolled oats, though it takes a far longer to cook them.
• Buckwheat groats
  • Another whole grain I’ve incorporated into granola is buckwheat groats, which have a shape and consistency much like steel cut oats. These are admittedly extremely hard to find, but can be ordered from Amazon or Vitacost or potentially found at local health food stores.

Flours

• Masa harina
  • A relatively recent discovery, this type of corn flour is nixtamalized, which makes the nutrients more bioavailable, not to mention it tastes great. My favorite brand at the moment is Masienda, which can be found at Whole Foods or online.
• Other flours – all purpose, bread, etc.
  • I very rarely cook with other flours but when I do it is in small quantities, such as making a roux. I sometimes go on zucchini or banana bread kicks, but these periods are few and far in between.

Animal Protein & Dairy

Arguably the most controversial category in all of diet culture. Acknowledging the complexity of this debate, I will summarize my position as such: while I have experimented with vegetarianism and veganism, I believe high-quality animal protein is, for the vast majority of people, almost impossible to replace with plant-based sources in high enough quantities to support the maintenance and/or addition of lean body mass, which is one of the most important factors in healthy aging.

Fish

• Wild caught salmon
  • Salmon is the best (and best-tasting) source of omega-3 fatty acids out of any food in my diet. I try to eat salmon at least 2-3 times per week, primarily baked or pan-fried.
• Wild caught cod
  • My absolute go-to recipe for cod is this Coconut Fish
• Wild caught sardines (canned, in water)
  • I sometimes eat a tin of sardines with crackers and hot sauce for a high-protein snack
• Tuna (canned, in water)
  • While I don’t lean heavily on tuna, it can make for an extremely quick, healthy, protein-packed meal in a pinch (e.g., tuna melt, etc.)

Poultry

• Organic pasture raised eggs
  • I’ve found Trader Joe’s has the best value, but other brands like Vital or Pete & Gerry’s can also be good choices
• Pasture raised whole chicken
  • After cooking the chicken, I use the bones to make homemade stock and freeze it for future use
• Organic chicken breasts
  • Leaving out “pasture raised” is not a typo. I’ve found pasture raised chicken breast to be prohibitively expensive, but if anyone has good recommendations, I’m all ears.

Beef & Pork

• Grass-fed, grass-finished, extra lean ground beef (90/10 meat-to-fat ratio)
• Grass-fed ground beef & pork blend (60/40 beef/pork)
  • This blend tends to make for delicious meatballs

Dairy

• Organic nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • Greek yogurt is probably my number one breakfast choice for versatility in a quality protein. I use it in protein shakes for added thickness, or mixed with nut butter and honey as a parfait.

Nuts & Seeds

I try to leverage nuts and seeds as much as possible for their healthy fat (i.e., unsaturated) and protein profile. Blended as nut milk, incorporated into granola, eaten plain as a snack, or used as a topper for salads are the primary means of getting these into my diet.

Nuts – after being gifted an Almond Cow a few years ago, our household has made our own nut milk. Buying raw nuts in bulk, roasting them (or not), and making our own nut milk has been wildly more economical, and we’re able to eliminate the added ingredients (salt, gums, etc.) that often go into commercial nut milks.

• Unsalted, dry roasted almonds
• Unsalted, roasted hazelnuts
• Unsalted raw pecans
• Unsalted raw walnuts
• Note: I have stocked cashews in the past and would recommend them in addition to the above list, but as a result of a food sensitivity test, I’ve removed them from the my pantry staple list.

Nut Butters – these provide versatility and doses of mostly unsaturated fat and protein. I’ve used them to make protein shakes creamier, stirred into Greek yogurt for flavor, or eaten with vegetables for a snack.

• Unsalted almond butter (Costco appears to be unrivaled in this department)
• Unsalted peanut butter

Seeds

• Chia seeds
  • Great for blending into protein shakes or stirring into overnight oats/chia puddings.
• Hemp hearts
  • I’ve mostly blended these into protein shakes as their flavor can be quite strong in other dishes/applications.
• Flaxseeds or flaxseed meal
  • Similarly great for blending into shakes, but also for incorporating into baked goods.
• Unsalted, hulled sunflower seeds
  • These are great salad toppers for crunch and quality fat, protein, and fiber.
• Unsalted pumpkin seeds
  • These are great in granola or as a salad topper and can be fairly easily found.

Fats, Oils & Vinegars

I generally default to a high quality olive oil for almost all of my cooking, with the rare use of other fats (e.g., avocado, coconut, vegetable, canola, peanut oil; ghee) that are sometimes called for in certain ethnic dishes.

• Organic extra virgin olive oil
  • EVOO is my daily selection for everything from frying eggs to sautéing onions and garlic.
• Avocado oil
  • Avocado oil is my choice for high heat cooking, but I use it rarely and sparingly.
• Balsamic vinegar
  • Most salad dressings I eat these days are of the vinaigrette variety, so having a quality balsamic vinegar in the pantry is a must.

Salts, Sugars, Condiments & Additives

I regard salt, sugar, and all of their derivatives a part of this category. As the debate rages around the long-term effects of artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols, anything that ends in “-ose”, and other ingredients that are hard to pronounce, I have mostly stuck to a few frequent flyers that I believe provide a healthy balance between taste and nutritional value.

• Mānuka honey (UMF 10+ / MGO 263+)
  • A more recent addition to the pantry, this super-honey adds a mild sweetness to my yogurt/almond butter parfaits in the morning.
• Coconut aminos
  • For years I’ve substituted coconut aminos for anything calling for soy sauce. I’ve found the taste of the Coconut Secret brand more enjoyable than others like Bragg’s.
• Hot sauce
  • The type can vary from Sriracha to Marie Sharp’s (discovered on our 2019 trip to Belize), but anything lacking a little flavor can usually be remedied by a little hot sauce.
• Worcestershire sauce
  • Very versatile, though admittedly not used for much outside of additional flavor for gallo pinto.

Beverages

• Coffee (caffeinated and decaffeinated)
  • Over the course of several years, I have gradually weaned myself off coffee as a primary caffeine source. I acknowledge coffee’s importance in many of our lives; however, I rarely consume caffeine in this form. And when I do, it is either decaffeinated or a blend of caffeinated and decaffeinated beans.
• Tea (green, black)
  • Particularly during the winter, I drink equal amounts of tea and plain water, with green tea being lower in caffeine and black tea higher. Other varietals include matcha (powder) or herbal (non-caffeinated).
• Raw kombucha
  • I’ve found GT’s has the least amount of added sugar but all the probiotics. I typically have at least a few sips per day.

Snacks

• I’m not great at keeping snacks on hand, mostly because I prefer to eat whole meals and I haven’t found a bar (protein or otherwise) that I’ve found nutritionally ideal. In the past, I’ve stocked IQ Bars, but have since run out.
• Call to action: if there are any protein bar brands you think I should consider, please share!

Miscellaneous

• Homemade kimchi
  • I try to keep this on hand as much as I can. It’s so versatile, a probiotic, and can give a added spicy/salty kick to dishes without that much flavor.
• Homemade chicken stock/broth
• No salt added vegetable stock/broth
• Coconut milk (regular & light)

Sweets & Dessert

Let’s be real, life would be pretty depressing without a little something sweet.

• Dark chocolate
  • My preference is for 85% and above for the antioxidant properties, while not being too sweet for my palate. There are weeks where I have a piece or two nightly after dinner, and weeks where I don’t have any at all.

There you have it – I hope this provides inspiration for your own Proactive Pantry and helps make healthy living a little easier.