Pantry & Fridge

One common question about this lifestyle is what should a raw food enthusiast stock in their pantry and fridge?

You’re on a budget but there are some foods and spices you should have on hand so you’ll always be prepared to make nutritious goodies and have healthy snacks.

Here’s our basic list of sure fire things you should consider having in your kitchen. Remember this is just a starter list so feel free to personalize it for your needs. If you want to take it to the level or feel we left an ingredient out that you use all the time, let us know in the comment section:

Fruits:

• apples/pears – crisp fruits are very refreshing as a snack and good additives to juices and smoothies
• mango/peach/papaya/pineapple – tropical fruits with other ingredients make great smoothies and sweet salsas
• avocado – great in salads, salsas,dips  and other raw dishes
• grapes – good to have on hand for quick on the go snack and fruit salads
• berries – your choice! Delicious in smoothies and so many raw dishes and salads
• lemons – add a little twist to your juice or smoothie, and also add to water
• bananas – helps make any smoothie very creamy and delicious, including green smoothies
• dates – a great way to add sweetness to a recipe and a chewy treat to snack on

Veggies:

• mushrooms – dried mushrooms can be soaked in olive oil to return to original size
• red cabbage/carrots – assorted crunchy veggies are great for salads and other raw dishes
• leafy greens (kale, red leaf lettuce, Romaine, etc) – good for many meal recipes, smoothies & juices
• wheatgrass – if you don’t have a juicer, consult your local grocery store for frozen wheatgrass juice. Stock in fridge for extra boost of energy when needed
• cucumbers – the base of a lot of vegetable juices, and refreshing in salads
• peppers – adds additional flavor to raw dishes, can be stuffed with raw goodies, and great in salads
• celery/broccoli – often used in green juices
• chickpeas – great for making all kinds of hummus, yum!

Seeds/Nuts:

• sesame seeds or raw tahini – great in dressings, raw tahini is used for hummus
• flaxseed or flaxseed oil – great way to get your omega-3s by adding to smoothies
• your favorite raw nuts and seeds (walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, etc) – mix raw nuts and fruits (or dried fruits if you have a dehydrator) for a nice snack of salty and sweet. Always good as salad toppers.
• almond milk – if you don’t always have time to make your own, purchase one bottle and keep it in your fridge. Great for raw desserts and some smoothies
• cacao – nips, beans, etc. It’s chocolate, it’s yummy, have some on hand.

Spices & Everything Else:

• ginger root – a few shavings to any recipe always delivers an extra kick to your taste buds!
• raw agave nectar - perfect for warm drinks, and adds sweetness to various dishes
• whole herbs – (if you can, stock these raw based on how often you use them, if you don’t use them a lot consider getting the seasoning instead, it may not be raw, but we also don’t want to be wasteful so these will last longer)
• assorted sprouts – nice toppers to various raw dishes and also good for juicing. Stock these based on how often you use them so they don’t go to waste.
• organic coconut oil – good fats that can be added to smoothies, great for skin too
• hemp oil – another good oil for smoothies and other raw dishes
• olive oil – can be used in salad dressings, and in several raw meals
• garlic – get the cloves if you can, add great flavor to raw dishes
• assorted spices – these can be to your personal taste, some common ones are: Himalayan salt, assorted peppers of your choice, cilantro, and dulse

One Response to “Pantry & Fridge”

1. Bernice says:

   July 3, 2009 at 7:18 pm

   I once was told that black pepper kills your cells. I use red pepper instead. You may want to research this. Info came from hacres.com folks in NC.

   [Reply]