25 Essential Pantry Ingredients for Healthy Eating

Written by Beatrice Walker / December 17, 2021

Are you looking to step up your game cooking game, but also want to maintain a healthy diet with delicious seasoned food? I don’t know who needs to hear this, but healthy food does NOT have to taste bad or bland. An experienced cook knows that having a well stocked pantry and fridge are essential for stepping up your cooking game. Life is too short to be eating bland, unseasoned food. Making sure that your meals have the right balance of flavors, and proper seasonings will have you winning every time. In fact, the more umami your dishes are you’ll find that using high amounts of salt and sugar isn’t necessary. 

The below items are all ingredients for healthy eating that I’ve deemed absolutely necessary for every at home cook to have stocked in their kitchens at all times. Each of these ingredients I use frequently in many of my own recipes. I’ve grouped the ingredients into categories in which I consider to be the essentials in that particular group.

If you have other items that you prefer to use instead, or maybe you have an allergy, or you flat out just don’t like something, you can most certainly forgo using any of the items listed. However, apart from any allergies you may have, I do strongly encourage you to try everything if possible. Many of these ingredients are essential for making things like homemade dressings and marinades, and help elevate or improve the flavor and texture of so many dishes.

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Vinegars:

• Red wine vinegar

• Balsamic vinegar

• Apple Cider Vinegar

If you only have white vinegar in your pantry, hunni it’s time to step it up. White vinegar is fine to use for cleaning….but not much else. Vinegars are so essential in cooking because they provide acidity and sourness that helps to balance out salty and sweet. Apple cider vinegar is 100% necessary in life, not just for cooking, but also gut health, and balsamic and red wine vinegar make the best salad dressings!

Spices:

• Kosher salt

• Fresh ground black pepper

• Garlic powder

• Onion powder

• Red pepper chili flakes 

• Oregano

• Cinnamon

I would say that all of these spices are non-negotiable. Ideally, I hope you have more than these in your pantry right now, but these are the absolute necessary basics. Kosher salt is much healthier than iodized salt. If you still have iodized salt in your pantry do yourself a favor and toss it in the trash right now!

Oils:

• Olive oil

• Avocado oil

• Coconut oil

Incorporating a variety of nutritious oils into your diet is really important for your overall health. According to the American Heart Association, nutrient dense oils such as olive, coconut, and avocado oil are great sources of healthy fat, and can play a role in reducing bad cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.

Sweeteners:

• Maple Syrup

• Honey

Honey and maple syrup are my favorite natural sweeteners to use. Honestly anything other than white granulated sugar is good. If you are going to use maple syrup please buy 100% organic maple syrup, not the pancake syrup that is filled with additives. It’s recommended to avoid refined sugars as much as possible.

Refrigerated:

• Organic grass-fed butter

• Plant Based Milk (almond, coconut, cashew)

Limiting dairy is a must since humans are not meant to digest lactose, but if you are going to consume dairy in any form try to buy organic or grass-fed kinds. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), dairy products from grass-fed cows contain higher amount of omega 3 fatty acids butter is one of the only dairy products I still use, and don’t plan on giving up anytime soon. Grass-fed butter is a great source of omega 3’s and healthy unsaturated fats.

Pantry:

• Organic rolled oats

• Nut butters (peanut, almond, cashew, pistachio)

• Soy sauce or coconut aminos (I have both)

• Dijon mustard

• Tomato paste and or hot sauce

I know some of these items might seem strange like dijon mustard and tomato paste, but they’re both incredibly useful. Dijon mustard isn’t just for sandwiches, it works as an emulsifier for making homemade dressings, and tomato paste can be used in sauces to add depth of flavor. Also, I know I’ve listed soy sauce OR coconut aminos as options, but I recommend both. Coconut aminos is slightly sweeter than regular soy sauce, it has a thicker consistency, and plus it’s gluten free!

Other:

• Vanilla extract

• Chia seeds

• Miso paste

Miso paste is an ingredient made of fermented soybeans. It contains lots of nutrients and adds a savory salty element to dishes. I love to use it in homemade dressings, sauces, and marinades!