I’ve been asked many times now about the contents of my pantry and fridge… I figured it was about time I opened them up to you guys. And I really mean, open them up!
I’ve made an extensive list of every item that you would be most likely to find if you came to my place and opened the cupboards at ANY GIVEN TIME.
Of course, there are other items that I haven’t listed here… if I’d included every item that I buy on a more occasional basis, this post would just never end.
Even now, I’ve decided to split it into 2 and possibly even 3 different posts. Tonight, I give you the contents of my cupboards only; all the non perishable items.
Next time, I’ll cover the fridge and possibly freezer.
Now, I would’ve loved to make this post all fancy shmancy with nice colors and patterns and pretty fonts, but unfortunately, I have no idea how to do that… maybe some day I can edit this page and make it more pleasing to the eye, but for now, I’m afraid this is the best I can do.
So here goes, without further ado, I give you the most intimate tour of my pantry anyone has ever had!
And by all means, if you have questions or comments, I would be more than happy to hear them!
PROTEIN
NUTS AND SEEDS
I like to keep a wide variety on hand at all times to use in various dishes as well as to make nut butters! I strongly recommend that you purchase these in bulk, this will save you tons of money. I get most of mine at Costco and go to various “Bulk Food Stores” for those that I can’t find there.
Of course, you want to buy the raw, unsalted variety.
- Almonds (whole and sliced) *I grind my own almond flour or meal from sliced almonds
- Brazil nuts
- Hazelnuts
- Hemp seeds
- Pecans
- Pistachio
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Peanuts
- Sunflower Seeds
- Walnuts
WHEY PROTEIN POWDER
There are so many different protein powders out there, it’s hard to decide which one to go with. Make sure you select the purest, cleanest protein powder you can find. Read the labels carefully and look for one that has no artificial flavors or sweeteners added. I myself have been using Ergogenics’ New Zealand Whey exclusively for over 6 months now and couldn’t be happier with it.
- Vanilla Flavored (sweetened with stevia)
- Plain - Unflavored
NUT BUTTERS
Of course, all of my nut butters are home made and entirely natural. I like to keep at least these varieties on hand. Sometimes, I also mix a few different kinds of nuts to create delicious combinations.
- Almond Butter
- Coconut Butter
- Hazelnut Butter
- Peanut Butter
- Tahini (sesame paste)
Home Made Peanut Butter
LEGUMES
At a minimum, I keep these varieties, but legumes never go bad, so feel free to stock up on them! And by all means, cook your own! Once you’ve gotten used to doing that, you’ll never want to go back to canned! All it takes is a little planning ahead. And whenever I cook legumes, I always make some extra, that way I get to use them in all sorts of dishes, some of which might even surprise you…
- Chickpeas
- Kidney Beans
- Lentils (du Puy, Brown and Red varieties)
- Navy Beans
Oven Roasted Chickpeas
GRAINS – PSEUDO GRAINS – SEEDS – FLOURS
PSEUDO GRAINS
These are all seeds (that’s right, seeds, NOT grains) that I like to use in my grain free recipes. All of these can be used whole or ground in a coffee grinder or food processor to be turned into flour or meal.
- Amaranth
- Black Chia Seeds
- Buckwheat Groats
- Flax Seeds (this one is used mostly to make flaxseed meal)
- Kasha (that’s toasted buckwheat groats)
- Quinoa
Grain Free Granola
RICE AND OTHER WHOLE GRAINS
I’ve really cut down on grains consumption, but I still do enjoy them from time to time. These are the ones that I like to keep handy, for when I get a sudden urge!
- Barley
- Brown Basmati Rice
- Bulgur
- Old Fashioned Rolled Oats and / or Steel Cut Oats
- Wheat Berries
- Wild Rice
FLOURS
Because, well, you can’t bake without flour, can you?
Whole Grain Flours
- Spelt Flour (that one is by far my favorite to work with)
- Whole Wheat Bread Flour
Non-Grain Flours
- Almond flour *(I always grind this one from sliced almonds when I need it – I use my food processor or coffee grinder)
- Buckwheat Flour (my favorite non-grain flour!)
- Chickpea Flour
- Coconut Flour
- Quinoa Flour
PASTA
For those nights when I just gotta have ‘em. Better be prepared. Plus, they can be a real life saver, sometimes!
- Whole wheat / whole grain pasta (I tend to keep 2-3 different shapes including long and short varieties)
- Soba Noodles
CANNED GOODS
CANNED GOODS
This is something that I try and keep at a real minimum, but some products are just hard to find in a different container. Here are the few that you can be certain to find in my cupboards at any given time!
- Coconut Cream (I currently use Savoy)
- Coconut Water (I generally use Blue Monkey)
- Organic Diced Tomatoes (I generally use Eden Organic)
- Pumpkin Puree (NOT pie filling! Make sure you get pure pumpkin puree!)
- Tomato Paste
SEASONING
OILS
- Coconut Oil
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Toasted Sesame Oil
VINEGARS
- Balsamic Vinegar (both White and Red varieties)
- Cider Vinegar
- Sherry Vinegar
- Rice Vinegar
- White Wine Vinegar
SEASONING
- Black peppercorns
- Cayenne Pepper
- Cumin
- Dried Basil
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Thyme
- Himalayan Salt
- Hot Pepper Flakes
- No Salt Organic Seasoning
- Smoked Paprika
- Sumac
- Za’atar
FRESH HERBS
I keep these on my window sill, so I always have fresh herbs on hand…
- Basil
- Thyme
- Rosemary
BAKING SUPPLIES AND SWEETENERS
DRIED FRUITS
Here’s another thing that I recommend you buy in bulk to save tons of money. Again, Costco is a good source for some of them, but make sure you read the label and don’t get the ones with added sugar or preservatives! Most “Bulk Food Stores” offer a good selection of all natural, unsweetened dried fruit.
- Dates (I like to keep a few different varieties)
- Dried Apricots
- Dried Cranberries (naturally sweetened with apple juice or unsweetened)
- Dried Plums
- Raisins (I like to use Thompson)
- Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (fine shreds and large shavings)
SWEETENERS
One thing that you will never ever see me use is refined sugar. These are the ONLY sweeteners that I use and I try to use as little as possible when I do call upon them. Wondering what vanilla and almond extract are doing here? Well, they really help create an illusion of sweetness, you would be very surprised! I use them in my smoothies all the time. Oh, and cinnamon is very good for that, too… just sayin’!
- Blackstrap Molasses
- Liquid Honey – Unpasteurized
- Pure Maple Syrup – Medium Grade
- Pure Almond Extract
- Pure Vanilla Extract (I make my own at home, it’s so much better!)
- Unsweetened Apple Juice (choose one that is all natural with no sugar added)
- Unsweetened Applesauce (I use home made when I can)
Home Made Pure Vanilla Extract
SPICES
These add TONS of flavor and really help create the illusion of sweetness, too! Don’t be afraid to use them…
- Allspice
- Cardamom
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Clove
- Whole Nutmeg
BAKING “POWDERS”
- Arrowroot
- Baking Powder*
- Baking Soda
- Cream of Tartar
- Guar Gum
*Did you know that baking powder contains corn starch? Make your own grain free version using one part baking soda, two parts cream of tartar and two parts arrowroot.
CHOCOLATE
Oh yeah! It does deserve its own category!
- 85% Dark Chocolate (mostly used as occasional treat, my favorite, what can I say?)
- Cacao Nibs
- Carob Powder (technically not chocolate, but just as good if you ask me!)
- Cocoa Powder (I use Cacao Barry Extra Brute)
Caramelized Pear, Chocolate and Goat Cheese Smoothie
So here you are,guys…
I think that’s it for pantry! Phew… Hope you liked!
Next, I’ll tackle the fridge…
Just give me a couple of days, alright? 
Those bottles that you use for the vanilla extract are just beautiful! I have searched high and low trying to find them – unsuccessfully. Any chance you could provide the name of the store you got them? Thanks much!
Ugh… Not sure I dare say! I got them at Canadian Tire! Doesn’t sound too “kitchen fancy”, does it?
Sometimes the best things for the kitchen are found in the hardware stores.. remember micoplanes?! Thanks much.
I am always interested to hear what’s in someone else’s pantry. Especially food bloggers because it is like a peek inside your world. I would be afraid of realizing just how much is in my pantry- kind of like if you were to dump out my huge bottomless purse… Perhaps I need to do a little organizing
.
Heather- it’s a good question and one I probably need to tackle as well. My poor pantry is a disaster! I should do some reorganizing!
Thank you so much for this, Love it! Now to stock up!
Pleasure is all mine, Viv! Glad to help!
Holy cow! Yours is so organized. I’ll take a picture of mine tomorrow so you can feel super amazingly proud of yourself, if you aren’t already.
It was fun to get a look at your cupboard. We want to see the rest of the place now! 
LOL! Now I’m curious, I want to see your cupboards too! Slowly but surely, you guys are getting to see more and more of my place. Maybe I should open up my kitchen to you guys and show you where I cook my meals!
Wow, great post. I wish I was that organized. Actually, I wish I had a pantry – everything is just kind of fit into my kitchen along with all my kitchen tools too. Love seeing the kind of things you keep in your pantry. I really need to go organize now, haha!
You don’t have a pantry Heidi? OMG, I would just go nuts. I have PLENTY of cupboard space, yet, I really don’t have enough. Being a foodie and a food blogger, I tend to buy way too much kitchen supplies and props… of course, the more I own, the less room I have for food. I need a second kitchen! Or a much bigger one…
Hi! I read your blog nearly every day, I am a very good cook and passionate foodie, so I love to see what you’re making at any given moment. I was interested to see what you had in your pantry, and even more interested to see that it closely mirrors my own… with one exception: all those nuts!! I love them all, to eat plain, or use in recipes (my latest favs are pignoli, cashews and pistachios), but they cost a fortune!! I buy them in small quantities only as an indulgence. Good god, what is your weekly food bill like??
LOL, like I said Bonnie, buying nuts in bulk will save you tons of money, especially if you buy them at Costco. For example, a 2 pound bag of raw almonds only costs like 15 bucks if memory serves, and that is enough to make close to 10 liters of almond milk, or 4 cups of almond butter! Much cheaper than buying “ready made”. Granted, some of these nuts are more expensive, like pistachio, but a 2 pound bag will last you a long time, and you are much more likely to use them in recipes if you have a large quantity on hand than if you have to buy as needed. At least, that’s how it goes for me… Just make sure you keep them in an airtight container!
I’ve just recently discovered your blog and your recipes are exactly what I’ve been looking for…low fat and low-glycemic recipes that use simple whole foods like fruits & vegetables instead of artificial sweeteners and dozens of hard-to-find flours. So thank you!
Anyway, quick question…what kind of food processor do you use to make your flour and homemade nut butters? I’m not sure mine would be strong enough! One day I’d love to get a VitaMix blender…once I save up a small fortune. I tried to find those vanilla bottles on the Canadian Tire website, but no luck…they are beautiful!
Thanks a lot Amanda, glad you were able to find a couple of recipes that are to your liking on here… I really like to keep it simple and try and use ingredients that are relatively common and easy to find. And I don’t care much for “substitutes” or “artificial” stuff. I prefer to stick to the real deal.
As for my food processor, I have a good ‘ole faithful Kitchenaid. Been using it for years and it never failed me. To make flour, I use a coffee grinder, as I usually only make a very small quantity at a time. Works wonders! Oh, my coffee grinder also happens to be a Kitchenaid!
I tried to locate the bottles on the Canadian Tire website, but couldn’t find them either. Guess you’ll have to get to an actual store to find them!