Healthy Pantry Staples: A Comprehensive Guide
Are you ready to learn how to stock your kitchen with healthy pantry staples for balanced blood sugars?
Whether you are managing diabetes, seeking to prevent blood sugar spikes or simply aiming for a health-conscious pantry, this blog is designed to empower you with the knowledge to make informed choices for optimal health.
My goal is to help you simplify the process of creating a pantry that aligns with your health goals. Let your pantry support you each morning, afternoon and evening!
Plus, you will receive access to my Smart Staples Guide to build a healthy pantry for balanced living! This comprehensive guide offers a printable shopping list and more expert tips.
Must Haves for Healthy Eating
Maintaining stable blood sugar levels is important for everyone, not just those diagnosed with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.
Chronic high blood sugars could eventually lead to a diabetes diagnosis while chronically low blood sugars can cause weakness, confusion or fatigue.
Building a stock of nutrient-rich foods in your home lays the groundwork for achieving balanced blood sugars through your diet.
The healthy pantry staples below prioritize complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, healthy fats and fiber to support overall well-being.
I built this list to include must haves for healthy eating, sustained energy, improved insulin sensitivity and long-term health benefits.
How To Stock a Pantry
Before I supply a pantry shopping list, let’s chat about how to go about stocking a pantry to maintain a well-rounded kitchen that caters to variety and preferences.
Here are the three steps to take before heading to the grocery store:
Purge: Clear out highly processed and sugary items to make room for nutrient rich alternatives. Start by reading the labels and bidding farewell to items with high amounts of added sugars, unhealthy fats, refined grains and excessive sodium.
Assess: Consider your specific dietary needs or preferences to guide your new food choices. For example, do you need solely gluten-free items, do you enjoy nuts, seeds and legumes, or what is your favorite spice to add to vegetables. Also, assess any space constraints for storage of new items.
Plan: After you have purged and assessed, you are ready to develop a food staples list. You can write this list on a notepad or use your phone to type the items. Below you will find a printable version to help guide this step in the process!
Healthy Pantry Staples
Too often, we associate a pantry with convenience items such as cookies, chips, candy, soda and snacks. Instead, it is possible to reframe our mindset and stock up on whole foods that support our health.
As a registered dietitian, these are my recommendations for the things you should always have in your pantry:
Grains
Whole grains are rich in essential nutrients like carbohydrates to provide energy and fiber to aid in digestive health. In addition, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, folate, zinc and selenium are present in grain products.
Quinoa
“Whole wheat” or “whole grain” breads, crackers and pastas
Rice
Rolled or steel-cut oats
Farro
Regular or pealed couscous
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are nutrient dense foods that contribute unsaturated fats, plant-based protein, dietary fiber, vitamin E, magnesium and zinc to the diet.
Walnuts
Almonds
Pistachios
Nut butter
Nut milks
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Hemp seeds
Ground flaxseed
Chia seeds
Legumes
Similar to nuts and seeds, legumes offer a source of plant-based protein. Other key nutrients found in legumes are complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, folate, thiamine, iron, choline and magnesium.
Black beans
Garbanzo beans
Cannellini beans
Lentils
Oils, Vinegars and Spices
Oils are an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids while vinegars supply flavor and spices offer anti-inflammatory compounds.
Extra virgin olive oil
Avocado oil
Red wine vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
Apple cider vinegar
Nutritional yeast
Spices (garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, oregano, thyme, basil, cinnamon, cumin, chili powder)
Other Food Staples to Have on Hand
This is where I recommend customizing your pantry to add variety. This category will look different for everyone and should include favorite flavors or commonly used items.
Olives
Plant based protein powders
No sugar added tomato sauce
70% or greater dark chocolate
Baking essentials
Freeze dried fruit
Low sodium broth or stock
Pantry Organization Tips
Organizing your pantry efficiently can save time, reduce food waste and make cooking a more enjoyable experience.
As someone that strives to save time, here are some of my favorite organization tips to keep things easily accessible once you have your staples at home.
Declutter regularly: Weekly, monthly or yearly, go through your pantry to discard any expired items or those that no longer serve you to help maintain a clutter-free space.
Categorize: Group similar items together to make it easier to find favorites. For example, place all grains on a shelf, all snacks together and baking ingredients in a separate section.
Use containers: Transfer frequently used items like lentil pasta and quinoa into airtight containers to keep them fresh longer. I prefer clear containers to allow you to easily see when these staples may start to run low.
Make a list: Keep a running list of items you need to restock. Some of my clients like to keep this list in the pantry, as a note on their phone or hung on the fridge. This way when you finish an item, it can be written on the list.
Stocking a Healthy Kitchen
Once you have a stocked pantry, you can take on the task of stocking the fridge and freezer. However, prioritize one at a time to reduce feelings of overwhelm and frustration.
Are you ready for the best part of stocking a healthy kitchen? In my opinion, it is being able to take all those nutrient rich ingredients and turn them into nutritious recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
To kickstart the morning, consider Egg Bites or a Berry Kale Smoothie.
Lunch and dinner can be complete with Lemon Garlic Parmesan Salmon, Lentil Spaghetti Squash, Pasta Salad, Mediterranean Wraps, Chicken Tostadas or Lemon Pepper Tofu.
For snacks and dessert, make crunchy Kale Chips, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Roasted Cannellini Beans, Flourless Chocolate Cake or Dark Chocolate Coconut Almonds.
Blood Sugars Made Simple
You are officially ready to stock up on healthy pantry staples for balanced blood sugars!
To discover more pantry staples, broken down by nutritional profile and helpful grocery shopping tips,
Grab Your Copy of Smart Staples: Building a Healthy Pantry for Balanced Living!
This downloadable resource was created to guide you in selecting nutrient-rich ingredients that contribute to stable glucose levels.
