Natural Foods Pantry

Before embarking on the journey of this month long unprocessed food challenge, I had to fill up my pantry with lots of healthy, natural and tasty foods. Here is a list of the basics needed to cook up delicious and nutritious meals:

GRAINS: Brown rice, wild rice, rolled oats, quinoa, cornmeal, spelt or whole wheat flour; moderate use of whole-grain pasta, soba noodles, rice noodles, couscous, bulgur.

LEGUMES: Dried, low-sodium preservative free canned, frozen or fresh - black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, white/navy beans, adzuki beans, green beans, wax beans, lima beans, lentils, split peas, sweet peas, sugar snap peas, snow peas, edamame.

NUTS AND SEEDS: Unsalted and raw nuts - walnuts, almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, peanuts, pecans, pistachios. Unsalted and raw seeds - sunflower, pumpkin, flax, sesame.

SPECIALTY FOODS: Preservative free coconut milk, pure peanut or almond butter (no hydrogenated oils, sugar, or preservatives added), capers, olives, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, unsulphured dried fruits - apricots, figs, raisins, dates, prunes.

OILS, CONDIMENTS, AND SEASONINGS: Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling or dressings, olive oil for cooking, sesame oil, flax oil, safflower oil, coconut oil, vinegars - balsamic/white wine/red wine/rice/apple cider/white, nama shoyu/tamari, tahini, raw honey/maple syrup/agave nectar, nutritional yeast, dijon mustard.

HERBS AND SPICES: Sea salt, black pepper, cumin, cayenne, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika, ground coriander, curry powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, dry and fresh ginger root, cardamom, dill, rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, garlic, onion.

FRUIT: Seasonal fresh or frozen fruits to your liking - apples, pears, bananas, oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, berries, peaches, plums, kiwi, pineapple, mango, melon, grapes, etc. Keep a fresh supply for quick snacks. Also, good to have on hand are lemons and limes for cooking with their juices. Unusual fruits to have on hand - avocados, persimmons, pomegranate.

VEGETABLES: Items used often- onions - red/sweet/white, green onions, potatoes - red/yukon/russet/sweet, bell peppers, carrots, celery, tomatoes, greens - mixed lettuce/arugula/chard/kale/spinach, fresh herbs - parsley/basil/mint/cilantro/rosemary. Keep a fresh supply of local, seasonal vegetables for your meals. Mix it up and try to get a good variety in your diet - broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, squash, mushrooms, seaweeds. cucumber, eggplant, brussel sprouts, radishes, beets, asparagus, leeks.

OTHERS: If you choose you may want to add organic cage free eggs, organic milk, organic butter, organic plain regular or greek yogurt, organic locally made preservative free cheese, organic/natural/grass fed meats and quality fish.

Hope this helps you prepare your grocery list to stock up on healthy, natural, minimally processed quality foods. Most grocery stores and even super Target and Wal-Mart are carrying organic and high quality foods now. Some items such as raw nuts and seeds, quinoa, and condiments may need to be purchased at your local health food store. Happy shopping!