Healthy Pantry Essentials Checklist

This Healthy Pantry Essentials Checklist is your ultimate guide on how to stock a real food pantry. Read this post to see some of my favorite go-to healthy pantry staples.

This post is sponsored by Skout Organic. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make it possible for Precious Time Blog to provide free content and healthy living inspiration.

Eat less gluten, minimize processed foods, don’t eat too much sugar, avoid products with hidden ingredients. Yikes! It can be a bit overwhelming on where to begin.

Whenever I would chat with friends in the healthcare business, I would get so confused on how to actually read food labels. I had no idea what ingredients I actually needed to stay away from. I used to even think that just because I ate gluten-free, that meant I was eating healthy. WRONG!

When I first started my clean-eating journey, one of the best things I did was go through my cabinets and get rid of all the additive-filled junk. That included things like baking powder with aluminum and bleached tea bags that I could have continued to use. It may seem like a waste of money to throw away food that was still edible, but I couldn’t fathom putting them into my body. I’d rather spend money on healthy food versus anything else. This is why I prefer to buy organic foods and cook the majority of my meals at home. Invest in your health and do your best to buy organic as much as you can.

Listen to your Body

The most important thing I can tell you before we begin is, listen to your body. I truly invite each of you to become more aware of what your body is telling you because it is speaking to you. Do you feel constipated all the time, is your stomach always bothering you, are you itchy when you eat certain foods? Be in tune with that because chances are, there are certain foods you’re consuming that don’t agree with you.

Eat Real Foods and Where to Shop

Now, I know this is all about the healthy pantry essentials, but I wouldn’t be doing you any favors if I didn’t elaborate on things you may want to incorporate more into your diet. Eat real whole foods. Yes, there are a ton of healthier pantry staple items you can buy and eat, but what really fuels your body and gives you the nutrients and energy your body needs are real whole fruits and vegetables.

Stay hydrated and drink a ton of water. If you find water boring, add some citrus, fruits, or herbs to spruce it up. Drink tea or maybe have sparkling water. Real food and lots of water is the key to optimal health. But I get it, sometimes you crave a bag of chips or a guilty pleasure that’s easy to reach for in your pantry. That’s where I come in…to show you healthier pantry alternatives.

Most of these healthy pantry essentials can be found in Thrive Market. You get an extra 25% OFF your first order + a 30-day free trial membership when you sign up at Thrive Market! (Valid on orders $49+, max $20 discount).Whole Foods and Sprouts are also great places to shop in. I also love Skout Organic for healthy snack bars for adults and kids. You can get 20% off with code PTB20.

A Few Important Pantry Staple Labels

What does all that mean?

Organic – that means that all of the ingredients used, including livestock, have not been exposed to irradiation, synthetic substances, or pesticides. Animals that are farmed to produce meat, dairy, and eggs are not given growth hormones or antibiotics.
Non-GMO – GMO stands for “genetically modified organism.” When you see something labeled as non-GMO, it usually means that the genetic makeup of the plants and animals used in the product has not been altered for the purposes of food production.

The Non-GMO Project Product Verification Program is North America’s most rigorous third-party verification for non-GMO food and products. Third-party verification is the highest quality system when it comes to product labeling and certifications because it ensures products have been comprehensively evaluated by an independent party for compliance.

Okay, now that I said all that, let’s chat FOOD and my healthy pantry essentials!

Healthy Pantry Essentials Checklist

Here are my healthy pantry essentials checklist broken up by category. If the budget allows it, try and eat organic and non-GMO as much as possible.

Healthy Pantry Essentials: Chips, Crackers, and Other Snacks

Let’s chat healthy snacks for a minute! Skout Organic bars are probably one of my all-time favorite healthy pantry snacks. They’re perfect for kids and adults. Many other bars are filled with a ton of refined sugar and ingredients such as “Natural Flavor”. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s toxic by any means. What natural flavor does mean is it’s tricking consumers into thinking they’re getting the nutrition that isn’t there. They use the tiniest amount of say, strawberries, for flavor. Take an RX Bar, for example. It claims it has blueberries on the ingredients, but there aren’t any actual real fruits. It’s packed with a ton of sugar and flavor.

Don’t worry though… I’ve got the perfect snack bar for you! Let’s take a look.

Skout Organic Bars: These healthy bars there are filled with clean, organic ingredients such as organic dates and organic sunflower seeds. You won’t find syrup, sugar alcohols, honey, corn syrup, palm oil, vegetable glycerin, and much more. They are also free from gluten, wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, and grains, making you feel good about what you’re consuming and giving your kids. Pack them up in your purse or for the perfect back-to-school snack. Be sure to Use code: PTB20 at checkout.

Popcorn: Regular popcorn is usually filled with corn, vegetable, and/or canola oil, maltodextrin (made from corn), and natural flavors, which means it could be pretty much anything. Instead, I love Lesser Evil Popcorn. It’s made with organic corn, ghee, and coconut oil.
Chips: You want to be sure you choose organic based on the oils used to cook the chips. I love Seite chips because they’re grain-free and made with real ingredients. I also really love this brand Plant Snacks.
Cookies: I usually love to bake cookies, but if I am feeling lazy, I grab Simple Mills Cookies. This brand is AMAZING because they are made without refined sugar. You’ll find ingredients like almond flour and coconut sugar.
Crackers: Mary’s Gone Crackers is made with simple ingredients and packed with a ton of healthy omega 3 and fiber. I also love Simple Mills products because they’re gluten-free and made with minimal ingredients. No unrefined sugar or flour. Hu Grain-free crackers and Simple Mills are my other go-to options.
Raw, Organic Nuts + Seeds: Snacking on nuts is a great way to get healthy fats and protein in, without harmful additives. I usually buy these in bulk and always look for them to be unroasted and unsalted. Almonds, Cashews, Pistachios, Sunflower Seeds.
Organic Brown Rice Cakes: I love keeping a few stacks of these rice cakes on hand and topping them with nutrient-dense foods like avocado, almond butter with fruit, or hummus and veggies.

Healthy Pantry Essentials: Condiments, Cooking Oils, Sauces

Ketchup: If you look at your bottle of ketchup right now, you will find ingredients such as cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup (this can have a ton of negative effects like weight gain, cancer, fatty liver, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and more), natural flavoring (this can cause allergic reactions and problems like dizziness, nausea, fatigue, high blood pressure, and more). What in the heck is natural flavoring? Instead, I recommend and love Primal Kitchen and Tessamaes.
Cooking oils: I grew up on the not-so-clean oils and later found that they were not good for you at all. Canola, corn, soybean, vegetable oils are made from GMOs and go through a ton of processing with chemical solvents, steamers, neutralizers, bleach, and deodorizers before bottled. They’re also full of omega-6 fatty acids, which puts you at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. Instead, choose cold-pressed, organic oils that are unrefined. I primarily like to use organic avocado oil, organic extra-virgin olive oil, and 4th & Heart Ghee.
Pasta Sauce: Pasta sauces can have a ton of hidden ingredients in them. One of the biggest ones people overlook is sugar. This is in the majority of marinara/pasta sauces out there. Get into the habit of looking at the labels on your jars to see if you see sugar or any other nasty ingredients and try to find a cleaner swap. Instead, I love Rao’s. It’s pricey but worth every penny, you guys.
Sauces & Dressings: Most of these contain many hidden ingredients such as can sugar, corn fructose syrup, maltodextrin, natural flavors, and so much more. Instead, here are my healthy alternatives. For soy sauce, switch to coconut aminos, salad dressing, switch to Primal Kitchen, and Tessamaes, Buffalo Sauce, switch to Noble Made.

Healthy Pantry Essentials: Grains, Pasta, Flour, Sweeteners

Pasta: Life is short…eat the pasta! But not just any pasta…Avoid traditional pasta made with refined flour. It’s chemically bleached and stripped of its nutrients. This type of pasta can increase inflammation in the body and disrupt the good intestinal bacteria in your digestive system. Opt for organic pasta. It’s important to avoid ingredients that contain synthetic pesticide residues. Instead, Jovial (my favorite) and for a lentil base, I like Tolerant Organica Green Lentil Past a.
Flour: Always opt for an organic-based flour to reduce your chances of consuming flour sprayed with pesticides. Again, traditional flour is made with refined flour, which is chemically bleached and stripped of nutrients. Opt for: almond flour, oat flour, cassava flour, arrowroot flour, and Bob’s Redmill 1:1 baking mix.
Sweeteners: Artificial sweeteners encourage sugar cravings and in result, can lead to weight gain and health risks. This includes brands like Equal and Splenda, which are made by chlorinating sugar and have been linked to leukemia, increased risk of brain tumors, lymphomas, and heart disease. Instead, use natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, monk fruit sugar, dates, and coconut sugar. All organic of course.
Pancake Mix: When I am not making my own pancakes from scratch, my two go-to favorites are Birchbender and Simple Mills.
More Grains: Cutting out meat and substituting it with whole grains that are nutritious and filling is a must. Some of my favorite brands are Lotus, True Roots Quinoa, True Roots Lentils, and Rolled Oats. Always opt for things already sprouted so that it’s easier to digest. If you can’t find sprouted, just be sure to soak them. I also like the brands Ancient Grains and Lundbergs.

Healthy Pantry Essentials: Teas & Superfoods

You’ll never come over and not find these next items in my pantry.

Chia Seeds, Hemp Seeds, Flaxseeds: All amazing staples filled with so many antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins. These are things I always add into pancake mix, smoothies, yogurt, salads, and on top of snacks like fruit with almond butter and hemp seeds. Brands I love: Nativas, Thrive Market.
Spirulina Powder: Spirulina is a nutrient-packed organism that grows in either fresh or saltwater. It provides as much protein as an egg and is loaded with a ton of antioxidants and essential amino acids. Studies have shown that it reduces the risk of allergies, high blood pressure, cancer, anemia, and can even improve gut health, boost energy, and your mood. The brand I love: Thrive Market.
Protein Powder: I love the Food Babe Van Hari’s new brand called Truvani. I don’t add protein powder to much but when I do, I reach for Truvani. Minimal and clean ingredients without that funny aftertaste.
Teas: Did you know there could be pesticide lurking in your tea? Not all tea is created equal. In fact, there are a ton of teas on the market that are very high in pesticides, may contain bleach, GMO, and other “natural” flavoring. Many top conventional tea companies don’t wash their tea leaves before packaging and that includes brands like Teavana! YIKES!!! Some tea bags are also made from bleached paper or plastic mesh which contains PLA, made from non-GMO corn. Instead, buy organic and always make sure the label says certified organic on the package. Make sure there’s also a USDA certified sticker on the label, no “natural” flavoring as an ingredient, and uses unbleached paper if it’s a bagged tea. Brands I love and trust are Numi Organic, Tulsi, The Republic of Tea, My Encha matcha tea, and Buddha Organics.

Healthy Pantry Essentials: Canned Goods

Beans: I always keep plenty of organic, no-salt-added beans on hand. I always have garbanzo bean, cannellini beans, and black beans stocked up just in case. The only ingredient I want here is the beans themselves, and I look for BPA-free cans. If you can buy dried beans, they’re way healthier than the canned stuff, but canned works great for quick last-minute options. I also love organic dried beans as well.
Tomatoes: I always have at least a few cans of organic, no-salt-added diced tomatoes on hand just in case. If you can find them in glass jars, even better. Glass Option Here. Glass Option Tomato Paste Here.
Tuna: Hands down Wild Planet is the best on the market or Tunino, which comes in a glass jar. A little pricier, but cleaner.
Coconut Milk: I often cook with coconut milk. Native Forest’s Organic Coconut Milk is my rec because it only has one ingredient, organic coconut, unlike other brands that are full of added gums.
Nut Butter: I put nut butter on just about everything, so I always keep a few different kinds on hand. Some of my favorite brands are Artisana and Nuttzo.

Related Blog Post: Why Thrive Market and How it Can Save You Money

I hope you loved this Healthy Pantry Essentials Checklist. As always, most of these amazing items can be found on Thrive Market. You get an extra 25% OFF your first order + a 30-day free trial membership when you sign up at Thrive Market! (Valid on orders $49+, max $20 discount). Eat Healthy on a budget.

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Please note that I’ve linked to these products purely because I recommend them and they are from companies I trust. There is no additional cost to you.