Stocking a Healthy Pantry

Updated on July 28, 2007

If you're trying to control your weight, you need to 1) get rid of the junk food and 2) fill your kitchen with delicious, healthy foods.

When you have healthy foods available, you are more likely to eat those healthy foods. If you have delicious healthy foods available, you are less likely to feel deprived.

Obviously, if you are allergic to anything on this list, don't bring it in your home. If you can't tolerate certain foods, don't eat them.

(Ok, so when I say pantry I also mean refrigerator and freezer, but you get the idea.)

Beans

Canned beans are convenient because they don't require soaking. Dried beans are cheaper and take up less space, but you need to soak them overnight or cook them all day in your slow cooker to soften them up. You can add beans to almost anything.
Broth

Get a variety of broths. If you eat meat, there are plenty of meat broths to choose from. If you're a vegetarian, there are different kinds of vegetable broths and even mushroom and yeast broths. Using broths instead of water for some recipes will increase nutritional value and flavor.
Canola Oil

Canola oil should be your basic cooking oil when you don't want to add an olive oil flavor to a recipe. Like olive oil, it contains healthy fats. It can also go rancid quickly, so keep a small bottle in your cabinet and a large bottle (to refill the small bottle) in your refrigerator. Use oil sparingly.
Eggs

If you're a vegan, find a good vegan egg substitute. Egg yolks are high in cholesterol, so use them sparingly, but egg whites are a perfect source of protein. Eggs are necessary for many recipes, so using them can add variety to your diet.
Fruit

Fresh fruit is your first choice. Have lots of it around, ready to grab and eat. Frozen fruits are the next thing to stock up on. Canned fruit is fine if it is packed in water or pure fruit juice, but it rarely is. The more you have (in quantity and variety) the better.
Herbs

Get yourself a nice herb collection, and make sure you see it while you cook, so you don't forget to use them.
Lentils

You can use lentils just like you use beans, but you don't have to soak them.
Nuts

Nuts are good for you! (If you're not allergic to them.) They contain protein and healthy fats. Just don't go overboard with them. Sprinkle some in your cereal. Add some to your salad. Just don't eat an entire can of the salted stuff.
Olive Oil

Olive oil adds flavor and healthy fats to a recipe. It has a low smoking point, though, so you shouldn't use it for frying foods (the rare times that you do fry foods). It can also go rancid quickly, so keep a small bottle in your cabinet and a large bottle (to refill the small bottle) in your refrigerator. Use oil sparingly.
Chili Peppers

Canned chili peppers are a great way to add spice and flavor to any dish. Plus, they're high in vitamins. They're incredibly handy for throwing together a quick batch of homemade salsa. If you can't tolerate spicy foods, just get the small cans and add them a teaspoon or less at a time.
Milk

Cow milk, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, etc. If you have a vegan milk, just make sure it's fortified with vitamins.
Mock Meat

Mock meat is an alternative to animal meat. You can have veggie burgers, chicken nuggets, meatballs, and lots of other meaty foods without having to kill an animal. It will help your health by decreasing your saturated fat intake and increasing your intake of vegetables, beans, and grains. It can even reduce your risk of getting common forms of food poisoning since many ingredients in mock meat can be eaten raw, and surfaces that touch mock meat don't need to be decontaminated.
Seeds

Flax seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin (and other squash) seeds, and many other seeds can add flavor and some healthy fats to anything. Just sprinkle some on, and enjoy.
Spices

Like herbs, you should have a collection of spices, and make sure you can see them while you cook, so you'll use them.
Tofu

Tofu is a good source of protein as well as good fats, and it is filled with vitamins and minerals. Tofu can be used in anything. Soft tofu can be used for thick drinks. Firm tofu can be frozen then thawed to create a more meaty texture. You can crumble it into chili, and nobody will know that it's there. Tofu takes on the flavor of what you cook it with, and for an extra punch of flavor in a dish, you can marinate it.
Tomatoes

Buy fresh tomatoes when they're in season, but always keep diced canned tomatoes on hand for off season cooking and convenience. Tomato paste is excellent for adding a bit of tomato flavor to a recipe without adding the tomato juices, which cause thinning. (I recommend tomato paste that comes in a squeeze tube.)
Vegetables

Fresh vegetables are your first choice. Frozen vegetables are your second choice, and your freezer should always be well stocked. Canned vegetables are fine as long as that don't contain too much salt. The more you have (in quantity and variety) the better.
Vinegars

There are many different vinegars and each has a distinct flavor. Save the distilled vinegar for cleaning your house. In cooking, use apple cider vinegar, malt vinegar, rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and anything else that looks interesting. Just a splash will add a hint of tartness and flavor (a secret to delicious cooking) without adding calories.
Yogurt

Go for the lowfat or nonfat yogurts. Yogurt contains calcium, but it also contains good bacteria, the ones you want in your digestion system to help you break down your food. Read the labels. Your yogurt should just contain milk, live active cultures, and natural flavoring. Avoid anything that contains fillers or anything artificial.