This blog has moved!

You should be automatically redirected in 5 seconds. If not, visit:
www.dessertswithbenefits.com

Pantry Staples

This blog has moved!

You should be automatically redirected in a few seconds. If not, click here:
www.dessertswithbenefits.com


** Updated June 2012-  I updated the pantry staples page because I have acquired quite a few new food allergies and intolerances.  My new pantry staple items avoid:  wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, soy, yeast, and the rest of my silly allergens!  For more info, read this post.

PS:  if you are going to purchase anything from iHerb.com, here is a $5 off coupon code: BAF165!  And are you curious as to what foods/products I buy online?  Well here is my Amazon.com shopping cart  :)


              
          
  • Natural Peanut Butter (please avoid brands that contain partially hydrogenated oils!  See bottom of page)
  • Nuts:
    • Almonds (raw), Marcona Almonds
    • Brazil Nuts (raw)
    • Cashews
    • Hazelnuts (raw)
    • Macadamias (raw)
    • Peanuts
    • Pecans (raw)
    • Pistachios
    • Walnuts (raw)


    • Dried Fruit (no sugar added):
      • Apricots
      • Blueberries
      • Cranberries
      • Mango
      • Plums
      • Raisins


  • Water
  • Unsweetened Almond Milk (I like Silk Pure Almond), Unsweetened Soymilk, Skim Milk
  • Naked Protein Zone (I like the mango flavor), Naked Green Machine
  • Bai Antioxidant Infusions, V8 (as veggie backup!), Vitamin Water Zero (I like the lemonade flavor)
  • Green Tea, Starbucks VIA


            
          
            
            
  • Dried Nonfat Milk
  • Amande Cultured Almond Milk Yogurt (my faves are cherry, peach + blueberry)
  • SoDelicious Sugar Free Chocolate Ice Cream
  • Truvia (packets + spoonable versions)
  • 100% Fruit Spreads (I like strawberry, raspberry + blueberry)
  • Unsweetened Applesauce
  • Reduced Fat Shredded Coconut
  • Eggs, Tofu, Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt
  • Quinoa, Brown Rice
  • Canned Goods:
    • Light Coconut Milk, Evaporated Fat Free Milk (not condensed!)
    • 100% Pumpkin Puree
    • Peaches + Pears (in 100% juice)
    • Black Beans, Garbanzo Beans/Chickpeas, Cannellini Beans


              
              
              
                      
                        
  • Spices:
    • Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger, Nutmeg, Apple Pie Spice, Pumpkin Pie Spice

        *These are great replacements for granulated white sugar and brown sugar, which have no nutritional value.  Many of these sweeteners are barely processed and still contain the natural vitamins, minerals and antioxidants from the sugar cane or plant itself.  Not to mention, most of these are low glycemic (slowly digested) so they won't give you a sugar rush and sugar crash!


Tools and Appliances:
  • Oven Gloves (don't make my mistake of taking your baked good out of a 400 degree oven with rolled up paper napkins.  I may have dropped a napkin onto the oven coils and a fire also may have starters.  Thank God no one was around because I looked like an idiot sticking my hand straight into the oven to grab it and then throwing it on the ground to stomp on it.  Yes, I was an amateur baker)
  • Bakeware:
    • Mini Loaf Pans (set of 4), 9x5" Loaf Pan, 9x6" Loaf Pan
    • Cupcake Tin, Mini Cupcake Tin
    • 8" Brownie Pan, 9" Brownie Pan, 9x13" Rectangle Pan
    • Angel Food Cake Pan
    • Cookie Sheets
    • Silpat, Cupcake Liners, Mini Cupcake Liners
  • Cooking Spray (much better than slathering a stick of butter all over a pan!  Make sure to read the ingredients, some contain partially hydrogenated oils.  Cooking sprays also contain soy, so I use Misto Spray Cans now)
  • Peanut Butter Cup MoldChocolate Bar Mold
  • Parchment Paper, Foil, Plastic Wrap
  • Kitchen Scale, Mini Food Processor (Cuisinart 4-cup), Magic Bullet (it died, so sad), Blender, Hand Mixer, KitchenAid Stand Mixer
              
  • Whisk, Rubber Spatulas, Small/Medium/Large Mixing Bowls, Pastry Roller, Can Opener

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


What You Will NEVER Find in my Pantry and Fridge:
  • Artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda, Sweet n' Low, Equal, etc)
  • Refined sugars (the white granulated stuff, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc) and added sugars (to an unnecessary extent)
  • Full-fat dairy (such as yogurt, sour cream, whole milk, heavy cream, whipped cream, half-and-half, mayo, etc)
  • Butter, margarine, hydrogenated shortening, lard, ghee, etc
  • Products containing trans fats and/or partially hydrogenated oils

    The following images are screenshots from a Powerpoint presentation I made for my freshman English102 class.  Just click on the images to enlarge.  Enjoy!
     
     
     
    ^^ Gross, right?!?



    What do you keep in your pantry?  Is there anything you recommend?

    18 comments:

    1. girl! I totally made a presentation about trans fats for my english class Junior Year of high school. :P On the same page or what?!

      ReplyDelete
    2. Ok I like the idea but being a practical college student myself with no crawl space or kitchen and very little money this list is a bit daunting. Especially since I live in a city where everything is more expensive. Is there anyway to work around such high costs for health. Also I have a weakness for gelato is that a no no?

      ReplyDelete
    3. Blake,
      It's true, this list runs a little long. I originally made this while I was in school but have been adding a few things here and there ever since... so technically ALL of the foods listed weren't in my dormroom (or under my bed lol). I too, struggle with buying healthier foods because they cost a little more... I discovered Amazon (it's cheaper, comes in bulk, and you get free shipping as a student!) and catch all the deals I can from the grocery store. Sometimes eating healthier (which doesn't necessarily mean organic) can cost about the same as a junky diet. If you cut out the cookies--or gelato ;)--you save money! Don't worry, I have a major weakness for gelato too, just point that appetite in the right direction. Put Greek yogurt in the freezer for a few hours until it's thicker and add some 100% fruit jam, or blend a little firm tofu with frozen strawberries and add honey or stevia to taste. It's really good despite how it sounds.
      Hope I helped!
      -Jess

      ReplyDelete
    4. Oh thank goodness I can compromise with that recipe. I never thought about amazon, thank you!

      ReplyDelete
    5. I really like your food containers (for flour, oats, etc). Where did you get them? I've been trying to find something like that!

      ReplyDelete
    6. Anonymous,
      Thanks! I got them at the Container Store (aka, the best store ever!) Beware if you go to their website though, I was on there for hours looking at all their goodies! :)
      -Jess

      ReplyDelete
    7. What do you recommend eating when it comes to meat?

      ReplyDelete
    8. Anonymous,
      Fish beats the land animals in my opinion, although variety is always good. I would recommend salmon and chunk lite tuna and meats containing low amounts of fat and cholesterol, like chicken and turkey breast (not the thigh/dark meat). A steak every once in a while is fine unless you have heart problems or high cholesterol.

      ReplyDelete
    9. Reading this has just inspired me to a bit more healthier. Last year, I was better at eating healthier than this year, as my body has been saying 'it's okay' to eat those kind of foods, though I can honestly live without them!

      ReplyDelete
    10. What kind of protein powder do you use? I can't eat gluten or chocolate, do you have anything that you would recommend for me (i'm also watching my weight)

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. I use Jay Robb's vanilla whey protein powder (which is gluten free, sugar free, etc): http://www.amazon.com/Jay-Robb-Enterprises-Vanilla-powder/dp/B0001OP0XW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333286566&sr=8-1

        You can also try Optimum Nutrition protein powder (the link says chocolate, but there are 18 flavors you can choose from!): http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333286922&sr=8-1

        or Optimum Nutrition "naturals" (which contains no sucralose, but instead natural sugar): http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Natural-Vanilla/dp/B000GIURM2/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1333287012&sr=1-1

        Adding protein powder to other meals (like oatmeal, smoothies, etc) helps keep you fuller for longer as protein provides satiety. Whey protein has also shown to help decrease abdominal fat along with diet/exercise, where other protein powders like soy didn't as much.

        Hopefully this helps!
        -Jess

        Delete
    11. Great post!

      Where do you get your unsweetened dried fruit? I try to limit processed sugars and I can't find it anywhere.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Anonymous- Surprisingly enough, I get my dried fruit on campus (strange, right?). They just recently started selling Oskri brand. Otherwise I get it in bulk from the grocery store (a giant bag of raisins is about $4. That's too bad they don't sell anything around you (unsweetened cranberries were the hardest to find). Maybe check online at amazon.com:

        Raisins: http://www.amazon.com/Made-Nature-Organic-Raisin-48-Ounce/dp/B004LWP5YE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1335268733&sr=8-5

        Cranberries: http://www.amazon.com/Oskri-Dried-Fruit-Cranberries-3-5-Ounce/dp/B005Q8BS4S/ref=sr_1_5?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1335268925&sr=1-5

        Blueberries: http://www.amazon.com/Oskri-Dried-Fruit-Blueberries-3-53-Ounce/dp/B0035IHTEE/ref=sr_1_20?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1335268975&sr=1-20

        Apricots: http://www.amazon.com/Good-Sense-Organic-Unsulfured-Apricots/dp/B001FA1I50/ref=sr_1_2?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1335269052&sr=1-2

        Mango: http://www.amazon.com/Peeled-Snacks-much-ado-about-Mango-1-40-bags/dp/B00132RPN4/ref=sr_1_4?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1335269113&sr=1-4

        Hope this helped!
        -Jess

        Delete
    12. Trader Joe's is great for dried fruit and nuts too. Wonderful blog, I just discovered it yesterday and I'm already obsessed! I'm trying to eat a low glycemic diet and I love dessert, so this is perfect. Thanks for the information and inspiration.

      ReplyDelete
    13. Hey,
      Your recipes look great, I was just wondering where you got 100% fruit spreads. I've looked everywhere, but the first ingredient is always sugar!

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. I get them from the grocery store (like Stop & Shop, Whole Foods or Safeway).

        I buy St. Dalfour brand (http://www.amazon.com/St-Dalfour-Natural-Spread-Strawberry/dp/B0005ZWP6M/ref=sr_1_8?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1344261123&sr=1-8&keywords=st+dalfour)

        ... and Bionaturae (http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_fruit_spreads.htm)

        Delete
    14. Hey!!!
      I have a question...why don't you have Splenda, is it really bad??

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
      1. Splenda is a manmade sweetener which is processed with chemicals and mixed with starches. It is GRAS (generally recognized as safe) so a healthy body can tolerate small amounts of it. However, if you are like me and put 8-10 packets worth of sweetener into a venti coffee (insanity, I know) then Splenda probably isn't our best bet! 1 or 2 packets every now and then will most likely not hurt, but when compared to stevia/erythritol/unrefined sweeteners, I really don't see the need (or wanting) to use Splenda.

        Here are some helpful links you may want to check out:
        http://www.splendaexposed.com/articles/2005/11/the_hidden_chem.html
        http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20050216/dietitians-say-splenda-not-same-as-sugar?page=2
        http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20050216/sweetener-in-the-spotlight-is-splenda-safe

        Delete

    Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

    Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...