Clean Food Staples

Here’s the secret to sticking to a clean diet – make sure you always have something in the house that makes it easy to fix meals and snacks. It’s easy to get tempted by fast food, takeout or even the convenience food section at the grocery store when you’re hungry with no easy to prepare food in the house. (And on the flip side I would add that it is helpful to keep unhealthy foods out of the house so they are not easy to get.) 

Here are some staples you should keep on hand for quick and easy clean meals.

Pantry Items or Dry Goods

If you are gluten free, having things like rice, oats and corn meal or grits on hand helps whip up quick and filling side dishes and breakfasts. Keep your pantry stocked with potatoes, onions and garlic and you can whip up some quick dishes with just a few things from the fridge. If you are low carb. many of those staples will not work for you, but  having some almond flour and coconut flour for baking grain free treats is very helpful.

Popcorn is a quick snacks that isn’t bad us, unless we are low carb. And speaking of snacks…nuts, seeds and dried fruit are perfect for snacking and make great additions to oatmeal in the morning. Wrap it up with some seed or nut butters and you’re good to go.

If you’re including whole grain products, keep whole grain flour and pastas on hand in the pantry. You can bake up some quick breads; make homemade bread and other baked goods with the flour. Keeping your sourdough starter going makes for an option of using those whole grains in sourdough, which is always a healthier way to go. And of course pasta, sauce and some vegetables always make for a quick weeknight dinner. For a low carb option for pasta having spaghetti squash on hand or veggies like zucchini and cucumbers to make zoodles is good. Also I like the miracle noodles made from the konjac plant, which are very low carb and make a decent substitute for pasta and rice. (Just make sure you rinse them well before cooking.)

Canned Goods

Another category for clean food staples are home canned goods. This can include things like pickles, canned tomatoes, canned fruit- applesauce, peaches, pears, canned green beans, canned beets, salsa, pickled peppers and much more. When you can your own food you know exactly what went into it and can guarantee the quality of your food. If you are not up for canning yourself you can find any of these vegetables and fruits at the grocery store and keep them on hand anyway.

Eggs and Dairy

Always keep plenty of eggs in the fridge. Go ahead and boil a dozen or so and keep them on hand for easy snacking. Eggs are such a versatile ingredient and they can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Depending on how much dairy you are including in your clean food diet, stock the fridge with butter, raw or whole milk and some Greek yogurt and cottage cheese. We also like to keep a few hard cheeses for quick and easy snacking.

Fruits and Vegetables

Let’s get down to the stuff that makes up the bulk of our diet – fruits and vegetables. Aside from things like carrots and potatoes, there aren’t a lot of shelf stable vegetables out there. Stock up on plenty of frozen and canned vegetables to use whenever you run out of the fresh stuff.

Another great thing to keep on the counter is a growing salad bowl. Lose leaf lettuce is pretty quick and easy to grow. Give it a try for fresh, organic produce from your window sill.

When it comes to fruit, apples are your best bet for shelf stable food. We also like to keep a variety of frozen berries in the freezer for quick smoothies.

Meat and Fish

Let’s wrap this up with a few things from the meat and fish department. Canned tuna or salmon is a good option to have on occasion. You can make tuna salad, or add it to pasta sauces or even as a pizza topping. We don’t have it often but it’s a good ingredient to have on hand.

When it comes to meat, you won’t find my freezer without some grass-fed ground beef, ground turkey and a few bags of chicken breast. They are all versatile options when I’m out of fresh meat or can’t find anything decent at the grocery store.

What healthy options do you include in your home pantry? Please share in the comments.