How to Stock a Healthy Pantry - Making Thyme for Health (2024)

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We’re getting back to basics for today’s post and focusing on how to stock a healthy pantry. If you don’t have a pantry, don’t worry! Neither do I.

Some of you guys might remember me showing you our kitchen when we first moved into the condo that we’re currently renting. There are a few cabinets that I use to store most of my items but as you can see, the space is somewhat limited and the second shelf is starting to bow from all of the weight…

Not exactly ideal but I’ve found the shelves and the magnetic racks that I bought from Ikea to be super helpful in making extra room.

I use them to hold most of my bulk pantry items in Ball Jars and the spices and herbs in magnetic spice tins with corresponding labels. This set up has made it so easy for me to access things while I’m cooking. I absolutely LOVE it!

So I’ve made a list of the things that I personally use the most in my everyday cooking along with a printable PDF that you can find at the end of this post. Of course the items listed will vary from person to person, depending on your preferences, but you can use this as a guideline and then add or leave out whatever you desire.

If you are able to buy in bulk this will help to save a lot of money and time since it is relatively inexpensive and will last you a while. Then all you have to worry about is buying fresh produce on a weekly basis.

Here are a few extra tips that I like to follow when I shop and cook at home:

Replace unused spices and herbs every 6-8 months
Buy local and organic produce when possible (especially the dirty dozen)
Read labels to make sure they say 100% whole grain (no enriched flour!);Sprouted grains and those that are organic or non-GMO are best for digestion
Check for unnecessary added sugars or preservatives. If you can’t recognize the ingredient then you probably don’t want to eat it
Avoid canned goods with BPA liners (Eden Organics and Muir Glen are two brands that I like that sell BPA-free canned goods)
Only reheat leftovers in glass containers, not plastic (I love myPyrex glass containers)

I choose to do some of these things for health reasons and some because I believe that my dollar counts as my vote, but that doesn’t mean that I think that everyone should do the same thing as me. It’s important for you to do your own research and decide what works best for you and your lifestyle.

If you have any items or tips that you love that I’ve left out, please let me know! I’m always open to trying new things.

Disclaimer: I created this post as a guide for what to have on hand for healthy cooking, not for storage recommendations. Some of these products (mostly the condiments) should be stored in the refrigerator (rather than the pantry) after opening. Please refer to the back of the packaging for instructions on how they should be stored.

Whole Grains

Quinoa
Brown Rice
Rolled Oats
Steel Cut Oats
Barley
Millet
Buckwheat
Black Rice
Amaranth
Farro
Spelt or Wheat Berries
100% Whole Grain Pasta

Legumes

Lentils
Chickpeas (or Garbanzo Beans)
Split Peas
Black Eyed Peas
Black Beans
Aduki Beans
Pinto Beans
Cannelini Beans
Navy Beans
Great Northern Beans
Mung Beans

Nuts

Almonds
Raw Cashews
Walnuts
Pecans
Pistachios
Roasted Peanuts

Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds
Hemp Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Chia Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Ground Flax Seed

Oils

Unrefined Coconut Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
High Heat Oil (with a neutral flavor such as Sunflower, Avocado or Grapeseed Oil)
Sesame Oil
Applesauce (to replace oils when baking)