Stocking your Grain Free Pantry

You know what is awesome?  When you come across a new recipe, and you have a little bit of free time right then, and you have ALL of the ingredients on hand.  And you make it, and it is amazing.  Kind of like I did this morning with this recipe for Raw Brownie Bites from Comfy Belly.

On the other hand, do you know what is awful?  When you find an awesome recipe, and you really want to make it, but you read the ingredient list and realize you have none of it on hand, and then you get frustrated and go eat a bag of Cheetos instead.  That is just terrible.  And I know how it feels.

It took me weeks, maybe months of eating like this, to get to the point where I almost always have the correct ingredients on hand to make recipes on the fly!  So even though I really need to go shopping and restock my pantry after a manic week of baking, I thought I’d give you a peek inside to let you know what ingredients I always have on hand.  Maybe you can add one or two items a week to your current shopping list, while omitting some other items…..like Cheetos.

First and foremost–nuts and seeds

Here I have almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and almond butter.  Not pictured, but we also keep sunflower seed butter and peanut butter on hand.  Also not pictured, almond milk.  Be very careful when buying almond milk–most almond milk has sugar as the second ingredient (yes, evaporated cane juice is just another way of saying sugar).  Check the ingredients to insure that it is unsweetened.  For baking, you want to get the nuts and seeds as raw and unprocessed as possible.  I also keep salted cashews on hand for snacking (although these raw ones would be healthier).

Where to buy nuts and seeds:  Costco sells bagged almonds, walnuts, and pecans.   You can also get nuts and seeds from your grocery stores bulk bins.  If you like to buy a lot at a time or if you live in a more rural area with fewer options, you could order from nuts.com.  I love nuts.com and get a lot of stuff from them, including blanched almond flour.  Prices and customer service are great!

Next up:  coconut products

Seen here are coconut oil, unsweetened full-fat coconut milk, coconut flour, shredded unsweetened coconut, and coconut aminos.  Coconut aminos are used as a soy sauce substitute in paleo/grain-free cooking.

Where to buy coconut products:  Coconut oil is becoming more readily available.  I get mine at Costco, but it is also available at health food stores.  If anyone has seen it at a more mainstream grocery store, let me know.  Coconut milk is available in most grocery stores in the ethnic food section.  Coconut flour can be found in most health food stores, and I know at least one brand (Bob’s Red Mill) is even on the shelf at Publix.  Shredded, unsweetened coconut flakes may be available in most places, but I just grab them at Earth Fare when I’m there.  As for the coconut aminos, you would have to get those at a health food store.  It is in the condiment section.  Almost all of these products are available through Tropical Traditions.

Sweeteners

Medjool dates, honey, and pure maple syrup (if your eating plan allows)

Where to buy these sweeteners:  I am lucky that Costco carries all of these, but I think they would all be readily available at most grocery stores.  In a grocery store, you should check around the produce section for the dates.  They could also possibly be with the dried fruit.  If you cannot find medjool dates in your grocery store, you can order them online from nuts.com.  As far as honey goes, buy the best quality that you can afford.  Local honey is great.  We try to keep a smaller container of local honey out to drizzle on our yogurt–things like that.  But I use the giant Costco honey when baking.  Check your label carefully when buying maple syrup–there should only be one ingredient:  maple syrup!

Chocolate (it’s a food group, right??)

Cocoa powder, raw cacao powder, and Enjoy Life chocolate chips

**Chocolate isn’t allowed on the SCD diet, so we don’t use it that often.  But I do keep it on hand for special treats or for when I’m baking for others.**

So what is the difference between cocoa and cacao?  I’m still not 100% clear, but it is my understanding that cacao is not heat processed and is considered raw.  Cocoa is a more processed form of cacao.  I do not use them interchangeably–I just tend to use whatever the recipes call for.

Where to buy chocolate products:   Cocoa powder can be found at any grocery store.  Raw cacao powder is usually only in health stores.  I order it from nuts.com, because they have a better price on it.  Enjoy Life chocolate chips do contain sugar, so they should be used sparingly.  The good news is that they do not contain dairy, gluten, or soy.  They are also much more delicious (and only slightly more expensive) than other brands.  I have seen them at Target and at health food stores.

Who can forget blanched almond flour?

I buy mine in 25 lb quantities, but you can order it in 5 lb bags from both Honeyville and nuts.com.

And then comes ghee.

If you are not familiar with ghee, it is clarified butter.  So it is like butter, but the milkfat has been removed, thereby removing the lactose and casein.  Ghee is great for cooking and baking, and it is shelf stable, so you don’t even have to refrigerate it!  You can make your own, but I like to buy mine–all of the health food stores in our area carry it (it is on the shelf with the oils).  If you decide to make your own, be sure to start with organic butter from grassfed cows.  And what do you know?  Nuts.com carries ghee too!!

Other items that are not pictured that I always try to keep on hand are organic applesauce and organic raisins, which are pretty easy to come by.  Just remember–applesauce should only contain apples and raisins should only contain raisins 🙂

I hope this helps.  I remember that feeling of frustration when I used to peruse recipes, thinking I would never be in a place where these were the normal things in my pantry.  I hope this “inventory” can help you as you shop, and will give you the freedom to make that next amazing recipe you come across.