A Smart Pantry

The title of this post makes me giggle a little. My maiden name being Pantry, my married name being Smart.  Don’t worry, this post isn’t about my family tree, it’s about how to build the foundation of a smart ‘healthy’ pantry.

First up here is a picture of my pantry:

I know, what a mess! Because I have a teeny kitchen but a decent sized pantry I keep my rarely used appliances hiding in the pantry.  Truth is,  I eat mostly fresh produce and meat  which are kept in the fridge! I use my pantry items to add flavour, seasoning, texture, acidity, or aid in cooking my meat and vegetables.

So running through what’s in the picture:

From the top shelf left to right: Maca powder, dulse flakes, coconut oil, then nuts & seeds for the rest of the shelf- almonds, walnuts, cashews, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pepitas, pecans.  That big yellow/green tin at the back is my olive oil (I buy it in 4L cans!), lime flavoured olive oil and my spice rack.

Second shelf from top: bee pollen, raw honey (2 jars), vinegars (red wine, white wine, honey, pear, apple cider, balsamic, white balsamic, malt vinegar), fish sauce, hot sauce, HP sauce (Mr Smart is English, this is a non-negotiable in our house!), tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, tinned beetroot, tinned wild caught salmon,  a spare soda stream canister, quinoa, quinoa flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, white vinegar (for cleaning), and then more spices.

Third shelf from top: SunWarrior Raw Protein Powder (choc and vanilla), my vitamin stash (multi, vitamin C, fish oil, probiotic), dukkah, kelp noodles, coconut milk, Mr Smart’s cereal stash, empty tupperwares.

Bottom shelf: cake tins that I NEVER use (because I don’t bake), toaster, rice cooker.  My slow cooker normally sits in that big empty space but is in use at the moment!

Things to note- I have a whole shelf in the kitchen that is dedicated to tea and coffee.  I love a strong black coffee to get me going but usually have a huge assortment of herbal teas as well (minimum 6 boxes!).

Building a healthy pantry does take a bit of time and items like herbs, spices and nuts are expensive.  I buy most pantry items in bulk and then store them in spare tupperwares or glass jars.

I covet dried herbs and spices like you wouldn’t believe, I have over 30 in my cupboard. My must haves are:

• Celtic sea salt
• Peppercorns
• Cinnamon
• Paprika
• Thyme
• Garlic powder
•  Italian seasoning
• Rosemary  & Thyme (I have a huge amount of these two herbs in my garden but I would use more dried if I had to buy fresh all the time)
• Cacao

Oils:

• Organic extra virgin coconut oil
• Organic extra virgin olive oil

Nuts/seeds:

• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Pepitas
• Chia seeds

Sauces/vinegars:

• Apple cider vinegar
• Red wine vinegar
• Tabasco sauce

Misc:

• Coconut flour
• Raw honey
• Green tea

Stuff in tins:

• Coconut milk
• Diced tomato
• Tomato paste

What do you have in your pantry?