The more prepared you are to eat a Paleo/Primal/Low-Carb diet the easier it is to stick to. We’ve all had times when there’s nothing in the house to eat, and we slip–we go out and pick up questionable take-out or eat something from a can. Not that it’s the end of the world when it happens, but the easier it is to make that decision to cheat or slip-up, the more frequently it is made. This list is a guideline, it’s definitely not the end-all, be-all. This is just what we try to always keep on hand.
We would like to stress the importance of making a menu. I know… it takes a lot of freaking time to make it and shop for it. But you have to do it. It is so helpful when we go the grocery store. If you think eating this way is expensive, I would highly recommend that you try making a menu and see if you don’t save a bit of money. Why? Because we’re not buying all kinds of odds-and-ends that rot and spoil before we even remember we bought them.
Another way to save is to buy in bulk or on Amazon.com. We always buy our nuts and nut butters from the bulk section or from the discount warehouse club (Sams, Costco). Another thing, nut pieces are always cheaper than whole nuts, so if a recipe calls for chopped nuts, buy the pieces and save yourself some time and some cash.
Dry Pantry
- canned tomatoes (diced, crushed, sauce and paste)
- canned artichokes
- canned fish, packed in oil (boneless, skinless sardines, tuna, salmon, anchovies)
- chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- coconut milk (canned)
- dessicated or finely shredded coconut
- coconut shards/flakes
- almond flour
- almond butter (we buy ours for $4.99/lb in the bulk section)
- chicken, beef and/or vegetable stock/broth
- nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios)
- sweet potatoes
- onions (yellow and red)
- garlic
- coffee/tea (herbal, green and black)
- chocolate chips (at least 70% cacao)
- protein powder
Fridge
- eggs (1 dozen boiled, 1 dozen raw)
- smoked salmon
- salami
- curry paste (green and red)
- mango chutney
- mustard (dijon, yellow and whole grain)
- horseradish
- capers
- olives (green and black)
- roasted red peppers
- hot sauce
- chili garlic sauce or sriracha
- pickles
- banana peppers
- coconut milk (carton)
- lemons & limes
- English cucumber (the long and skinny one, doesn’t need peeling or seeding)
- ginger
- mushrooms
- green onions
- some sort of leafy green
- carrots
- celery
- avocados
- cauliflower
- other vegetables that look good
Freezer
- homemade chicken/beef/vegetable stock
- ground meat (beef, bison, chicken, pork)
- bacon
- cheap meat cuts (shanks, ribs, shoulder, etc.)
- steaks (flank, skirt and sometimes the fancy stuff– sirloin, ribeye, NY strip, filet, etc.)
- sausages
- fish & shrimp (whatever was on sale)
- bananas (peel removed before placing in the freezer)–we put these in our protein shakes
- frozen chopped spinach
- frozen squash puree
Spices & Cooking Fats
- powdered garlic
- powdered onion
- cumin
- coriander
- oregano
- red pepper flakes
- yellow curry powder
- chili powder
- smoked paprika
- powdered ginger
- cayenne pepper
- celery salt
- spice blends (Old Bay, lemon pepper, steak rub, etc.)
- wheat-free soy sauce or coconut aminos
- balsamic vinegar
- apple cider vinegar
- red and/or white wine vinegar
- sesame oil
- baking soda
- baking powder
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- cloves
- vanilla extract
- other extracts (almond, coconut, orange, peppermint, etc.)
- cocoa powder
- sugar (honey, brown sugar, cane sugar, etc.)
- extra virgin olive oil
- rendered bacon fat
- coconut oil
- macadamia nut oil
- almond oil
- avocado oil
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