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PANTRY 101

You have to start somewhere, and your pantry is where it's at. Let's give it a facelift together!

Pantry Items found in MRL kitchens!

As I'm the "newbie" organic buyer compared to Sarah, it was not that long ago that I did a pantry makeover. When we first talked about it I was overwhelmed and thought to myself, "I'll change a few things, but there's no way I'm going full throttle with this."

 

And for some of you, that may be the case and that's absolutely fine! But others of you may be like me, once you change a few things, the itch to change more hits you! Before I knew it, it became a challenge to me to find more and more organic/clean items to replace in my cabinets! (see our other post on this page for must-have fridge items!)

 

Let me say that I did not go through my pantry and start throwing things out. Quite the opposite. Once we ran out of something, it was replaced by a better option--either organic, free of MSG or HFCS, No Preservatives, etc.

 

So without further ado, we want to share with you our compiled list of must-have items for the Pantry! ~Briana

 

Baking Items

  • Organic Flour OR Unbleached, un-bromated Flour

  • Raw Honey (local is best!)

  • Baking soda & Aluminum Free baking powder

  • Yeast

  • Cinnamon (it reduces blood sugar and lowers cholesterol!)

  • Organic Vanilla Extract

  • Organic Coconut Oil (make sure it's rated for med-high heat)

  • Maple Syrup (local if you can!)

  • Organic Peanut butter, or any kind of nut butter (almond, cashew, etc.)

  • Almond Flour

  • Medjool dates (but refrigerate after opening)

  • Unsweetened Coconut flakes

  • Dark Chocolate

  • Organic old-fashioned or steel cut oats

  • Raw, unsalted Cashews

  • Raw, unsalted Almonds

  • Chia Seeds

  • Flax Seeds

  • Sunflower seeds

 

All other Pantry Essentials

  • Garbanzo beans (Canellini are good too)

  • Annie's WHITE CHEDDAR mac 'n cheese

  • Organic Cereal (we like the Cascadia brand)

  • Organic Chicken/Beef broth and stock

  • Olive Oil (great for dressings!)

  • Organic Rice

  • Organic Pasta

  • Quinoa

  • Tuna (Sunkist has the chunky kind, Bumblebee is a finer cut)

  • Organic herbs and spices (or at least ones without MSG or "Natural Flavoring"--go check yours now!)

  • Organic Potatoes and/or Sweet Potatoes

  • Organic or gluten free Tortillas

  • Organic crackers (because we all want to "snack" every now and then!)

  • Bread--either homemade or organic or at least HFCS free!

 

Fridge Makeover!

(Because you don't want the pantry thinking it's better than everyone else)

What's in your fridge is just as important as what's in your pantry. So here is the list of must-have items we MRL mamas consistently find in our refrigerators! ~Briana

 

  • Organic milk (or at least milk that is rGBH/Antibiotic-free)

  • Organic Butter

  • Almond or any nut Milk, unsweetened

  • Organic baby spinach/spring mix/kale/arugula/any lettuce/greens you prefer!

  • Organic celery, sweet peppers, grapes, berries, apples, cherry tomatoes

  • Avocados, Bananas (these don't need to be organic, they are in the clean fifteen!)

  • Organic whole or baby carrots

  • White blocks of cheese and string cheese (Monterey Jack, white cheddar, mozzarella). Organic is great, but ok if not.

  • Organic Eggs

  • Organic greek yogurt (Siggi's is a brand that is low sugar and high in protein, as well as rGBH/antibiotic-free. Stonyfield is great too for plain yogurt--but high in sugar if flavored)

  • Organic beef (or at least grass fed, antibiotic free. Or go local! My parents share with us half a cow they buy from a farmer. We know exactly what they are fed and how they are treated. From the farm to the table at its best!)

  • Organic/Free-range Chicken

  • Organic bacon

Condiments

*Some of these will overlap with the items above

 

Keep condiments to a minimum. Always read dressing labels as they are typically loaded with high fructose corn syrup or sugar and other icky preservatives or additives.

 

Remember to keep it simple with condiments, most dressing can be made right from your pantry with vingars, garlic, greek yogurt, oilve oil and mustards!

 

  • Mustard (many different kinds, just make sure they are simple with few ingredients!! For example my store brand costs $1, its a Jalapeno mustard that has the following: Vinegar, water, mustard seed, dehydrated jalapeno peppers, turmeric, paprika spices. I also love the Course Dijon which has even fewer ingredients! Water, mustard seed, vinegar, salt and tumeric).

  • Organic Salsa

  • Hot sauce (Stick to ones without natural flavoring. Mine has 3 ingredients: aged red cayenne peppers, distilled vinegar and salt!)

  • Organic ketchup (lowest in sugar possible and NO HFCS)

  • Balsamic Vinegar

  • Braggs Liquid Aminos (in place of soy sauce)

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • Minced Garlic

  • Annies Brand Dressings (most are ok,  but always check sugar)

Chips Story

I recently had a few people over and one man brought two bags of chips. We don’t normally have these in the house, so it was interesting for me to look at the labels.

 

One bag had roughly 4 ingredients (of which I was impressed being a processed food and well-known brand) the other had more than I could count and the font was changed so they could fit all the ingredients on the bag.

 

The point here is to be aware and take that extra minute to read the labels before purchasing items for your pantry. Start making better choices for you and your family.

We cannot expect our children to know how to eat, they learn from us – it is our job to have the right foods in the house for them to consume. ~Sarah

 

 

 

 

 

My Childrens Day-to-Day Diet

 

 

Here is a list of what I feed my babies, they love my muffins! I make a least a batch (or two) a week (you can find all of the food recipes in our MRL recipe tab!) ~Sarah

 

  • Organic fruits and veggies (following the Clean 15 vs. Dirty Dozen rules for purchasing!)

  • Organic yogurt (plain greek or low sugar)

  • Organic Butter

  • Organic Peanut Butter

  • Coconut Oil

  • White block or string Cheese (Organic if available)

  • Annies Brand Mac and Cheese (the WHITE CHEDDAR ONLY!)

  • Shakes ( Daily staple shake: Unsweetened Almond Milk, spinach, flax or chia seeds, protein, frozen banana and blueberries)

  • Oatmeal (plain old fashioned or steel cut with a drop of maple syrup or organic or homemade jam and coconut oil)

  • Apple/ carrot/ celery/ kale juice from the juicer

  • Organic and Gluten Free Chicken broth with sliced carrots and celery and egg noodles (my 1 and 2 year old love this!)

  • Sunflower seeds

  • Cashews

  • Raisins

  • Organic Puffs (Happy Family Brand or Plum)

  • Farm eggs

  • Egg Tacos (healthy tortilla shell, taco size, scrambled eggs, grated cheese and diced spinach)

  • Peanut butter (or other nut butter), banana and honey "taco" or wrap

  • Black beans

  • Peas

  • Turkey Burgers (plain with ketchup (NO HFCS!) for dipping)

  • Oatmeal Honey Bread or Toast with Almond Butter and Jam or Honey

  • Sweet potatos or yams for making "fries"

 

Homemade of the following:

  • Briana's Breakfast Balls

  • Oatmeal Honey Bread (only sweetened with raw honey!)

  • Banana Muffins or Bread

  • Chia, Date, Coconut, Banana Muffins

  • Pumpkin Muffins or Bread (using squash or sweet potato)

  • Waffles (I make these up in a double batch and freeze, I pop one out of the freezer and put in the toaster).

 

 

You will either pay the farmer for organic food or you will pay the doctor.

In the summertime I love to take my toddler outside to the garden with me. She will eat raspberries off the bushes until I make her stop! She enjoys being outside and eating cherry tomatos right from the vine or apples from the tree.

 

This is what real FOOD is. NOT the processed junk "FOOD-LIKE SUBSTANCES" on the shelves at the supermarket. We need to change our perspective on what food is and how much it costs to eat REAL food. Cheap processed food provides little of the nutrients our bodies need to maintain a healthy cellular processes to include our digestive tract and immune system. "REAL Food" provides our bodies with the nutrients it needs for proper functioning. With that said, we are going to show you how to makeover you pantry with better options. That is what we are about on MamasReadingLabels (MRL). Start small and make one or two consistent changes that are lasting, then if you can, take it step further. MRL is about  making BETTER choices for our family. We are not telling you to give up your chips, we are just saying "hey, Mama, there are better options available!" We have had countless convesations at the grocery store, with the school teachers,  and the gym with interested Mamas. Dive in Mama! Pick one area to make one consistent change this week and see how it makes you feel. ~Sarah

Everytime we eat we are either feeding disease or fighting it.

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