Healthy Pantry Must-Haves on Well+Good

by Arielle J on October 23, 2017

Last week one of my fave healthy and wellness sites, Well+Good, came over to take a sneak peek in my kitchen and ask about my pantry must-haves.

It was a really fun interview and photo shoot and the bonus was that my baby, Gemma slept the entire time so distractions were limited.

My kitchen is pretty spacious (especially according to New York City standards!), but since I cook a lot, it’s packed to the brim with food and cooking equipment. In addition to snacks and cooking ingredients, I have two blenders for recipe testing, tons of pots for bone broth, and loads of pans. Not to mention, I also have a big ice cream machine for my dessert obsession, pumping supplies and even a few baby food makers, too.

Since I have so much stuff, my pantry is rarely this orderly but I do try to keep it as clean and organized as possible. The more zen my home is, the more zen I am within. If my bed is messy, or the snacks are disorganized in my cabinets, I start to feel overwhelmed. So, the more systems I have in place and containers I have to fit everything in, the more calm and focused I feel.

Since I typically work from home, having snacks on hand and easy access is key. I also exclusively breastfeed so I need to keep my body nourished all day in order to keep my baby nourished.
I love keeping raw almonds, pistachios, unsweetened coconut flakes and gluten-free pretzels in easy to access containers. Customizing them with pretty labels adds joy every time I open up my cabinet. My friend, Cin Cin Calligraphy has the best handwriting and designed these containers for my snacks. How cute?

What is not #bewellwithapproved? I try not to keep any products with refined sugar in my cabinets…everything is either made with maple syrup, honey, or coconut palm sugar. And I don’t cook/eat a lot of gluten because I have thyroid issues.

What is #bewellwitharielleapproved? Protein-packed snacks, like nuts and bars, seaweed snacks made with olive oil, brown rice cakes, organic beef jerky, teas and nutritious cooking/baking ingredients. Hint: The flours I have in my pantry for cooking include almond flour, coconut, and brown rice flours!

When it comes to nut butter, my fave type is unsweetened, raw crunchy almond butter. I love the added crunch when I spread it on an apple or brown rice cake or add a dollop to my smoothies. I try to opt for organic nut butter if it’s not too expensive and I prefer raw or the unsweetened varieties. If I get already sweetened, I only opt for ones sweetened with maple sugar or honey, like this one from MaraNatha.