Most Natural Pantry Essentials

TheLittleGingerDoesWeightLoss
edited November 8 in Food and Nutrition
So, I want to hear what are your most natural food essentials in your pantry. I'm trying to clean out my pantry and I know most of my foods will have a home in my fridge, but what do you stock up on that's natural in your pantry? Things like flax seed, wheat germ, rice, whole wheat noodles, etc.
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Replies

  • SparkyJess3
    SparkyJess3 Posts: 625 Member
    Whole wheat flour and coconut oil for baking, un-salted nuts, 100 calories bags of popcorn, and brown rice.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    edited December 2014
    Keep in mind I am friends with regular food, too. But here are some essentials I have on hand:
    • Dried porcini mushrooms
    • Organic stone ground whole wheat flour, rye flour, and white bread making flour unbleached (this is needed to get a fluffy bread)
    • Breadmaker's yeast
    • Baking soda, baking powder and salt
    • Stevia
    • Molasses
    • Honey
    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • Vinegar, cider vinegar
    • Blanched unsalted peanuts
    • Walnuts
    • Sunflower seeds
    • Cornstarch
    • Cornmeal
    • Whole grain basmati rice
    • Quinoa
    • Minute oatmeal
    • Red River cereal
    • Dehydrated onion for emergencies (run out of fresh)
    • Dried beans of all kinds including lentils (red and green), kidney beans, black-eyed beans, black beans, pinto beans, and chick peas
    • Tahini paste (essential for hummus)
    • Powdered milk
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    How are you defining clean eating?
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    By the way, I save the seeds from my pumpkin and my butternut squash, wash and dry them, sprinkle them with spices and roast them in my oven.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    soap and bleach ..keeps my food squeaky clean ….

    I also find a quick spin cycle in the washing machine helps….

    I was going to say: prepare for an onslaught of unhelpful, uninformative and juvenile comments, but it seems they've already begun.

    OP: Change the word "clean" to "healthy" and about 80% of the posters will leave you be. "Clean" makes people go nutty here.
    Even "healthy" will get people's ire and they'll demand that you're judging them by your eating choices, but at least you won't get the repetitive "soap" comments.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Instead of varieties of whole wheat pastas I rely more on spaghetti squash or my specialty slicer. I absolutely love my Mandoline; I use it nearly every day.

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    edited December 2014
    Using the word "clean" is like a magnet for people who like to make fun of others online. If you mean "healthy", use that....although you will still get people who find that an offensive idea.

    Your pantry should have foods you like. I don't know what you like.

    One thing most people find is that when they start eating healthier, they use more spices. :)
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    why are whole wheat noodles cleaner than just, noodles?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »

    is that the same CDC that blew the whole Ebola response that ended up with several nurses being infected….?

    yea, I will pass on taking my nutritional information from the CDC…

    that does not address my question as to why a whole grain noodle is cleaner than a regular noodle….
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I trust the CDC. Who else would I trust? A Witch Doctor? If the CDC recommends picking whole grain more often, it is a healthier choice.
  • How are you defining clean eating?

    Just trying to incorporate foods in my pantry that as close to their natural state as possible.

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    I trust the CDC. Who else would I trust? A Witch Doctor? If the CDC recommends picking whole grain more often, it is a healthier choice.

    still does not answer my question ….
  • ndj1979 wrote: »
    soap and bleach ..keeps my food squeaky clean ….

    I also find a quick spin cycle in the washing machine helps….

    I was going to say: prepare for an onslaught of unhelpful, uninformative and juvenile comments, but it seems they've already begun.

    I just said clean for the convenience, since most people know what you mean by that, but I didn't realize that this was a community of 12 year olds.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Nitpicky, ndj. The OP has dropped "clean" for "most natural". Whole grain foods are recommended by experts to be chosen more often. A healthier choice.

    Not clean, not "more natural", but it is healthier.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Picking whole grain pasta more often remains a superior choice.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Nitpicky, ndj. The OP has dropped "clean" for "most natural". Whole grain foods are recommended by experts to be chosen more often. A healthier choice.

    Not clean, not "more natural", but it is healthier.
    I prefer my white rice, but choose what you want for what you LIKE, both are fine in their OWN ways.

    http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/what-white-rice-better-than-brown/


  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    soap and bleach ..keeps my food squeaky clean ….

    I also find a quick spin cycle in the washing machine helps….

    I was going to say: prepare for an onslaught of unhelpful, uninformative and juvenile comments, but it seems they've already begun.

    OP: Change the word "clean" to "healthy" and about 80% of the posters will leave you be. "Clean" makes people go nutty here.
    Even "healthy" will get people's ire and they'll demand that you're judging them by your eating choices, but at least you won't get the repetitive "soap" comments.

    LOL I think it is more juvenile to follow people around and comment on all their comments….but to each their own ...

    And I think it's funny that you'd think I would "follow you around" :laugh:
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    soap and bleach ..keeps my food squeaky clean ….

    I also find a quick spin cycle in the washing machine helps….

    I was going to say: prepare for an onslaught of unhelpful, uninformative and juvenile comments, but it seems they've already begun.

    I just said clean for the convenience, since most people know what you mean by that, but I didn't realize that this was a community of 12 year olds.
    I get it.

    fwiw, check whether things like flax seeds should be cold, or dark stored... I can't remember.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Picking whole grain pasta more often remains a superior choice.

    LOL …still does not address as to why a whole grain noodle is cleaner than a regular noodle..

    so people who eat whole grain noodles are superior to those that do not???? Interesting...
    OP: you'll also note that people feign obtusity in these threads as well.
  • jkwolly wrote: »
    I prefer my white rice, but choose what you want for what you LIKE, both are fine in their OWN ways.

    http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/what-white-rice-better-than-brown/

    Thanks for the article. I usually opt for brown rice because I know I do not receive enough fiber in my diet at the moment, but I have never known about the role or effects of phytic acid, so this is an interesting pro for white rice.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Picking whole grain pasta more often remains a superior choice.
    It does. Very often, if it's 100% whole grains it IS the more healthful choice. All of this is best considered within the context of an entire diet (just as macros and micros are). So if something simply doesn't appeal to you, make another choice for that item. And consider your diet as a whole.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Picking whole grain pasta more often remains a superior choice.

    LOL …still does not address as to why a whole grain noodle is cleaner than a regular noodle..

    so people who eat whole grain noodles are superior to those that do not???? Interesting...

    Among all the discussions of and misuses of the word trolling, here's an example of actual trolling.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    I think wild rice is a long way head of white rice in terms of nutrition, but whether you like it or not....
    I just happened to be reading about it.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Interesting twist there NDJ. I did not say the people were superior. Why would you descend to an inferior argument at this point? Is it because your argument is running out of steam?

    Agreed, terms like "clean" and "natural" are bandied around quite a bit with a lot of bad science and anecdotal quackery. I don't like the trend to fastidiousness where whole food groups are declared "bad". Especially the macros like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Bring on the carbohydrates, proteins and fats! They fuel me!

    Nevertheless, the experts recommend whole grain more often. It is a superior choice. But nobody should ever be declared inferior for picking white rice or a crusty white Italian bun (my fave) over their whole grain cousins.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    Depends on what is defined as natural. I think what I eat is natural and it's probably different from what you think. My basics on my shelf are basmati rice, pasta, and tuna.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    999tigger wrote: »
    I think wild rice is a long way head of white rice in terms of nutrition, but whether you like it or not....
    I just happened to be reading about it.
    Is it? It's darn tasty!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Picking whole grain pasta more often remains a superior choice.

    LOL …still does not address as to why a whole grain noodle is cleaner than a regular noodle..

    so people who eat whole grain noodles are superior to those that do not???? Interesting...

    Among all the discussions of and misuses of the word trolling, here's an example of actual trolling.

    not sure how it is trolling when I ask a question four times and never get an answer…

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited December 2014
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    Picking whole grain pasta more often remains a superior choice.

    LOL …still does not address as to why a whole grain noodle is cleaner than a regular noodle..

    so people who eat whole grain noodles are superior to those that do not???? Interesting...

    Among all the discussions of and misuses of the word trolling, here's an example of actual trolling.

    not sure how it is trolling when I ask a question four times and never get an answer…
    I didn't say it was skilled trolling.
    And you didn't ask that "question" (which wasn't a question, btw) four times. You posted "so people who eat whole grain noodles are superior to those that do not???? Interesting..." once. pretty obvious trolling.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    I forgot about chocolate. Is that natural? I know it's processed because I don't eat the bean.
This discussion has been closed.