Building a perfect Whole30 pantry can be difficult business, but I think this may help. With so many brands on the market, and the expense of organic and Whole30 compliant products, it can be difficult and costly to figure out what works for you. Maybe the most disheartening part of the Whole30 process is to spend a lot of money and time on something that is less than stellar. I’ve been there!
I linked some of my favorite products to help you start an efficient and cost-effective pantry for getting through the 30 days. Even when I’m not actively on a Whole30, I try to eat compliant meals 5 days a week. So these items are pretty much constant staples for us.
Believe it or not, you can mock a pretty awesome vegan cream sauce with raw cashew butter. It has a really mild flavor that takes on garlic, spices, and herbs really well! It’s also delicious whisked together with coconut cream (another pantry staple!) or tahini. I have been using it for years in my Chicken Tettrazini to reduce the dairy content. More than a few times I have completely omitted dairy and my kids were none the wiser.
This is my favorite brand of coconut cream. It is organic, unsweetened, and comes in easy little cans that eliminate waste. Almost all my recipes that call for coconut cream, require just one of these small coconut cream cans (though you can always add more). If you have to substitute coconut cream, use a 7oz can of coconut milk.
365 Brand Raw Fresh Riced Cauliflower
This is my preferred method of buying cauliflower rice, though I always have a few bags of the frozen stuff in the freezer! I use this cauliflower rice to make my Italian Fried Rice.
Sweet Potatoes
I could not live without sweet potatoes on the Whole30. I love taco-stuffed sweet potatoes, sweet potato toast topped with avocado, diced sweet potatoes in salads… It’s simply the best! In a pinch, I like to use the 365 brand frozen sliced sweet potato.
I love this soy alternative, and I use it even when I’m not on a Whole30! Although we do have regular soy in the house, I find myself reaching for this 90% of the time because it has a hint of sweetness and it lends great umami to dishes.
The Whole30 encourages you to try things like making your own mayo, which is quite fun to master but it’s time consuming. When I run out of homemade mayo and I can’t find the time to make it–which is A LOT–I use this instead!
Rapini
Rapini, also called broccoli rabe, is an absolute staple in our house. I probably make Italian sausage and rapini once a week. When I’m not on a Whole30 it’s really good as a mini sandwich on Trader Joe’s Organic French Rolls, which is basically the only bread I eat at home.
I love this brand! They have the a great product line with lots of different products available to meet your needs. The crushed tomatoes are my favorite when I am making a quick sauce. They strongly support the pollination and regenerative farming practices to keep our produce as eco-diverse and nutrient-rich as possible!
My Weekly Meat purchase at Whole Foods:
- Pederson’s Whole30 Approved Bacon
- 1.5 lbs. ground chicken
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 2 lbs. Italian sausage
- Pork butt or bone-in pork loin roast
My Weekly Produce purchase at Whole Foods:
- Two bunches rapini
- One container of Organic Girl Arugula
- One bunch cilantro
- One bunch parsley
- Two bunches green onions
- Honeycrisp apples
- Assorted fruit on sale for the kids
- Two pounds of sweet potatoes
- Two pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes
This generally lasts us for the week! Studies have come out touting the health of pork fat, and from my personal experience it keeps me full longer and leaves me very satisfied so I try to incorporate a shredded pork butt or roasted pork dish into our meals at least once a week! We eat a lot of what the BBC has touted as the 100 Most Nutritious Foods.
I hope this has been helpful. Feel free to comment below if you need any additional help building a healthier pantry in your home!