Pantry Essentials

    Stock your pantry with nourishing and shelf-stable foods.

    Animal Products

    The most nutrient dense foods come from the animal kingdom. We encourage sourcing all foods ethically and humanely. Do the best you can, and honor animal life.

    Bone Broth

    Bone Broth

    The traditional food to support healthy joints, bone broth can be made from food scraps or purchased from a store. Rich with gelatin, it contains the important proteins glycine and proline. Vegetable broth is a mineral-rich vegetarian alternative.

    Anchovies

    Canned Anchovies

    Anchovies are a great source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and flavor. While low in contaminants, anchovies sourced from the Atlantic and Mediterranean may have parasites; be sure to freeze for 24 hours or cook before eating. Soak in water to remove excess salt if desired.

    Sardines

    Canned Sardines

    High in calcium and minerals, as well as vitamins A, D, and B12, sardines are low in contaminants because they're low on the aquatic food chain. An excellent source of protein, sardines make a satiating grab-and-go snack and can also be used in a variety of meals.

    Tuna

    Canned Tuna

    Tuna is nutrient dense with omega-3 fatty acids, protein, selenium, manganese, zinc, and vitamins B, C, and D. Eat in moderation due to possibility of heavy metal uptake in these top-level predators.

    Salmon

    Canned Wild Caught Salmon

    A superb source of vitamins, minerals, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids, wild caught salmon has much to commend it. Avoid farm-raised salmon which tend to have dyes added and a diminished nutrient profile. Eat in moderation due to possibility of heavy metal bioaccumulation.


    Fruits, Vegetables, and Tubers

    Eat a variety of seasonal plants that you enjoy, stock up on frozen produce and berries, and learn how to forage!

    Artichokes

    Canned Artichokes

    Artichokes have low levels of antinutrients and are among the most nutritious vegetables. Add to salads, stir fries, or just about anything!

    Ginger Carrots

    Fermented Vegetables

    Once the initial fermentation is complete, sauerkraut, kimchi, and ginger carrots can be stored in a cool pantry. Fermented vegetables from the grocery store are usually pasteurized, reducing their benefits.

    Nori

    Nori

    Not just for wrapping sushi, seaweed is extremely rich in vitamins and minerals, and can be added to bone broth, eaten as a snack, or crushed as a garnish in a variety of meals. Eat in moderation due to high levels of iodine and the possibility of heavy metals.

    Olives

    Olives

    Olives are high in vitamin E and salt.

    Popcorn

    Organic Popcorn

    Grown in a monoculture, popcorn often tests high for pesticides. Buy organic popcorn kernels and prepare with an air popper or on the stovetop. Never buy microwaveable popcorn packages, which contain harmful oils, carcinogens, and pesticides.

    Potatoes

    Potatoes

    Make sure to peel and ferment potatoes to neutralize toxins in this nutrient-dense tuber.

    Sweet potatoes

    Sweet Potatoes

    Sweet potatoes are nourishing and can be boiled or fermented to reduce oxalates if consumed regularly.

    Coconut

    Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

    Coconut is high in minerals and can be used in a variety of creative ways.


    Fats

    Fats are necessary to absorb essential vitamins and provide a steady source of energy. Humans traditionally obtained fats from: 1) dairy, 2) organs and eggs, 3) seafood, 4) small animals and insects. Avoid vegetable oils, or oils pressed from seeds.

    Cheese

    Aged Cheese

    Aged cheeses have more lactic acid and less lactose, making them more digestible. It is a superb source of calcium and saturated fat.

    Avocado Oil

    Avocado Oil

    Avocado oil remains stable at high temperature cooking and offers a neutral flavor base for mayonnaise and dressings. Some brands of avocado oil are adulterated with seed oils. Chosen Foods, Marianne’s Avocado Oil, and CalPure brands have been lab tested for purity.

    Cultured butter

    Butter and Ghee

    Butter from the cream of grass-pastured animals provides a nutritious source of energy. Ghee is gently heated butter that removes casein proteins for easier digestion and higher cooking temps. Make your own cultured butter and ghee, or purchase the best quality you can.

    Oil

    Coconut Oil

    Make sure to use cold-pressed coconut oil, which ensures it was not heat treated in processing to become rancid.

    Lard

    Lard and Tallow

    Lard and tallow from pastured animals are among the healthiest fats for human health.

    Olive Oil

    Olive Oil

    Olive oil is a delicate fruit oil that breaks down with exposure to light. Its earliest uses were cosmetic, and only recently has been used as a food. Buy cold pressed olive oil stored in dark glass bottles or metal tins, and store in a cool location.


    Nuts and Seeds

    Raw or dry-roasted nuts and seeds offer beneficial fats and minerals, though they can also have compounds that are harmful in quantity such as lectins, oxalates, and phytates. When heated, the oils of some of nuts and seeds go rancid, causing oxidative stress and inflammation in our bodies. Avoid purchasing any nuts or seeds roasted in vegetable oils.

    Almonds

    Almonds

    Learn how to sprout raw almonds (only available online due to pasteurization for stores).

    Pistachios

    Macadamia and Pistachio Nuts

    Macadamia nuts have a low antinutrient content and can be used to make the fat bread seen in the film The Magic Pill. Pistachios are also nourishing. Both have oxalates, so eat in moderation.

    Pecans and Walnuts

    Hazelnuts, Pecans, and Walnuts

    Hazelnuts, pecans, and walnuts are a great source of minerals and essential fatty acids, as well as oxalates and phytates. Eat in moderation.

    Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds

    Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds

    Raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds can be sprouted to reduce antinutrients, and eaten in moderation.


    Detox Your Pantry

    Step 1. Discard any food product that contains sugar or industrial seed oils.
    Step 2. Use the guidelines on this page for restocking your pantry with foods from each category. 

    Learn more. Watch the films The Magic Pill and Fat Fiction, and check out our media recommendations.


    Support the Campus Hunger Initiative

    Help provide for Washington College students who are unable to buy groceries by donating healthy provisions to George's General Free Store, located in Hodson Hall Commons. Contact Shane Brill for more information.


    Salt

    Support health and enhance flavor with this essential nutrient.


    Pantry Treats

    Dried Fruits

    Enjoy dates and figs in moderation due to high sugar and oxalate content. Dried persimmons, prunes, and raisins can also provision a balanced pantry.

    Chocolate

    Limit chocolate consumption due to its high oxalate content. Cacao nibs, dark chocolate (85% or higher), and Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips can help satisfy one's sweet tooth. Avoid dutched cocoa powder (dark cocoa) in preparing treats.

    Sweeteners

    Raw honey, maple syrup, and blackstrap molasses can all be used to sweeten foods. Use conservatively; humans have had limited access to high sugar foods.

    Use cane sugar only to feed a kombucha mother, or a winter-starving colony of backyard bees. 

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    * Medical Disclaimer *