We’ve all been there – we see a healthy recipe online and think ‘I would love to make that but I just don’t have half of these ingredients and I don’t want to buy these things just for one meal’. Well usually, many healthy recipes, especially vegan recipes, use the same ingredients time and time again. I’ve learnt that buying some staples at the start will really help you live a healthier life, and save money in the long run. There will be an investment at the start but it will be an investment in your health and all you will have to just will be fruits and veggies. In the end you will make healthier, tastier and cheaper meals.
I also wanted to tell you about iHerb because it's free and it's an amazing place to get all your health goodies, including cleaning products and beauty products too! If you want cheap health products and cupboard staples, shipped right to your door, this is a great place to go! I recently got my beloved Biore cleanser from there as you can't buy it here in Spain. It's particularly good if you these kind of things are not so accessible to you. It is great for ex-pats because they deliver to over 150 countries, so you can get your favourite products from home, delivered to the country which you live in! And it's not expensive - cheaper than Amazon or getting it shipped from a different countries website etc.
Seeds
- Flaxseed (Linseed) – link here
- Chia seeds – link here
- Sesame seeds – link here
- Sunflower seeds – link here
- Pumpkin seeds – link here
Spices
- Garam Masala (or a good curry powder) – link here & here
- Cumin – link here
- Coriander – link here
- Chilli powder – link here
- Cinnamon – link here
- Turmeric – link here
Oils
- Olive oil – link here
- Coconut oil – link here
- Rapeseed oil (link here) or any other healthy oil for frying (see my article here on which are the healthiest oils and which arebetter for frying) – link here to products if you can’t be bothered to read the article
Baking/sweeter things
- Maple Syrup – link here
- Agave Nectar – link here (or sometimes I just use honey)
- Coconut sugar– link here (sometimes I just organic brown cane sugar)
- Dates – Medjool are my favourite but are more expensive and harder to find - link here
- Raisins/Sultanas – link here (I used to eat them in little boxes which remind me of when I was younger)
- Cocoa powder – link here
- Cocoa nibs – link here
Dried legumes and grains
- Black beans – link here
- Chickpeas – link here
- Quinoa – link here
- Brown pasta or maybe brown rice pasta – link here
- Brown rice
- Cous Cous – link here
- Rice noodles - theyr're quite easy to get but if you want something like Kelp noodles, you can get them from iHerb – link here
Nuts and nut butters
- Walnuts – link here
- Almonds – link here
- Cashews – link here
- Pecans – link here
- Peanut butter – link here
- Almond butter – link here
- Tahini – link here
Miscellaneous
- Chopped tomatoes (I prefer to buy these in a carton rather than in a tin as they taste better) – link here
- Tomato paste – link here– link here
- Apple cider vinegar – link here
- Balsamic vinegar – link here
- Soy sauce / Tamari – link here & here
- Canned coconut milk – link here
- Plant based cream (oat cream etc)
- Vegetable stock cubes (preferably organic and low in salt is better!) – link here
- Nutritional yeast – link here
This is great for a parmesan or cheese alternative. You would sprinkle it over food where you would normally sprinkle cheese. It is much lower in calories and is enriched with B12 vitamins, something which most of us don’t get enough of.
Fresher things to buy as and when
- Plant-based milk – e.g coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk etc
- Coconut yoghurt
- Olives
- Hummus
- Guacamole
- Miso pastes
If you’re serious about changing your diet to improve your mental health, or for whatever other reason, I think it’s essential to invest in a well-stocked cupboard, like the above.
As always, thanks for reading, lots of
love and have a great week!
Alice
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