Fridge & Pantry Staples!

Food budgets & my neurotic grocery store tendencies

Stocking your kitchen with wholesome, nutrient-rich foods makes healthy eating feel effortless. When your pantry and fridge are filled with simple, versatile ingredients, it’s easier to create meals that fuel your body and bring joy to the table. Think fresh produce, quality proteins, nourishing grains, and flavor packed condiments that support both wellness and flavor. Here is a list of what I personally always have in my kitchen. How I grocery shop goes like this:

Once a month, we hit up Costco as a family. You know you’re 30 when you wake up on Sunday morning excited for a Costco haul. They have a ton of organic and healthy options in bulk. Our staples? Dates, organic almond butter, kerrygold butter, organic onions, coconut water, nuts, snacks for Rowan’s preschool lunch. We walk away spending about $200 and it feels like a LOT of food. I hit up Whole Foods more than I’d like, and walk away feeling a little ripped off but also stoked on my pathetically expensive two bags of groceries. Rotisserie chicken, these Vista Hermosa tortillas, and Bellweather Farm sheep yogurt keep me coming back time after time. I’m no Bezos fan so I try to avoid the ol’ WFs as much as I can resist. Trader Joe’s is closer to our house so we will go for the weekly basics like eggs, kombucha, Gerolsteiner, fresh apple juice, goat milk, persian cucumbers, arugula, soy glazed tofu, goat gouda, and these vegan cheesy crackers. I wrote a whole ebook about shopping heathy at Trader Joe’s because it definitely is a struggle to find unprocessed food there to the untrained eye. I’d say we spend about $60-$100 a trip and go about once a week, which feels pretty reasonable.

Every couple of months, I place an order with Azure Standard—which kinda feels like a cult. Trust me, I'm not the only one who’s Googled it with suspicion. They do a monthly drop-off where you line up alongside doomsday preppers, cowboys, religious zealots, hippies, health food junkies. They call your name, chuck your box at you like some bizarre farm-to-table softball game, and off you go, feeling like you’ve truly earned that 10-pound bag of organic cashews. Thrilling, weird, and oddly satisfying.

I also hit up Grocery Outlet once in awhile because they have great prices on organic products (think cacao nibs, moringa powder, Olipops) — but it’s a hit or miss. I like to think of it as thrifting for food and it’s the thrill of the hunt for me, ha! It’s not on my rotation but it is fun to stop by once in awhile. I don’t like using Thrive market or Imperfect because it feels like more work to me to shop online, get a membership, etc. but I do know many people like it!

For produce, we always hit up our local farmstand once a week. Shop local and support farmers, y’all!

Healthy Fridge Staples List

Dairy, Protein & Eggs

• Goat milk (my son and I are both allergic to cow’s dairy, but love this as an alternative! I like it for baking.

• Goat gouda

• Homemade cashew milk

• Kerrygold butter

• Pasture-raised eggs

• Tofu

Condiments & Sauces

• Mayonnaise (Chosen or Primal Kitchen both make a good one. Costco is where I buy!)

• Soy sauce

• Salsa

• Coconut amino

• White miso

• Aardvark hot sauce (the most versatile hot sauce—perfect for eggs, sandwiches, and fries)

• Sriracha (I really like the yellow bird one!)

• Ketchup (Primal Kitchen for no added sugar)

• Dijon mustard

• Maple syrup

Fermented & Pickled Items

• Pickles

• Sauerkraut or pickled carrots

• Kimchi

Fresh Produce

• Snacking fruit (apples, berries, seasonal picks)

• Leafy greens (spinach, kale, arugula)

• Snacking veggies (cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers)

• Fresh herbs (parsley, basil, cilantro)

Smoothie Drawer

• Freshly ground flaxmeal

• Hemp seeds

• Cacao nibs

• Fresh ginger

• Brazil nuts (I only have 1-2 a day, so this keeps them fresh!)

Okay, now let’s head on over to the pantry. To read more, please consider being a paid subscriber for only $7!