Pantry Staples: My Favorite Healthier Swaps
From a girl who follows a gluten, lactose, and refined sugar-free diet to treat chronic inflammation.
Over the past five years, I’ve had to navigate medical diets for epilepsy, dietary restrictions, food intolerances, gut health imbalances, and celiac disease. Throughout all of these complications, I’ve learned about many delicious cleaner-ingredient food brands that love your body right back.
By saying “cleaner” or “healthier”, I simply mean free of gluten, lactose, highly processed refined sugar, additives, and ingredients that can be inflammatory. To preface, I’ve had epilepsy for about six years now and learning to eat a certain way that is anti-inflammatory has made drastic changes to the frequency of my seizures. It has taken me quite some time to find all of these incredible brands, so I thought: why not compile a list of my absolute favorites to share them with you all? Below, you’ll find everything from snacks to pantry staples to always have on hand.
Pantry Staples: Baking Goods
Bob’s red mill: gluten free flours, starches, oats, seeds, etc.
King Arthur: gluten free flour blends and mixes (I use their all-purpose or measure for measure when making homemade bread or flatbreads-it works beautifully)
Simple Mills: gluten free baking mixes for breads and desserts (I also love their pancake mixes)
Hu Chocolate: their chocolate chips/gems/bars are great for baking and sweetened with coconut sugar!
Truvani: their protein powder is the only protein I’ve found that doesn’t irritate my gut. Most other protein powders cause upset stomach and bloating for me. I love the vanilla flavor and I add the plain unsweetened powder to my yogurt bowls! They also have a grass-fed and marine collagen that I use every day as well.
Primal Kitchen: for all sauce and cooking oil needs
Artisana Organics: their nut butters, coconut butter, and tahini are all staples in my pantry. Highly recommend trying them out.
Chosen Foods: love their avocado oil and cooking fats for higher heat cooking!
Gettin’ Snacky:
Siete: great option for chips + snacks, sauces, taco shells/tortillas (they even have burrito size), and taco seasoning packets! Most of their products are sweetened with dates which is great.
Simple Mills: again, great for crackers/pita crackers, snacks, and they have a great Oreo dupe: their nut butter stuffed sandwich cookies are delicious (and sweetened with coconut sugar!)
Lesser Evil: any and all of their popcorns are incredible.. I’m a big fan of the Himalayan gold, as well as the pumpkin spice, which is available in the fall!
Purely Elizabeth: for granola that is sweetened with coconut sugar
Big Spoon Roasters: my all time favorite nut butters. Most of them are sweetened with honey or maple syrup and they have delicious flavor options: my favorites are the maple cinnamon and toasted coconut.
Lark Ellen Farm: the best sprouted nuts and granola’s! I prefer this granola as it is 100% organic, using sprouted nuts (more nutritious and easier to digest than conventional nuts), and sweetened with maple syrup rather than coconut or cane sugar.
High-Protein:
RXbars: great for on the go and they use egg whites for the protein which I find is easier on my stomach than some of the other processed proteins
The New Primal: love their grass-fed beef and turkey sticks (better than chomps, imo)
Sweet Treat O’ Clock:
Honey Mama’s: I’m currently addicted to these chocolate truffle bars- they have the BEST ingredients (literally just a handful of super high-quality, good for you ingredients) but they taste so decadent and always satisfy my sweet tooth. My favorite is the chocolate cake inspired bar… I made my friend try it and her exact words were: “this is the best thing I’ve ever eaten”
Hu Chocolate: another one of my go-to sweet treats, I’ll put a couple squares of dark chocolate in a couple of dates filled with coconut or peanut butter. SO GOOD!
Ice Cream for Bears: if you can have dairy, this ice cream brand is sweetened with honey and is the best tasting ice cream ever. It is SO creamy and delicious!
Cado Ice Cream: my favorite dairy-free ice cream, made from avocado and sweetened with organic cane sugar.
Refrigerated:
Three Trees: incredible milk alternatives! I use their almond and pistachio milks in my coffee and smoothies, they’re delicious and super creamy as opposed to some other dairy-free milks that can be watered down.
Cocoyo: I eat this yogurt EVERY MORNING- it’s packed full of gut-healthy probiotics and is sweetened with stevia (they also offer an unsweetened version). Its definitely my favorite dairy-free yogurt I’ve tried (and I’ve tried a LOT).
Hummus Goodness: My favorite hummus, made with olive oil and just a few other simple ingredients. It’s the second best option to homemade.
AWG bakery: grain and gluten-free bread products! They have seeds in their breads as well which is incredible for the health benefits :)
Save this post to add things to your next grocery list, and enjoy! <3