A nutritionist shares her must-have pantry staples

Healthy eating and cooking can be a very quick and simple task, but, only if you have the right recipes and ingredients on hand! A well-stocked pantry is key.

Having healthy staple items stocked in your pantry will ensure you can make quick, healthy and tasty meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, especially at this time when we’re all spending far more time at home!

As a small business owner, I have always worked from home, so not only having the right ingredients to help keep me nourished but also keep me focused is a must. I have a few essential rules that I follow to help me stay focused throughout the day. 

1. Stay away from sugar! By sugar, I mean refined sugar (not the sugar in fruit). Sugary treats and snacks cause a quick high, followed by a resulting drop in your blood sugar. This drop in blood sugar causes brain fog and reduced mental focus. Ditch the cookies, chocolate and lollies and opt for wholefoods.
2. Caffeine is your friend. Caffeine has been scientifically proven to improve attention, alertness and focus. I am obsessed with Before You Speak coffee and have 2 per day before 12.00pm. I have found that they keep my focus steady and stable too, due to a few extra ingredients that slow down the release of caffeine into your body such as MCT’s.
3. Eat a rich source of protein such as eggs, a good quality protein powder, chicken, beef, lamb, tuna or tofu with each main meal. This is the most satiating macronutrient and causes stable blood sugars and feelings of fullness for a long time, which, in turn, results in stable energy and focus and less chance of snacking (ie on sugar like point 1!).  

Here are my must-have pantry staples, then, all you need is your fresh veg and protein and recipe for inspo!

Fridge / freezer

• Free-range eggs
• Unsweetened almond or coconut milk
• Unsweetened coconut yoghurt or plain, greek yoghurt 
• Organic butter
• White miso paste
• Low sugar red curry paste 
• Hummus 
• Frozen blueberries, raspberries and strawberries
• Boxes of frozen spinach
• A loaf of healthy bread (the grainier the better and GF if you’re GF) 

Pantry

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Beforeyouspeak Coffee
• Coconut oil
• Sesame oil
• MCT oil
• Almonds or your favourite nuts and seeds
• Chia seeds
• Hemp seeds
• Almond meal
• Coconut flour
• Tahini or nut butter 
• 85-90% cocoa dark chocolate 
• A good quality protein powder 
• Stevia or sweetener of choice (xylitol and erythritol and also safe, zero-calorie sweeteners) 
• Tamari/ gluten-free soy sauce
• White wine vinegar
• Cans of light coconut milk and cream 
• Jars of crushed tomatoes
• Jars of 100% tomato sugo 
• Boxes of legume pasta (I love Slendier and Eco Organics)
• Cans of tuna
• A variety of dried herbs
• Garlic powder and onion powder for flavour when you’re lazy!

Bec Miller

Qualified Clinical Nutritionist

As a Qualified Clinical Nutritionist, Bec Miller (BcSNutr.), founder of Health with Bec, specialises in weight loss and can provide expert commentary on a range of food, nutrition and health related topics.

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