Have you heard the saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”? This is certainly true in many life circumstances, but when you’re talking about drastically changing the way you eat in order to manage your health, this is truer than ever.

If you would like to keep a chronic health condition under control with functional medicine principles (diet, exercise, stress management, sleep, supportive relationships) then you need to know going in that it is a life-long commitment. This doesn’t mean you have to start at 100% and go full steam ahead all the time. There are ways to ease into this lifestyle, and ways to take little breaks, but one thing I would heartily recommend doing sooner rather than later is cleaning all the junk out of your fridge and pantry and stocking it full of acceptable foods and ingredients.

You are, after all, going to need to continue to eat and if the food you’re eating is’t very tasty or satisfying, your likelihood of sticking with the plan long term is greatly reduced. And if you have foods readily available that aren’t serving you and your health goals, then you’ll be much more likely to eat them!

Let’s get right to the nitty gritty of what to toss and what to acquire.

Tips for cleaning out: If you have unopened products that can be donated, set those aside in a separate pile. Anything else -just feed to your garbage can. Try not to worry about being wasteful. You are saving your health and money in the long run on medical costs.

We’re working within the Paleo framework, so that eliminates all grains, all dairy, all legumes, inflammatory oils and refined sugars. That’s a very short list, but the detailed list is long. You will need to read your ingredient labels and be ruthless. Besides the paleo basics, don’t forget to look for nitrates, nitrites, carrageenan, xanthan gum, MSG and other words you don’t recognize. Paleo is a whole foods diet. Ideally, nothing would even have an ingredient label, but we are living in the real world and I recognize that some convenience foods are a must for most busy families. In my chart below you will see options for some compromises.

Some specifics to look for as you’re cleaning out:

• anything with gluten: think packaged crackers, cookies, pasta, baking mixes, flour, candy (Twizzlers, I’m looking at you with your unexpected wheat), when in doubt, throw it out – getting rid of gluten is your top priority here. If you feel like you can’t make a clean sweep of all grains all at once, start with gluten.
• processed sugar: the granular and powdered stuff you used to bake with, artificial sweeteners besides stevia and monk fruit (and only use these sparingly), jams, jellies, sugary sauces, candy, ice cream, soda, most juices
• highly processed vegetable oils: canola, sunflower, vegetable, corn, peanut, vegetable shortening
• all grains – yes, corn is a grain, not a vegetable. Corn is generally very high is pesticides and is generally a genetically modified food, and very inflammatory to many people so it’s a good idea to eliminate it initially. I do list white rice as a “bonus” pantry staple below because many people tolerate this one particular grain very well, but strict Paleo says no grains at all.

Please note that these are not complete lists. When in doubt, throw it out. Or snap a picture, send me an email and ask! elizabeth@autoimmunefreecookingclub.com I’m happy to help!

I know that at the beginning of my paleo journey, I felt like I couldn’t eat anything. In reality, I couldn’t eat much of anything in a package, but I could eat lots and lots of other things. It was eye-opening to someone who thought they had a healthy diet before to realize how many packaged and highly processed foods I was actually consuming.

I started by eating lots of simple meats and vegetables. Lots of salads. Lots of fresh fruit and nuts for snacks. But that got boring pretty fast.

So I got creative with recipe development and that’s how I have hundreds of paleo recipes now on this website. Everything from pizza dishes to chicken pot pie, soups, stews and fried chicken. We can eat really, really well and leave all those junk ingredients in the dust! It may not seem like it in the beginning, but trust me, you have lots of choices and your food does not need to be boring, but you do need to set yourself up for success.

Now, for what to add to your pantry, fridge and freezer….having these ingredients and foods available will give you the raw materials necessary to make satisfying, healthy meals and snacks. Under the heading “necessary” you will find the foods I would not be able to cook regularly without. Under the “bonus” heading you will find additional foods and ingredients that are nice to have around for variety, but not absolutely necessary. Of course, this is highly subjective, but I have been cooking this way for many years and I know what my must-haves are. When I get a craving for chocolate chip cookies, I want to make my paleo version, but if I have to run to the store to get all the ingredients, I’m much more likely to opt for a packaged version instead that will be high in refined sugar, gluten free grains and gums. I’m not suggesting that we have chocolate chip cookie emergencies very often, but it does happen on occasion and I like to be prepared – and I want you to be prepared too. 😉

Setting up your kitchen

Category

Necessary

Bonus

Flours

almond flour, coconut flour and arrowroot

tapioca starch, tiger nut flour, cassava flour

Canned and Boxed Goods

coconut milk, organic tomato products, wild caught fish (tuna, salmon, sardines), pumpkin puree, salsa (check ingredients), bone broths (I prefer Pacific brand)

canned fruits and vegetables, all fruit preserves, gluten free pasta, white rice

Oils and Fats

olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, palm shortening, coconut oil, reserved fat from good quality bacon

sesame oil, nut oils, lard

Vinegars, Spices and Seasonings

Balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar (raw with the mother), herbs and spices you like best (fresh and or dried)

Spice blends: Primal Palate brand or Balanced Bites are both very good. I have a few recipes on my website as well: Cajun Blend and Ranch Blend; additional vinegars such as rice wine, champagne, red wine, etc.

Sweeteners

honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, pitted dates

coconut nectar, stevia, blackstrap molasses, date paste, monk fruit

Snacks (I know we all like snacks, but the truth is that if you are eating nourishing meals, you shouldn’t need to snack often so this list can be short.)

raw nuts, dried fruit, beef jerky (I like Chomps sticks. There are many good brands, but be sure to read the label for unwanted additives.), nut butters, plantain chips if you need something crunchy/salty, avocados

paleo granola bars (Good brands: Purely Elizabeth, That’s it fruit bars, some flavors of Lara Bars, Thunderbird)

Staples for your fridge

lots of fresh fruits and vegetables (the more variety the better),  grass-fed, pastured meats, wild caught fish and shellfish, eggs (pastured are best) coconut aminos, fish sauce, mayonnaise made from good oils (see my recipe)  mustards, Frank’s Red Hot sauce, pickles, sauerkraut, almond milk, high quality bacon

dairy free yogurts, preservative free deli meats, grass-fed aged cheeses if you tolerate dairy (cheddar and Parmesan are particularly well tolerated)

Baking Staples, other than flours

cocoa powder, coconut flakes, dates, aluminum free baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, pure vanilla extract, essential oils such as peppermint, lemon and orange

good quality dark chocolate (my favorite for baking is Enjoy Life)

Freezer Foods

Vegetables: my favorites are cauliflower rice, broccoli florets, and cut okra; bone broth (homemade is best); gluten free convenience foods: Bell and Evans chicken nuggets and tenders, Dr. Praegers Gluten free fish sticks, Cappello’s Gluten free pizzas

There are so many gluten free frozen convenience foods, but most are full of refined, inflammatory oils and other junk so just read your labels carefully and make an informed decision that you are going to go “off plan” occasionally. Remember, there is good, better and best. You don’t always have to fall into the best category with your food choices.

And there you have it! What I consider to be the necessary foods and ingredients for successful Paleo cooking and eating.

For lots of recipe inspiration, check out my What is Paleo post where I recommend specific authors and bloggers I trust for good recipes and accurate information. I also have around 20 or so free recipes on this website. You can subscribe FOR FREE for access. Or if you want access to all of my tried and true recipes, hundreds of them, you can subscribe to my recipes only membership.