Keto pantry essentials
I would have loved this keto pantry essentials list when I started keto
Some Keto pantry essentials are necessary to succeed in living a ketogenic life. Here is a list of useful items you should have in your pantry…
Almond flour
This is keto-essential for any baking. Almond flour is rich in vitamins and minerals and provides the most calcium compared to any other nut. A serving (30 grams) of almond flour has around 160 calories, 6 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fibres.
Erythritol / Monkfruit/Xylitol /Stevia
There is a misconception that sugar, honey or maple syrup are better because they are natural. However, these are all forms of sugar and will raise your blood sugar.
The sweeteners we use are natural but without the negative effects of sugar. For example, stevia is the most common sweetener used in low carb and sugar-free baking. It has been used for centuries from the stevia plant leaves and does not raise blood sugars.
Monk fruit sweetener is a natural, zero-calorie sweetener. It is high in unique antioxidants called mogrosides, making it 100–250 times sweeter than regular sugar.
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol used as a low-calorie sweetener. It provides only about 6% of the calories found in an equal amount of sugar.
Xylitol is a naturally occurring alcohol found in most plant material, including many fruits and vegetables.
Try all of the sweeteners, and in a while, you will discover which one works best for you. We are all on a sugar-free journey, but one person’s sweet tooth may be completely different to another, depending on how long you have been sugar-free. As time goes on, you will begin to use less and less. The aim is to use the minimum to reduce our sweet cravings.
Coconut flour
Allergic to nuts? Coconut flour is another great option. It can often be lower in price and is also lower in carbohydrate content. An important feature to realize when using coconut flour is that it needs a lot more moisture when baking. I personally prefer coconut flour for various reasons.
Coconut oil
Are you still cooking with vegetable oil? It’s time to switch to coconut oil! Coconut oil has many nutritional benefits and is packed with healthy fats.
To understand healthy fat and unhealthy fat, read our posts about coconut and our post about healthy fats.
Coconut cream
Coconut cream is different from coconut milk in that it contains less water and more coconut oil, so it has a thicker texture. It is generally under 4% carbs and over 20% fat. Coconut cream is a high-fat cream that helps thicken sauces and dips.
Coconut butter
By now, you know all of the benefits of coconuts! Stock your pantry up with coconut butter, oil, and cream.
Coconut butter can be a nice snack by the teaspoon to keep you going until the next mealtime.
Extra virgin olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil is wonderful to use almost everywhere. It has minimal processing and tastes amazing.
Avocado oil
Avocado oil is amazing. I use it liberally over salads. It is a perfect healthy oil to have in your Keto pantry when avocados are not in season and suddenly the price sky-rockets.
Cacao nibs
Cacao nibs are an easy and perfect substitute for chocolate chips. Many sugar-free chocolate chips on the market now have very questionable sweeteners in them. Go for cacao nibs instead and taste the difference. They are packed with flavour, a little bitter, but great to snack on and for baking.
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Perfect for adding into your baking, smoothies, coffee and more! Remember always to check the nutrition label as many cocoa powders are actually sweetened. You want to buy the unsweetened variety that is intended for baking.
Once you find good unsweetened cocoa, stick with it. It truly does make a huge difference to chocolate keto-baking.
Macadamia nuts
A healthy snack option full of nutrition! Macadamia nuts are packed with healthy fats, which helps keep you fuller for longer.
Walnuts
Delicious, mega healthy nut, low in carbs. Try them as topping for your salad or bake our delicious Walnut Power bread!
Pecan nuts
A healthy snack option full of nutrition! You can use these in our Keto Lemon& pecan cookies.
Mixed Nuts
Looking for a quick snack? Always have some nuts and seeds readily available. They are also perfect for on-the-go. Watch out for peanuts and cashews; they are higher in carbs.
Herbs and spices
Mix up the herbs and spices you use, and never have a bland dinner again. Trying new combinations can help bring any dinner dish to life. I like to use a variety of spices in my dinners.
Vanilla
A must-have in any pantry! Vanilla is also the secret to masking the subtle flavour that coconut flour sometimes imparts.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon has long been used to make food taste better and for home remedies and medicinal purposes. With only six calories per teaspoon, cinnamon is an excellent guilt-free addition to many Keto-dishes and drinks. It may also help to lower your blood sugar and boost your memory. Now is the time to bake these delicious Cinnamon knots! Or maybe you like a Keto Chocolate & Avocado Mousse as a dessert?
In our recipes, you can either use ground cinnamon or cinnamon essential oil.
Flaxseeds & Linseeds
These seeds are another pantry staple that contains loads of healthy fats. They are a great bulking agent in our Keto Granola.
Chia seeds
Eating chia seeds is perhaps the easiest way to get omega-3 fatty acids, which are super important to brain health. A single one-ounce serving contains 5 grams of omega-3’s.
Get your chia seeds a little wet, and you’ll see them turn into a kind of gel. This is the soluble fibre going to work. Soluble fibre bulks up stool, feeds friendly bacteria in the gut and helps slow digestion to make you feel satisfied. It also helps manage blood sugar. A serving of chia seeds provides a third of your daily fibre.
Back off, osteoporosis! Chia seeds are friends to those with bone issues, thanks to their high calcium, phosphorus, and manganese content.
We looooove chia seeds and thus use them in many of our recipes :
Keto waffles, keto bread, Multi-purpose-keto-waffles
Psyllium Husk
Many of you will not know what psyllium husk is as it is not as common as almond flour in the keto diet. However, it is just as valuable as an alternative to all-purpose flour when cooking or baking and contains many health benefits. Psyllium is packed with fibre and is often used as a colon cleanser as it soaks up water in the gut and helps with regular bowel movements. Including it in your diet can help promote better digestive health and reduce constipation and flatulence. It can also help maintain your gut and keep it healthy due to its prebiotic properties and boost your immune system. Research has found that it can also benefit heart health and the pancreas.
Tomato paste
Tomato paste is concentrated so that you can use a small amount. This is a much better option than using a sugar-laden sauce. When I make my keto pizza, I sometimes use tomato paste(when I don’t have time to make our delicious fresh tomato sauce) on the base before adding any toppings. It gives a nice tomato punch of flavour, but without the high carb count.
Canned Fish
Canned fish is a great option for when you are on the go. It is full of healthy fats and packed with protein. Make sure to choose ones packed in olive oil or water to avoid seed oils such as canola oil, sunflower oil or rice bran oil.
Nut kinds of butter
Is there any better combination than celery and nut butter? Spread any nut butter over vegetable slices, add a sprinkling of salt, and you’ve got a tasty filling treat.
Watch out for peanut butter because this butter is higher in carbs than Almond nut butter, Macadamia nut butter or Tahini.
Beef fat or tallow
As a saturated animal fat, beef tallow almost looks like a hybrid of coconut oil and butter but with a dry, waxy texture. It’s generally made from cattle fat but can come from any animal, except pork — pork tallow is called lard. So, tallow is basically cow lard. When consuming beef fat, make sure your animal was grass-fed!
This Fat is rich in CLA(conjugated linolic acid), a fatty acid that can help burn fat. It also promotes skin health and boosts your immune system because you will absorb your fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K in a more effective way.
You can buy beef tallow in the store or check out our beef tallow recipe 😉.
Bone Broth
We are saving the best essentials for last. Chicken or bone broth are essentials in your keto kitchen.
An ancient, traditional food, bone broth is praised for its health benefits. Many trained chefs and Michelin Star restaurants even use it as a base for fine cuisines. It’s extremely healthy, delicious and turns many dishes into a real treat! The broth is one of the superfoods that you will certainly learn to appreciate. It is full of health benefits for your body, wellness, and beauty. It is full of collagen, minerals, vitamins, and healthy fats. The prime benefit is that it restores your gut health.
You can make your own broth using Chicken, fish, beef, lamb,..whatever taste you prefer. I especially love chicken broth, while our Holisticdelsol partner, Sandra Bloom, prefers a classic mixed bone broth. When you do not like to make it yourself, you can also buy a ready to consume bone broth.
Himalayan salt
Himalayan salt is the pink eye candy of the salt aisle. You may find it sold in beautiful, marbled pink slabs, though it’s also found in salt grinders and canisters. It’s mined in the Himalayans, and the colour is said to be due to the mineral content, which may include copper, magnesium, potassium, and others.
Himalayan salt is our favourite salt because :
- Himalayan salt contains the highest proportion of natural minerals. Making it many times better than normal table salt. It contains 84 building blocks in minerals and traces elements with calcium, magnesium, iron, and sulfur.
- It is one of the purest salts, pink in colour and has been used for thousands of years because of its medicinal qualities.
- As the name suggests, Himalayan salt comes from the mountains, and these are considered to be one of the purest sources on the planet. It is millions of years old and generally free of toxins, which you will find in sea salt.
- It has a perfect crystal structure. It is a natural mineral salt from the Himalayas that our cells can completely absorb due to its unique crystal structure, formed under exceptional conditions.
There are two varieties of Himalayan salt: fine or coarse. You can use them both.
Himalayan salt is good for you in your regular meals, but you can also add it to warm water or bone broth before starting physical training.
Konjac pasta
This last essential is one of my favourite add-ins when I am hungry or feel like having a pasta dish.
The konjac plant has a starchy root called a corm, high in a dietary fibre called glucomannan. This is the part of the plant used as a dietary supplement to make high-fibre flour and jellies..and pasta. Yaaaay!
Konjac has several health benefits, such as weight loss, regulates blood sugar & cholesterol, prevents constipation, promotes healthy skin and wound healing.
A lot of reasons to put a little keto-pasta on the menu now and then 😉
So there you have it! Many Keto pantry essentials. All of these are nutrition-packed and perfect for starting your Ketogenic life.
Good luck!
Love,
Ketocosmo
