Do you want to start eating healthier but you don’t know where to start or what to buy? Here’s a full list of ingredients you should always have at home!
Tips to Start Eating Healthier
Go for natural ingredients
Try to buy good ingredients, preferably biological and without GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms).
In its right time
Buy seasonal fruits and vegetables. In this way, you can enjoy the full flavor of the food and are able to take better advantage of the quality/price ratio.
Too much isn’t always good
When you buy food, try to buy some things in bulk. In addition to being more economical and helping the environment by avoiding the packaging in plastic, you do not run the risk of buying food that can go bad.
What is local is good
Choose local markets instead of the big chains that only import food from abroad.
Good storing is essential
Keep some ingredients in glass jars (at home we recycle bottles of other products). It helps a lot in preserving, for example, dried fruits, oilseeds, leguminous plants, and even grains.
First Steps to Become Healthier
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Start by trying to replace, at least once a week, the main dish for lunch with a dish of grilled, sauteed or gratin vegetables. Gradually, increase the number of times;
- Try to include different fruits, vegetables and grains in your diet and slowly reduce the consumption of meat, eggs, milk and dairy products;
- Start consuming meat only every other day;
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Discover new ways to prepare different dishes and products. For example, vegan hamburgers, vegetable milks, protein pastes made from legumes, vegetable sauces for pasta. This prevents your food from being monotonous, tiring and colorless!
Things you Should Buy to Start Eating Healthier
Grains and Cereals
Brown, black and basmati rice
Millet
Quinoa
Buckwheat
Amaranth
Oat flakes
Corn for popcorn
Legumes (dried)
Azuki, white and black beans
Lentils
Chickpeas
Peas
Lupin beans
Green and Black Olives (with water, garlic, aromatic herbs and unsalted)
For Sweets
Date jelly
Coconut jelly
Chocolate (min. 75%)
Cocoa powder (light)
Agar-agar powder
Sodium bicarbonate
Baking powder
Vanilla (pod and powder)
Flours
Whole Wheat Flour
Rice Flour
Corn Flour
Coconut Flour
Teff Flour
Cassava Flour
Chickpeas Flour
Seeds
Sunflower
Linseed/ Flaxseed
Pumpkin
Chia
Sesame
Poppy
Hemp
Dry Fruits
Dates
Sultanas
Blueberries
Cranberries
Apricots
Figs
Goji
Coconut Shavings
Oilseeds
Almonds
Hazelnuts
Macadamia
Walnuts
Pecan
Brazil nut
Sources of Fat, Oils, and Vinegars
Extra virgin olive oil
Coconut oil
Sesame oil
Chia oil
Linseed oil
Various oil pastes (peanut butter, almond butter, sesame butter, hazelnut butter, walnut butter, and cashew butter)
Cider vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
Seasonings
Coconut aminos (vegetable sauce rich in amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, soy sauce style, gluten-free, lactose-free and sodium-free)
Tamari sauce (soy sauce, without wheat)
Tomato Sauce
Himalayan pink salt
Nutritional yeast
Spices
Black pepper (grains)
Pink pepper (grains)
Paprika
Cayenne pepper
Curry
Garlic powder
Cumin
Nutmeg
Turmeric (root)
Ginger (root and powder)
Cinnamon (stick and powder)
Massala
Superfoods
I dedicated an entirely separate post about superfoods. You can read more about Spirulina, Chlorella, Black Maca, Camu-Camu, Lucuma, Raw cocoa, Wheatgrass, Baobab, Acai, Moringa, Matcha, Dried seaweed (wakame) and Vegetable protein (rice, hemp, and peas) here.
Aromatic Herbs
Oregano
Chives
Parsley
Thyme
Rosemary
Marjoram
Basil
Mint
In the Fridge
Plant milks (almond, oat, coconut, rice, hazelnut)
Coconut and rice cream
Tofu of all kinds (smoked, with seaweed, creamy, and simple)
Fresh mushrooms
Vegan cheeses
Coconut yogurts
Jams
Spices like dijon mustard and cashew mayonnaise
Seasonal vegetables and vegetables of all colors (only those that need refrigeration or that are cut in portions)
Outside the Fridge
Onions
Shallots
Garlic
Leeks
Roots (ginger, turmeric, beet, sweet potato, turnip, carrots, and cassava)
Seasonal fruits (bananas, apples, citrus fruits, etc.)
Seasonal vegetables and vegetables of all colors (fresh herbs, zucchini, pumpkin, peppers, etc.)
In the Freezer
Pre-cooked legumes
Fruits
Vegan hamburgers and croquettes
Teas
Of all kinds, in dried herbs or ecological sachets