Returning To The Old Ways - Pantry Staples & Resources

I think a good place to start living in the "Blue Zone" of life is a cookbook that helps you get jump started into the clean-eating lifestyle. Loving ourselves and those we cook for is a huge part of my walk, although I don't have many people to cook for lately. My only roommate, my ultra picky teenage daughter, isn't a huge fan of the Pescatarian/Mediterranean-inspired diet I've chosen to adopt. But, she does love a good Korean or Asian inspired meal, and the "Eat Your Heart Out" cookbook by Daphne Oz has plenty of those recipes.

I've tried many cookbooks geared towards veganism and fighting inflammation/allergies, from Alicia Silverstone's "The Kind Diet" to Erin McKenna's "Babycakes." The only things in The Kind Diet that really spoke to me were the peanut butter cups and brown rice treats. Her savory meals were not my favorite, but to be fair, it was written over 15-years ago and the options are better now.

Babycakes has fantastic gluten-free, dairy-free bakery recipes. For example, the cornbread is a must. But, it's hard to make some of her recipes because they require having a lot of ingredients on hand that go bad quickly. Gluten free foods also don't have a long shelf life. So, it's best to make small batches and wait to cook those favorite recipes when there's going to be some other people around to help you eat it. There are also many gluten-free bread mixes and cake mixes now available on grocery store shelves. I will give a shout-out to her icing recipe in the cookbook. I really love her icing and flavor combos.

From the first time I saw Daphne Oz on The Food Network television show, Chopped, I thought she was the most beautiful, vibrant, healthy woman I'd ever laid my eyes on. She has the healthiest skin, hair and nails, with very clear, bright eyes. She looks like she's wearing a camera filter, but she's not. She's just that dang pretty. I instantly thought, "I'll have what she's having!"

Daphne's Eat Your Heart Out cookbook is the best book I've found on the kind of diet talked about in the Netflix documentary, "Live to 100: Secret of the Blue Zones." You can read more about that subject matter in my previous blog.The recipes are delicious, and most can be served to young children. Daphne has four, if I'm not mistaken.

To get started towards cooking her recipes, and living a more clean centenarian lifestyle, you have to throw out all white flour, white sugar and processed foods from your pantry, fridge and freezer. Next, you'll want to begin stocking your pantry with the following items. I admit, as a cash-strapped single mom, it will be quite a while before I can have a pantry stocked like this, but I've been starting small and will build as I go...

MEATS/PROTEINS:

• Fish ... think Tuna, Halibut, Cod, Salmon, Anchovies ... both fresh, frozen and those packed in water (try to find fish from fresh water sources, not farm raised)

• Organic Chicken ... whole or ground (I prefer boneless breast and thighs, but Daphne does include legs)

• Shrimp (can be frozen)

• Ground turkey, bison and deer

• Tofu

• Organic Eggs

• Chicken sausage

VEGGIES/PROTEINS:

• All of them, buying fresh weekly as you meal plan using recipes from cookbook

• Use Purple Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes as often as possible

• Canned beans: white, black, cannellini, pinto

• Sicilian green olives

• Pickes and other pickled vegetables

• Capers

• Frozen veggie spirals or cauliflower rice

• Freeze spinach into cubes (ice tray molds, Ziplocs)

• Freeze herbs into cubes (ice tray molds, Ziplocs) ... mint, parsley, dill, basil, oragano, thyme, rosemary & cilantro

• Freeze chopped onion & bell peppers for easy access

• Ginger, chopped, grated & frozen into cubes

• Cook with combo of fresh corn, black beans & squash as often as possible ... excellent source of protein and 9 amino acids when combined together

FRUITS:

• Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, bananas, mangos, pears, apples, etc.

• Dried apricots

• Golden raisins

• Prunes

• Dates

• Lemon & Limes, juices

BREADS/FLOURS/SUGARS:

• Sourdough Starter Bread ... homemade (excellent for digestion)

• Grain-free pastas

• Rice Noodles

• Gluten-free graham crackers or crumbs

• Almond flour

• Oat flour

• Tapioca flour

• Gluten Free Rolled Oats

• Quinoa

• Chickpea Flour

• Coconut Sugar

• Gluten Free frozen pie crusts, crepes or bagels

• Gluten free, grain free chips

• Millet

• Hemp or pea protein powder

• Nutritional Yeast

NUTS/SEEDS/GRAINS:

• Almond, Peanut, Cashew Butters

• Raw almonds, peanuts, cashews, pastacios, pecans, pine, etc

• Chai seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds (whole & ground), sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, sunflower

• Rice, Black Forbidden Rice

• Quinoa

• Dried lentils, preferably french green lentils

CONDIMENTS & SOUP BASES:

• Miso Soup Broth Base

• Vegetable & Chicken Broth, organic

• Brown Rice Syrup

• Shoyu

• Garlic, minced in refrigerated tubes

• Coconut Oil

• Grapeseed Oil

• Olive Oil

• Sesame Oil

• Miso Paste

• Date Syrup (can be made at home using dates ... recipe in cookbook)

• Vanilla extract / vanilla beans

• Maple Syrup

• Local, non-pasturized honey

• Tahini

• Rice Vinegar

• Apple Cider Vinegar

• Dijon Mustard

• Tamari

• Tomato Paste

• Vegan Mayonnaise

SPICES:

• Mustard Seeds

• English Mustard Powder

• Nutmeg

• Cinnamon

• Cardemom

• Cocoa powder

• Coriander, ground

• Red chili flakes

• Za'atar

• Harissa

• Cayenne Pepper

• Adobo

• Garam Masala

• Chili Powder

• Cumin

• Paprika

• Sweet Paprika

• Sea Salt

• Course Ground Black Pepper

DAIRY ALTERNATIVES:

• Almond Milk, Oat Milk, Cashew Milk (oat milk is easy to make at home, recipe in book)

• Vegan Feta Cheese

• Coconut milks ... from condensed, light, heavy & full-fat cremes

DAIRY ALLOWED:

• Goat Milk or Sheep Milk Yogurts & Cheeses, such as Sheep's Milk Ricotta Cheese

• Manchego Cheese

• Dark chocolate baking bars or chips

• Kefir

• Goat Cheeses

• Pecorino Romano Cheese

DRINKS & COOKING WINES:

• White Wine

• Medicinal Greek Wine, or wines you can buy from small, locally sourced Greek or Italian vineyards (the soil & nutrients the grapes get there are unique and cause the wine to be packed with supplements, vitamins and minerals your body needs)

• Sparkling Waters

MISC. STAPLES I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT:

• Ka'chava shake mixes (you can also use these to make the most delicious shakes and ice creams)

• Miss Jones Monster Cookie Mix

• Ezekiel breads and tortillas (must be kept in freezer or fridge)

• Nature's Path cornflakes and rice cereals

• Ezekiel cereals

• Amy's Organics ... canned chili, soups, mac'n'cheese, frozen pizzas, frozen burritos and frozen meals for when I don't have time to cook (lots of dairy free, gluten free options)

• Nori Sheets

• Herbal hot teas, I prefer Harney & Sons brand

• Organic coffees, or Gevalia brand coffees ... they seems to be the only one that doesn't hurt my stomach

Finding some of these ingredients can be daunting.

I recommend searching the following...

• Walmart for basic staples... you'll save a small fortune in the long run

• Thrive Market online

• Amazon Marketplace online

• Fresh Market

• Kroger

• Publix has a great selection, and sometimes on a Saturday morning I can find my favorite cereals and other organic/gluten free items 75% off in their "clearance" section of the store

Happy shopping & cooking! 3 months from now you're going to feel amazing. A year from now you're going to look amazing!