SWEETENERS AND OILS
Honey
Agave nectar
Maple syrup
Raw sugar*
Olive oil
Canola oil
CANNED GOODS
Low-sodium canned beans: white (cannellini), red kidney, black
Canned vegetables: hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, whole/peeled and crushed tomatoes
Low-sodium chicken broth
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Peanut butter
WHOLE GRAINS AND PASTA
Farro
Quinoa
Instant oats
Steel-cut oats
Whole grain brown rice
Whole wheat panko bread crumbs
Whole wheat flour
Whole wheat pastry flour
Wheat germ
100 percent whole wheat pasta
100 percent whole wheat wraps
SEASONINGS, BAKING INGREDIENTS, AND MORE
Sea salt**
Reduced-sodium soy sauce
Dried herbs and spices: basil, dill, mustard powder, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, allspice
Pure vanilla extract
Baking powder
Baking soda
Dark chocolate: bars, chips . . . any form, but keep it dark
Dried fruits: apricots, cranberries, blueberries, raisins, etc.
Raw nuts: pecans, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, cashews
White tuna (packed in water)
Popcorn kernels
Unsweetened applesauce
*RAW SUGAR: Throughout the recipes here, I often make use of raw sugar—sometimes called “natural cane sugar” or “turbinado sugar”—as opposed to regular white table sugar. The latter is bleached and stripped of any trace nutrients present within the sugar cane, while the former is a more natural, wholesome choice. While it’s calorically equivalent to regular sugar, it’s a step in the right direction and has a crystalline texture and amber color, distinguishing it from its typical white counterpart. You can find it shelved alongside regular sugar. It sweetens, dissolves, and cooks up just like ordinary sugar, but it’s a better choice.
**SEA SALT: Sea salt, as its apropos name suggests, is sourced from the sea. The process of harvesting it involves allowing the water to evaporate, leaving behind the salt along with trace minerals that can lend it unique tastes or hues. Besides the natural origins of sea salt, there are other benefits to keeping a jar in your pantry. First: It’s inexpensive and you can find it in just about every supermarket (hooray!). Second: It doesn’t contain any additives or anti-caking agents like table salt does. Third: While there are varying textures and types of sea salt (coarse, fine, and others), many types’ rough textures make this salt a great choice for sprinkling onto or garnishing certain foods for a final flourish before serving. While there are a multitude of sea salts available today—some even come in vivid colors, like pink, black, or green (!)—for everyday cooking and the recipes that call for salt in this book, I recommend keeping a bottle of standard fine-grained sea salt on hand.
