Are you thinking about starting to eat Paleo, do a Whole30, or just eat cleaner, healthier, real food? If you’re going to change the way you eat, you’ll probably need to change the way you stock your kitchen. This can feel daunting, but I hope this list will help.

There are certain ingredients that I always keep on hand to make meals more doable. You know those articles in women’s magazines and blogs, where they show you eight articles of clothing that can be combined into 40 different outfits? This is the same principle! I’d guess that at least 90% of what I make for everyday meals can be accomplished with only these ingredients.

30 real-food ingredients to keep on hand to make healthy everyday meals more doable.

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Your list doesn’t need to match mine, of course, but hopefully this post will serve as inspiration. This list is mostly Paleo, almost Whole30 except for a couple items, and completely whole, real foods!

And be encouraged: once you look over this list, you’ll probably realize that you’re already well on your way to a well-stocked kitchen.

10 things I always have in the fridge:

1. Chopped onions. I chop up yellow onions a couple times a week, enough to last two or three days.

2. Eggs. Always enough for a couple days worth of breakfast, at least, plus a couple to spare.

3. Good quality hot dogs or fully cooked sausage. Quick, hearty lunch when heated up with some sauerkraut!

4. Already-baked sweet potato. Add to scrambled eggs, soup, salads, hash; top with pulled pork or other meat. Or spread with butter or bacon fat, salt and pepper; or mash with butter and cinnamon for a quick, nutritious side dish!

5. Already washed baby spinach. Beyond salad: chop and add to soup or eggs.

6. Maple syrup. For glazes, sauces, and salad dressings.

7. Condiments: tamari (gluten-free soy sauce), mustard, sriracha, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (or just a jar of adobo sauce), pickles

8. Full-fat coconut milk. A good sub, in many cases, for heavy cream. If you’re not avoiding dairy, stock real, unadulterated cream.

9. Lemon juice. I juice a couple fresh lemons once every week or so, keep it in a small jar in the fridge. For salad dressings, deglazing a pan to make pan sauce, adding to tea, etc.

10. Flours: almond, coconut, flax. Substitutes for wheat flour in various uses. Keeping them in the fridge helps them last longer. Info on almond and coconut flour.

Additional things that are usually (but not always) in my fridge, or are seasonal:

Sauerkraut, bacon, rendered bacon fat, avocado, hard-boiled eggs, carrots, celery, green onions, zucchini (to make zoodles), bell peppers, cabbage, apples, bone broth, homemade mayo, romaine (used for wraps in the summer), already-baked russet potato

Want more info about how I do meal planning for people who hate to meal plan?

Check this out!

10 things I always have in the freezer:

1. Chopped parsley, stored in a baggie with most of the air pressed out. It’s easy to scoop out a tablespoon or a quarter-cup as needed, with no additional chopping. This is more than a garnish; it adds a fresh, peppery zing and some bright green color to the party!

2. Hamburger; some cooked, lightly seasoned, and crumbled; some raw in 1/4 lb. patties. Sometimes, also fully cooked meatballs.

3. Salmon & mahi-mahi, individual portions

4. Shrimp, deveined & deshelled

5. Bulk sausage, Italian and/or breakfast, stored in individual portions

6. Homemade sugar-free marinara, stored in 1-cup portions. If you don’t want to make homemade, go for the most sugar-free brand you can find or afford.

7. Chicken thighs or breasts, prepped and frozen individually

8. Berries: sometimes mixed, sometimes single varieties

9. My veggies of choice: currently green beans, broccoli florets

10. Bone broth or plain chicken stock, stored in 2-cup portions

(Also: leftover chicken bones, onion ends, and parsley stems for my next batch of broth)

Things I always have in the pantry:

1. Bag of yellow onions

2. Head of garlic

3. Extra coconut milk

4. Vinegars: rice, balsamic, red wine, unfiltered apple

5. Oil: olive, coconut, and usually sesame for Asian dishes

6. Homemade seasoning mixes: taco, chili, Italian, burger (and of course other individual seasonings)

7. Nuts: cashew to top an Asian stir-fry; almonds, pecans, and walnuts for salads & snacks

8. A little wheat flour or rice flour for pan-frying fish

9. Honey

10. Tuna in foil packets. I make this simple tuna salad several times a week in the summer. Here are more tuna ideas.

See? Not such an exotic list, for the most part. You probably have most of this on hand. It’s just a matter of learning to see new ways to combine these basic “wardrobe” pieces to create an infinite number of quick, easy, tasty meals!

Here are some menu idea starters.

Follow me on Instagram for more quick, easy healthy food ideas.