My 100 Kitchen Ingredient Must-Haves

I have questions occasionally about what I keep in my low-carb, gluten-free pantry. I am so remiss in not doing this sooner, and I am so sorry. I owe you a puppy. Or rainbows. Or rainbow puppies. Or a Nyan Cat.

Instead of spending a lot of time leading in, I’ll share the important stuff; after all, you are busy being amazing right now.

• This page is permanently affixed under this site’s “DAILY BLOG” drop down menu (top) for easy location.
• Of course, seasonal/holiday baking and cooking will require different ingredients, but because I love having ingredients on hand, I try to use a basic assortment of ingredients for many things.
• Know that when I mention a name brand, it’s not to plug the company as much as to say, “Hey; if you can find this, this is the brand I typically like/use.”
• Often times, to keep you from buying funky ingredients, I create my own. This sweetened, condensed milk recipe is just one of those. More appear below.
• All *ingredients mean these are Atkins induction acceptable ingredients.
• I’ve counted spices as a whole as 3 ingredients( for salt, pepper, and everything else)! They’re so personal it would be silly for me to tell you to buy all of them.
• I don’t count the “occasional” items as part of my must-haves because I only buy them typically for recipes or when they’re in season. I list them anyway since they’re the ones I most often buy
• Below are things I keep in my kitchen, but by all means, don’t feel it’s a mandate for you to keep it in your kitchen. I will continue updating this, so definitely check back.

Pantry Raid

Sweeteners (6): *Erythritol, *Xylitol, *Splenda (for making mixes), *Sweetleaf Stevia packets, honey, molasses, *white sugar baking blend

, and my *brown sugar baking blend

Vinegar (3): *Regular white vinegar, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar
Baking Needs (4): *Baking Soda, *Baking Powder, *cocoa powder, *cream of tartar
Oils (4): *Olive oil, *Peanut oil, *Coconut oil, *Spray oil (typically olive oil)
Spices (3): *Sea salt, *milled pepper, *basil, *oregano, *parsley, *garlic powder, *onion powder, *Mrs. Dash’s Garlic Italian Blend, *cinnamon, *nutmeg, *chili, *cumin, *thyme, *fennel, *real vanilla extract, *almond extract, *maple extract, *mint extract, *orange extract, *rum extract (I have so many spices I could go on forever. They tend to vary based on recipe, but these are what I use most)
Flours (7): Almond flour, Coconut Flour, Almond Meal, Dessicated Coconut, *Protein Powder (both plain and flavored), *Flax seed meal
Thickeners (2): *Thickener (I buy LC Foods Thickener), chia seeds
Liquid flavor (3): *Soy Sauce, *Worcestershire Sauce, *Kitchen Bouquet (for browning crock pot roasts)
Other (10): *Onion, *garlic, *jalapeno slices, *black olives, *Ro-Tel, *iced tea bags, *mint tea bags, *pizza sauce (no sugar added), *organic beef broth, *organic chicken broth
Nuts and seeds (9): Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, cashews and pecans (I often freeze nuts to keep them from going rancid), also nut butters
Occasionally: *Sun-dried tomatoes, *roasted red peppers, *artichoke hearts, pesto, alfredo sauce, *pumpkin, *instant coffee

Refrigerator Righteousness

Cheeses (7): *Feta, *medium cheddar, *sharp cheddar, *shredded Parmesan, *grated Parmesan, *cream cheese, *shredded mozzarella
Other dairy(6): Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, low-carb yogurt, *heavy white whipping cream, *butter, *sour cream
Meat (8): *ground beef, *eggs, *boneless chicken breasts, *sliced pepperoni, *bacon, *sliced Genoa salami, *pepperoni sticks, *beef hot dogs
Vegetables (10): *Fresh green beans, *grape tomatoes,  *kosher baby dill pickles, *cucumber, *zucchini, *cauliflower, *bagged spinach, *mushrooms, *iceberg lettuce
Fruit (1): *Lemon juice
Fats(2): *Green olives, *mayonnaise
Non-dairy(2): Unsweetened almond milk, unsweetened coconut milk
Other (3): *SF Heinz Ketchup, *yellow mustard, *SF relish
Occasionally: *Brussels Sprouts, carrots, ginger root, *green and *red bell peppers, *lime juice, blueberries, strawberries, *SF Walden Farms (or Smokin’ Joe Jones) Barbecue Sauce, , *flank steaks, *skirt steaks, *coleslaw (bagged, unmixed), fresh snap peas

Freezer Fixins

Meat (1): *Grass-fed beef overflow when it goes on sale. I love grass-fed, but I always try to buy on sale.
Flours: I keep all the flours listed under “pantry” except for protein powders) in the freezer. Here they last indefinitely. 
Seafood (2): *tilapia and *shrimp
Frozen berries (5): blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries and blackberries from our trees
Vegetables: *Cauliflower, *spinach, *green beans

As you can see, it’s good to research what you buy and stick with what you really need, but that’s not to say it’s not easy to buy the really exciting, fun ingredients out there.

What do you have in your kitchen? Am I missing something? Share in the comments!