Shopping & Supplies

Shopping and Cupboard Supplies

I love shopping. But only for food, and mostly online in the comfort of my own home.

I bulk-order grains and other dried foodstuffs every 3 – 6 months, and generally wait until the cupboard is bare until I order more. That way I’m not wasting any food, and force myself to use all of the various stuff that I’ve bought.

Having a range of healthy dried food, means that you always have a good stock in your cupboard to throw into any salad or meal.

Below this list I have a link to where I get all of my dried stuff from – I think they are a fantastic company!

Grains.

Quinoa – Technically a seed. Excellent source of calcium and protein (it’s a complete protein, and simply contains loads of the stuff!) as well as vitamin e and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients.

Millet – My favourite! Delicious and nutty, packed with minerals and antioxidants for heart protecting properties and acts as a prebiotic – so it’s easy to digest as well as feeding our microflora in our gut! Really easy and quick to cook and cheap too!

Lentils (Red and Black) – A fibre food all star, rich in both soluble and insoluble fibre which helps to naturally lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. They contain loads of iron and are protein powerhouses, (as well as loads of other vitamins and minerals) so keep you full and energised for ages!

Red Rice – by far my favourite rice. Tastes great and looks fantastic. Packed full with iron, zinc, fibre and disease fighting phytonutrients coloured rice is even better for you than brown rice.

Brown Rice – Like red rice, but not as pretty. An excellent source of magnesium – the ‘chill-out’ mineral.

Oats – have an internal anti-inflammatory action (you can use them in face masks too, they are excellent), helps to get rid of bad cholesterol, support your immune system and is packed full of fibre, minerals & antioxidants.
I’ve also just read in a study, that they are highly beneficial to post-menopausal women with high cholesterol (just in case you were wondering!)

Optional:

Buckwheat – I love buckwheat, it has an amazingly delicious and distinctive taste. Another grain that’s really easy to cook, and is actually a fruit seed. Makes awesome porridge, especially when you get a bit bored of oats. Because it is in fact a seed (like quinoa) it contains loads of protein as well as vitamins and minerals. Buckwheat has some unique nutrients and antioxidants in it that help our body control blood sugar levels, so is a fantastic food for type 2 diabetics to be eating.

A quick word before I start on oils. According to the NHS, most people in the UK eat too much saturated fat; about 20% more saturated fat than recommended. (And I personally think the current recommendation is too high anyway.)
Ok, so we need to cut down on saturated fats, found in butter, meat, cheese and pretty much all processed food (cakes, pastries etc), and on hydrogenated or trans fats (the worst, I think) which are found in margarine (please stop eating it, it’s really not good for you) and processed food.
Both of these fats raise your bad cholesterol, which in turns increases the risk of heart disease and act as magnets for toxins in your body.
Unsaturated oils are generally liquid oils and help lower blood cholesterol. They are essential fatty acids and we need them for cellular health, brain health, building hormones and protecting our skin. The star of these fats is Omega 3, which acts as an anti-inflammatory. (Good for eczema and any other chronic conditions.)

Oils.

Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil (unrefined)
Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil (unrefined)
Cold pressed virgin coconut oil (unrefined)
Optional:
Hemp seed oil – Omega 3 super star
Flax seed oil – Omega 3 super star
Sesame seed oil

Condiments.

Braggs liquid aminos / soya sauce – Braggs liquid aminos tastes exactly like soya but contains all 20 amino acids for a super healthy protein rich alternative.
Miso – fantastic for soups and marinades contains loads of friendly bacteria to support your digestive system. (Throw the yakults out, they’re rubbish and full of sugar)

Other handy stuff.

Dried noodles – I usually buy buckwheat soba noodles, they have a fantastic taste and easy to cook. If you don’t buy buckwheat then please buy brown, whole wheat or whole rice noodles. Can knock up a super healthy stir-fry in minutes. Here and here are the ones that I buy regularly.
Miso soup sachets – Handy yummy snack.
Spelt Pasta – I love spelt pasta. It only takes 6 minutes to cook (yay!) has a bit more bite, texture and taste to regular pasta. Just generally a more interesting food and way better for you.

Goodness Direct is fantastic. They deliver to your door, and don’t have the overheads that shops and supermarkets do, because they are exclusively online. This means they are a lot cheaper. I usually buy 2 – 5kg at a time as this saves masses of money and means you can easily afford organic, healthy grains.
I also order my oils from there, which include unrefined cold pressed olive oil, and unrefined cold pressed rapeseed oil. Rapeseed oil is better for cooking at high temperatures with; it’s more stable and also (in most cases) grown in the UK, so you’re helping out our farmers and economy too. Again, I buy these in fairly large amounts to reduce cost and also means I don’t have to bother buying them at the supermarket where they are more expensive.