Winter is upon us and the focus is on warming whole food nutrition and strengthening your immune system.
The following list will help you replenish your pantry and fridge with the very best seasonal, local produce, organic or chemical free and whole fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, eggs, grains, nuts & seeds, oils, herbs & spices and other special whole foods.
IN THE FRIDGE:
- Organic Seasonal Fruit & Vegetables –
What’s best in June
FRUIT: Apples, Avocados, Custard apples, Grapefruit, Kiwifruit, Lemons, Mandarins, Nashi, Oranges, Pears, Passionfruit, Pomelo, Quince and Rhubarb.
VEGETABLES: Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Celeriac, Fennel, Jerusalem artichokes, Kohlrabi, Pumpkin, Silverbeet, Spinach, Olives, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Swede, Sweet potato and Turnips.
What’s best in July
FRUIT: Apples, Avocados, Banana, Custard apples, Grapefruit, Kiwifruit, Lemons, Mandarins, Nashi, Oranges, Pomelo, Quince, Rhubarb, Strawberries and Tangelos.
VEGETABLES: Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Fennel, Jerusalem artichokes, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Olives, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Silverbeet, Spinach, Swede, Sweet potato, Turnips and Witlof.
What’s best in August
FRUIT: Apples, Banana, Cumquat, Grapefruit, Kiwifruit, Lemons, Mandarins Oranges, Pomelo, Quince, Rhubarb, Strawberries and Tangelos.
VEGETABLES: Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Fennel, Jerusalem artichokes, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Okra, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Silverbeet, Spinach, Swede, Sweet potato, Turnips and Witlof.
- Organic Fresh Herbs & Spices – parsley, coriander, chives, thyme, sage, ginger root, turmeric root are just some. Add garlic, thyme, ginger, turmeric root and sage to food as these natural herbs and spices aid in mucous breakdown and have antimicrobial properties.
- Pastured/ grass fed beef, lamb, pork and whole chicken and duck – choose less expensive cuts for slow roast, slow food cooker, stews and casseroles, bones to make bone stock for broths and soups. Keep ready-made bone stock in the freezer ready to go as your need to make warming soups. Store in small containers or ice cube trays. Organ meats such as liver, brains and heart offer nutritional density and can be made into pates or added to stews, broths and soups. Quality pastured and additive free bacon and ham or deli meats.
- Pastured or open range eggs
- Pastured/ grass fed dairy – cow, sheep and goat. Full cream milks that are unhomogenised. Raw goat dairy milk is widely available. Raw cheeses are also available. Cultured butter. Full fat yoghurt without additives e.g. milk solids and sugar. Yoghurt, cheese and butter can be home made.
- Wild and sustainable fish and seafood — Smoked salmon
- Home made dips, dressings and sauces — These can be made with quality whole ingredients. They jazz up food and offer extra nutrition.
- Fresh nut milks — Activated almond milk can be now bought from the dairy section fridge or make your own (home made kinds need to be consumed within a day). Home made young coconut milk made from the flesh and water and also needs to be consumed within a day.
- Sprouted breads
- Cultured or lactofermented vegetables — such as sauerkraut offer probiotics and enzymes. Other traditional cultured foods include kombucha, beet kvass and kefir. These can be homemade.
IN THE PANTRY
- Organic cold pressed virgin coconut oil and cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.
- Organic Dried Herbs & Spices — include sweet spices to sweeten treats and desserts such as cinnamon, vanilla bean powder and stevia green leaf powder.
- Activated nuts and seeds — if you are making from scratch best to store in the fridge to avoid mould. Keep almond meal on hand to make cakes and biscuits.
- Organic grains and pseudocereals — such as quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth and rice do not contain gluten.
- Organic Apple cider vinegar
- Raw cocoa and Gelatin — to make special treats such as jellies, smoothies, home made chocolate (also keep on hand cocoa butter).
- Desiccated coconut — for treats and desserts.
- Organic sprouted flours — such as buckwheat flour for pancakes and bread making.
- Sourdough breads
- Homemade crackers and dehydrated vegetables and fruit — make excellent snacks for kids and adults.
- Organic Tea, infusions and coffee
- Organic Raw honey or Manuka
