Everything In My Kitchen - The Pantry and Food Guide to Cooking in Color
Plus unstuffed delicata squash and pork bowls with squash seed dukkah and balsamic tahini for my Color Club members!
If you are new here, welcome to Cooking in Color!! This is where we cook easy, delicious, saucy, colorful meals made from whole, unprocessed foods, and we make it fun and learn important stuff about metabolic health while doing it.
You’ve been asking for a list of ALL the food products and brands I’ve vetted and use in my kitchen, and so that’s what this week’s newsletter is about! It’s long, so you might need to click “read in app” to view the entire thing pending your email provider.
One of the easiest ways to eat healthy food is to surround yourself with it.
This starts with being intentional about what comes into your house, and replacing metabolically unfriendly items with ones that support your cellular health.
I’ll keep this updated as I discover new brands and products, and after my wedding (tomorrow 10/4!!) I’ll record a video to share more.
Note: I’m in the process of working with brands to get you all discounts where I can, so please note that some of these links are affiliate links.
Let’s start with a quick reminder of the overarching cooking in color framework. The foods on this list below will set you up to successfully cook colorful, blood sugar balanced meals, with quality ingredients, no bad stuff, and a lil’ zhuzh!
Before we talk about the list of abundantly colorful, delicious, healthy foods to stock your kitchen with, let’s briefly talk about what’s NOT in my kitchen and why:
Ultra-processed food or food with additives
Ultra-processed foods sadly make up 60-70% of the calories people in the United States are consuming today. As Mark Schatzker articulates in his book The End of Craving, these foods are chemically engineered to be addictive, they impair our body’s self-regulatory mechanisms and they trigger cravings. As Vani Hari (aka the Food Babe) articulates so clearly in this video, we have more additives in our food in the United States than any other country. It’s up to us to take control and play a more active role in what we purchase, bring into our homes, and put into our bodies.
Refined flours and grains
Refined grains are stripped of their natural fibers and the important nutrients that whole grains contain, which then leads to increased blood glucose after consuming them. Most refined grains are also conventionally grown which means they are sprayed with heavy pesticides. Things you won’t find in my kitchen are white bread, white flour, white rice, flour tortillas or taco shells, conventional pastas or cereals etc. Remember we are cooking in color here, and these are mostly all WHITE foods! Luckily, there are TONS of amazing swaps for these that I think make the recipes taste even more delicious.
All forms of refined sugar or added sugar
This means white sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, and any sugar on labels that say “added sugar” which means it’s not naturally occurring in the product itself. There are 56 different names for sugar (you can learn to recognize them with this brillant shoppers guide by Dr. Rob Lustig). I’ll get right to this because people always ask: The sweeteners I do have in my kitchen are 1) raw, unfiltered honey, 2) RX Sugar / Allulose, and 3) pure maple syrup (which I use sparingly!). Raw, unfiltered honey has antioxidants and antiviral properties, but it should still be used sparingly. Allulose is my favorite sweetener because it does not cause a blood sugar rise, I will go into further detail on sweeteners and allulose in a future newsletter but here’s a 90 second video here to start to learn more.
Refined seed oils
This includes canola, corn, sunflower, soybean, grapeseed etc. and these sneak into almost every product and can easily sneak into our homes if we are not diligent label readers! They are in hummus, peanut butters, chips, etc. so this is where your label reading skills will come in handy. I’ll do a longer post on seed oils in the future, but the long and short of it is that refined seed oils are extremely high in omega‑6 fats, which skews our omega‑6 to omega‑3 ratio and increases inflammation in the body. If you watch how canola oil is made, you’ll likely never want to buy it again…so unappetizing.
All fried and highly processed meats, including vegan meats like Beyond Meat
For the best answer on why I avoid all vegan meats, here’s an except from Good Energy by my good friend Dr. Casey Means: “The two main ingredients of Beyond Burger are pea protein and canola oil. Canola oil is high in omega‑ 6 fats, making Beyond Burger more inflammatory than grass- fed beef. Additional ingredients include natural flavors (a misnomer, as natural flavors can be highly processed and contain chemical additives) and methylcellulose, a main ingredient in laxatives manufactured by heating wood in acidic solutions to extract and purify cellulose. Clearly, these three different versions of burger deliver vastly different molecular information to the cells.”
If you currently have any of these things in your pantry, I’m not here to shame you.
Until you know better, it’s not your fault. Food marketing is powerful, and our environment is filled with food, chemicals and toxins that are poisoning our metabolism. It’s actually an act of rebellion to actively try and avoid these things, since they are all around us.
If you need a little extra help, I’m known for being a pantry swap fairy, going into my friends or family members pantry’s (with their permission!!) and helping them swap out items for healthier versions.
Pantry Reset Consult: I offer virtual (or in-person if you are located in LA) pantry parties where we go through your pantry, and determine swaps that fit your family, preferences and budget. Respond to this email if you are interested or shoot me a note at sonja@cookingincolor.co
The best way to ensure harmful things don’t end up in your pantry is to become a pro label reader. Here’s my checklist for how I approach label reading:
Ignore marketing messages on the front 🙄 - Don’t get fooled by messages like “high protein” or “low sugar” - oftentimes these products have very low quality protein sources, seeds oils, and other additives.
The shorter the label, the better 📝
Watch out for both total sugars and added sugars 👀 - we want these to be as close to 0 as possible. Be cautious of natural sugars too! For example, the Naked Orange Mango juice has 57g of sugar (0 added), that’s almost twice a can of coke and will certainly send your blood sugar soaring! Opt for a whole orange instead of the juice.
Spy on the seed oils so you can avoid them🕵️♀️.
Caution on the carb count - especially in packaged foods because the carbs have been processed, and stripped of their fiber and nutrients 🍞
Find the fiber - look for foods with fiber in them, because that fiber helps your body process carbs! Dr. Rob Lustig says “Look at total carbohydrates, and then look at the dietary fiber. What you’re looking for is a total carbohydrate-to-fiber ratio of less than 5:1.” (So if a food has 15 grams of total carbs, it should have at least 3 grams of fiber—unless it’s a food that naturally contains no fiber, like plain yogurt.) 🥦
Be wary of words you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce 😦 - Generally if I don’t recognize the ingredient as a whole food (e.g., Red 40) or can’t pronounce it I put it back. The Environmental Working Group lists butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) among its top food additives to avoid
Opt for buying as many whole, unprocessed foods as possible! 🛒 The best way to avoid falling into marketing food traps is to center your diet on whole, nutrient dense, minimally processed foods.
Okay now let’s get into everything you’ll find in my kitchen - food related. I’ll do a separate issue on non-toxic cookware and food storage in the future!
First of all, I love ALL whole foods, so if you don’t see something on this list that’s a whole food, don’t read into it! This is just what I generally have on hand. I get seasonal produce every week from a local, organic community sponsored agriculture (CSA) program called Earth Matterz, and I supplement with more from the farmers market or the (perimeter of the) grocery store.
Second, everything on this list is organic and free of seed oils and refined sugars.
Third, some things on this list are going to be more expensive than the conventional version. I always think of one of my favorite Dr. Rob Lustig quotes here “you’ll either pay the farmer or the doctor, but one way, you’ll pay.” To try and keep myself out of the doctors office, I’m choosing to invest in and pay for the most nutrient dense, best possible food.
Here’s how this is organized:
On the Counter
Fridge Essentials
Freezer Essentials
Oils, Fats, Vinegars
Spices and Seasonings
In My Herb Garden
Pantry
Dry Goods, Flours
Canned Items
Nuts
Snacks, Other
Coffee, Tea, Supplements, Drinks
My garlic, shallots and onions are in a little bowl with a lid on the counter so they don’t get exposed to the light, but the rest of this stuff just sits in a bowl on my counter since I use it up every week. 😋
Avocados
Apples
Bananas
Garlic
Lemons
Limes
Onions
Oranges
Shallots
Tomatoes
A batch of my homemade granola (always on the counter!)
These are the things I basically always have on hand for a stocked fridge.
Berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries)
Pickled red onions, homemade
Sauerkraut and Kimchi
Bone broth
Condiments
Chilee Oil - seed oil free chili oil
We often have other Primal Kitchen sauces on hand, like BBQ sauce for pulled pork or chicken, or salad dressings - use code SONJA10 for 10% off all Primal Kitchen
Hot sauce - Yellowbird
Condiment like things:
Capers
Dijon mustard
Fish sauce
Harissa
Hummus - Hope brand or homemade (will post my recipe soon, in the meantime this is one of my go-to homemade red pepper dips!)
Lemon juice and lime juice
Olives
Pure maple syrup
Roasted red peppers
Sun-dried tomatoes
Tamari
Tahini - I love Sunnys
Thai green and red curry paste (really like Mekhala brand)
Tomato paste
Yellow and/or red miso
Tortillas - for wraps or burritos, Siete (my favorite are the almond flour ones) or Coyotes
Veggies
Carrots
Celery
Greens of some kind (Dino kale and spinach usually always on hand)
Fennel
Head of cabbage
Dairy or Dairy-like
Unflavored greek yogurt
Grass-fed butter
Pasture-raised eggs
Parmasean
I also save the rinds from my parm in the fridge for whenever I make a soup!
Some kind of non-diary cheese for when dairy-free friends come over, I like Sweet Raw Life
Cottage cheese
Almond or Coconut Milk - Malk or Three Trees organic
Alexandre Farms A2 Grass-Fed Milk
Organic rotisserie chicken
Beeya seeds (to support my hormones!) - I like to keep them in the fridge
The freezer is where we keep all of our proteins. We take things out the night before or 2-3 days before and let them thaw in the fridge.
Chicken, beef, lamb, pork etc - This is usually from either Primal Pastures, Wild Pastures, my local farmers market, or Whole Foods
At Whole Foods, I especially like Force of Nature
Costco massive bag of cauliflower rice
Daily Harvest frozen soups and harvest bowls for post-travel or when you are tight on time - check out the metabolic collection by Dr. Casey Means
Frozen avocados (usually if I don’t use one before it’s about to go bad, I scoop it out, cube it, and freeze it)
Frozen bananas (usually ones that are about to go bad, I freeze)
Frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
Frozen veggies (spinach, broccoli, peas, cauliflower, edamame)
This podcast does a great job of explaining sustainable aquaculture and why Seatopia is such a great brand. Use code COOKINGINCOLOR for 15% off.
Apple cider vinegar
Avocado oil
Avocado oil spray
Balsamic vinegar
Coconut oil
Fun vinegars - like Persimmon Vinegar from Figureate foods!
Ghee
Olive oil
Tallow - Lineage, use code SONJA10 for 10% off
Red wine vinegar
Rice wine vinegar
White wine vinegar
The ABSOLUTE essentials:
Allspice
Bay leaves
Cayenne pepper
Chili powder
Curry powder
Garlic powder
Ground cardamom
Ground cinnamon
Ground ginger
Ground nutmeg
Ground turmeric
Italian seasoning
Maldon sea salt (can buy in bulk at Costco!)
Morton Kosher salt
Nutritional yeast
Onion powder
Paprika
Peppercorns
Red pepper flakes
Sesame seeds
Smoked paprika
Others I use frequently and have on hand:
Chipotle Chili
Coriander seeds
Cumin seeds
Fennel seeds
Ground sumac
Mustard seeds
Pickling spices
Pumpkin spice
Saffron
Vanilla bean
Za’atar
Staples
Basil
Mint
Oregano
Garlic chives
Parsley
Cilantro
Green onions
Other things I try to grow (this list is constantly expanding!)
Tomatos
Peppers
Lettuce
Edible flowers (for FUN AND COLOR!)
The essentials:
Baking powder
Baking soda
Cacao powder
Chefs Kiss lupin pasta - code SONJA for 15% off
Chia seeds and/or Zen Basil seeds
Flax seeds or ground flax (I have both)
Raw Honey - code SONJA10 for 10% off
Lentils
Miracle noodles - 10% off with code SONJAKM
Shredded coconut
Others in my pantry that I sometimes use but are not 100% essential:
Beet root powder (to make stuff pink!)
Buckwheat flour
Cacao nibs
Cassava flour
Cauliflower flour
Chickpea flour
Hazelnut flour
Laird superfood turmeric creamer (great for lattes and also as a fish or chicken marinade)
Lupin flour
Masa harina
Powdered maca
Psyllium husk powder
I keep a combo of dried and canned beans on hand of the following:
Chickpeas
Cannellini beans
Pinto beans
Black beans
Other canned essentials:
Coconut milk
Coconut creme
Tomato sauce
Diced tomatos
Canned pumpkin
Artichoke hearts
For dried beans, I LOVE beanstory and Simpli!
Canned wild salmon and/or sardines - I love Fishwife and also Costco has great tinned fish with just olive oil!
Nut butters (just NUTS, no seed oils!)
almond butter
peanut butter
cashew butter
NuttZo - a Costco staple!
Packaged lupini beans - one of my all time favorite snacks
Raw unfiltered honey
I keep some nuts in the freezer that I don’t use regularly to keep them fresh. It’s just one of those things my Mom has always done and so now I do it and have never really looked it up. 🤔 I know there are things you also do because you Mom did and you somehow never questioned them…
Almonds - whole and slivered
Brazil Nuts
Cashews
Macadamia Nuts
Pecans
Pine nuts
Pumpkin Seeds
Walnuts
Athletic Greens - usually I just pack this when I’m traveling
ABC Chocolate - incredible way to sneak organs into your diet, code SONJA10
BeWell by Kelly Vanilla and Chocolate protein powders (I have both the vegan and the grass-fed ones on hand. I think the vegan works better for baking than the grass-fed option so I usually put the grass-fed one in smoothies)
Cold brew (Alex makes this every week from organic grounds)
Collagen peptides - I throw into smoothies
Creatine - 5mg daily in my matcha
Pique matcha and teas- I could not love this matcha more, Pique is also the first tea company to Triple Toxin Screen all of their teas for heavy metals, pesticides, and toxic mold! 👏🏼
Please consult with your doctor before starting any new supplements.
That is currently EVERYTHING in my kitchen at this exact moment. If you have the majority of these items, you are well set-up to COOK IN COLOR.
If you want more support: If you read this and you are thinking, whoa I need some more support to find swaps and get my kitchen set up to cook in color, I offer virtual (or in-person if you are located in LA!) pantry parties where we go through your pantry, and determine swaps that fit your family, preferences and budget. Respond to this email if you are interested and we can chat more! Remember, the easiest way to eat healthy foods is simply to surround yourself with it.
How to start: If you are looking for a place to start, try tackling just ONE area of your kitchen this week (e.g., your oils, or you freezer, or your fridge) and read every single label, and then remove the things that don’t align with the Cooking in Color approach. Put a replacement on your grocery list for next week.
If you’ve got questions, please comment or join the subscriber chat and I can’t wait to answer them!
Since I’m getting married tomorrow, I’ll include a photo of Alex and I in my favorite room in the house (the KITCHEN obvi!!)
This recipe is for Color Club members! It’s $5/month to be a member and you’ll get (at least) 1 new blood sugar friendly, colorful, delicious recipe each week. Sign up here.
This recipe of the week is a Unstuffed Delicata Squash and Pork Bowl with Squash Seed Dukkah and Balsamic Tahini. The idea of a stuffed squash is cute and fun, but they never end up turning out great for me and can be challenging to eat. 🤷🏼♀️ I prefer an unstuffed squash bowl, so there is more surface area for my sauces, seeds, and flavors to meld together. It’s easier to zhuzh!
All of the details and the recipe are up on the Color Club! The reel of this recipe can be found on the gram!
In addition to this, I also posted one of my go-to smoothies on the Color Club this week - Avo, PB and Greens. It tastes like a peanut delight.
If you make one of my recipes, I’d LOVE to hear how the recipe turned out and any feedback you have. Even if it’s minor, I want to know!
If you are enjoying this newsletter, please share with someone who you think might also enjoy getting some COLOR in their inbox each week.
Chefs kisses,
Sonja
Now magnesium glycinate! https://amzn.to/3NdZGMb
Thoughts on Whole Grains like quinoa, rice?