Inventory

So many people ask us what products/brands we use, and what we purchase when we grocery shop. So, I took "inventory" today and am providing a list of the items that are currently stocked in our kitchen - these items are pretty much the 'norm' for our household (although the produce we eat tends to change with the Season). 

I did A LOT of label reading when we first started cutting out processed foods... it was overwhelming, frustrating & stressful, and there were times I left the store with hardly anything in my shopping cart and close to tears. 

Please, do not let this journey do that to you!! I became obsessive and fearful of things in our food. I was mad at the food system and our government for not protecting us.

But only after I cried out to God, did this journey start to make sense. He showed me what He wanted me to be eating, what He designed for food, and He took the fear of food away from me. He turned my anger into knowledge & wisdom, and the ability to educate others. 

So, if you are starting a food journey yourself, I encourage you to pray. Ask God to show you what He has designed for us to eat. Ask Him to teach you what glorifies Him. Ask Him for patience and for guidance as you navigate through the "food system". Ask Him to give you a spirit of wisdom & knowledge (not fear) as you learn, so that you can also educate others. 

For us, we have a set of "criteria" that we follow when we read the labels of products. 

Our criteria: nothing artificial, no chemicals, no refined white sugar, no (or very low) raw cane sugar, no corn syrup, no high fructose corn syrup, low soy & low corn (if there is corn or soy in a product, preferably only organic soy & corn), no more than 8 to 10 ingredients, ingredients must be things I know & can understand,  most items must be organic or mainly organic, no BPA in cans, no hormones, no steroids, no antibiotics. 

And one of the main things we ask ourselves when buying a product is, 
Would Jesus Eat This? 

If an item doesn't meet our criteria, then I simply don't purchase it and I find a way to make it myself instead. I have provided the brand names for some of the items below, which meet our criteria. I hope this is helpful information for some of you!

What's In Our Pantry?
Whole wheat white flour (unbleached)*
Oat flour*
Spelt flour*
Whole wheat lasagna noodles (Hodson Mill brand) 
Vegetable rotelli noodles (Eddie's Natural) 
Lentils*
Bulgar wheat*
Sprouted rice trio*
Brown rice*
Quinoa*
Couscous*
Whole wheat couscous
Oats*
Popcorn*
Panko breadcrumbs*
Tomato paste* (Bionature)
Strained tomatoes* (Bionature)
Pumpkin puree*
Sweet potato puree*
Kidney beans*
Chickpeas*
Albacore tuna (Wild Planet) 
Black Bean Soup mix (Bob's Red Mill) 
Sun-dried tomatoes
Sunflower Seeds* 
Pitted dates*
Dried apricots*
Un-sweetened banana chips
Raisins (unsulfured)* 
Cashews*
Walnuts*
Almonds*
Peanut butter*
Sunflower Seed butter* 
Un-sweetened shredded coconut*
Dark chocolate morsals (65% cacao)*
Coconut oil* 
Olive oil*
Balsamic vinegar*
Apple cider vinegar
Raw local honey*
Date sugar*
Brown rice syrup*
Blackstrap molasses
Spices, celtic sea salt, black pepper, baking soda/powder, yeast, etc.
Whole O's cereal* (Nature's Path) 
Spelt pretzels* (Newman's Own)


What's In Our Fridge? 
Rice milk*
Almond milk
Coffee*
Choffy (Find info HERE)
local Eggs*
Hard-boiled eggs (for snacking)
Berries: Strawberry* & Blueberry*
Greek plain yogurt*
Applesauce* (apples only, no added ingredients)
Ground flaxseed*
Cacao nibs* 
Hummus* 
Garlic
Lemon juice
Lime juice
Ketchup*
Mayo*
Yellow mustard
Low-sodium soy sauce
Local maple syrup
Orange juice
Just Black iced tea (Honest Tea)*
Lettuce - field mix*
Cantaloupe
Grapes
Apples*
Carrots*
Parsnips*
Celery*
Cucumbers*
Ginger root
Kale* 
Spinach* 
Rhubarb
Asparagus* 


What's On Our Counter? 
Pineapple
Oranges*
Bananas* 
Sweet potatoes*
White & red onions*


What's In Our Freezer?
Veggie Burgers: spinach, carrot & lentil* (Go Veggies)
Mango Curry (Go Veggies)
Waffles* (Nature's Path)
Homemade frozen pancakes* 
Homemade frozen chicken fingers* (Recipe HERE)
Uncured turkey hot dogs* (Applegate Farms)
Ground turkey breast*
Ground beef (Hen-Hawk Acres)
Venison (wild-caught... Thanks Dad!)
Leg of lamb (extra meat from Passover; cut into 2-inch cubes for shish-kabobs)
Winter squash*
Spinach*
Pineapple chunks
Blueberries* 


What's Growing (that we can harvest & eat) In our Garden Right Now?
Herbs* 
Lettuce*
Kale*
Spinach* 




* indicates Organic