Stocking the pantry

Someone asked the very good question: what would I suggest for stocking the pantry for CRON?

First of all, I would throw a lot of things out - not easy to do if you live with other non-CRON people. Throw out anything with high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated vegetable oil. Throw out all your oils except olive oil, nut oils and maybe cold pressed canola. Throw out cake and cookie mixes. Really - you should throw out sugar. Just get rid of all those crunchy snacks - chips, pretzels, crackers, cookies - all of it. We only keep a small package of plain rice or rye crackers on hand. Throw out the ice cream.

CRON should involve buying a lot of fresh vegetables, fruit and meats. My pantry is pretty empty actually - but my refrigerator is full.

Here's what I would stock up on besides fresh food that is bought a few days before eating it:

Warren Taylor's sucralose powder - or Splenda
High quality olive oil - my favorite is actually Whole Foods store brand in the big metal container
Bulk flax seed and a little coffee grinder to make it fresh - keep it in the refrigerator
Frozen berries - for dessert!
Almonds and any other nuts you like - walnuts are another nut we use a lot
Whole grain slow cooking oatmeal (a totally different experience from instant!)
Frozen vegetables, if you are watching your pennies - especially frozen bell peppers, asparagus and spinach - and brussel sprouts and green beans and lima beans
Organic cocoa - to make hot cocoa
You can also try guar gum - to make puddings - I don't really care for it myself
Red wine
Green tea and other teas
Mineral water - my favorite is Gerolsteiner which has very high mineral content
Canned tomato products - paste, diced tomatoes, tomato puree
Spices of all kinds - I grow lots of my own herbs
Garlic
We buy one kind of cold cereal - Flax Plus granola. Any unsweetened whole grain cereal would also be a good choice.
Brown basmati rice and/or whole wheat spaghetti - if you just must have carbs
Eggs - please buy the cage free ones
I keep frozen shrimp and frozen mussels in the freezer
Canned tuna (but don't eat it more than once a week - due to the mercury!)
Canned oysters (lots of zinc and B-12 - make these into a soup with kale)
Canned beans - we always have pinto beans
Chicken stock - make your own vegetable soup any time

Staple vegetables at our house include onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes
We almost always have spinach, kale, romaine, and chard
Fruit - lots of what is in season

My family has also experimented and enjoyed alternative whole grain and bean flours - which we buy at an Indian market: chickpea, lentil, millet, and sorghum flours. We especially like oat flour - bought from Whole Foods.