What’s in our cupboards? One of the most time-consuming activities in switching to low salt cooking was sourcing ingredients. We will keep coming back to this page to update with things we’ve found that work for the dishes we like to make. Along the way, we’ll add alternatives for our chums with other food challenges like gluten free, dairy free, soy free, meat free, nut free etcetera.

In the pantry

When we can, we each like to store about a month of supplies, so we can pace ourselves in making big shopping trips. That way we can visit farmers markets and local stores for fresh produce each week.

• Canned ingredients
  No-salt tomato sauce
  No-salt diced tomatoes
  Coconut cream
  Coconut milk
• Pasta and noodles
  There are some great ancient grains pastas in local bulk food places that are low or no gluten, so look to those as an option to wheat. Rice noodles are also great.
  Spaggetti and rice noodles (thick and thin)
  Bow tie pasta, elbow noodles, small shells
• Dried fruit
  Organic is best, though QFC Simple brand is really quite good too. Watch for added sugar and take it into account.
  Apricots
  Apples
  Cranberries
  Sour cherries
  Dates, diced and whole-pitted
  Prunes, diced and whole-pitted, also infused with citrus oils
  Raisons, mixed and golden
• Preserved fruit
  I love cooking with fruit, so here’s the preserved list
  Canned crushed pineapple in juice
  Diced peaches in juice (dole cups are perfect with oatmeal)
  Diced pears in juice
  Diced pineapple in juice
  Mandarin slices in juice
  Just fruit jams and preserves (peach, apricot, mixed berries,
  apple, marmalade, blackcurrant, blueberry, strawberry, mango)
  Apple sauce without added sugar
  Mango nectar
• Baking supplies
  Plain flour
  Baking soda (low salt)
  Rice flour
  Almond meal
  Coconut flour
  Xanthan Gum
  Xylitol
  Molasses
  Date sugar
  Brown sugar
  Whey protein isolate (natural flavor)
  Vanilla extract
  Almond extract
• Milk and milk substitutes
  Half and half
  Whipped rice milk (Whole Foods)
  Tofuti (soy cream cheese)
  Soy Slender (soy milk with no added sugar)
  Coconut Milk (Soy delicious brand)
  Almond Milk
• Oils and shortening
  Butter (sweat cream butter sticks)
  Virgin Olive oil
  Flavored (or infused) olive oils (lemon, basil, chili)
  Coconut oil
  Grapeseed oil
  Almond oil
  Sesame oil
  Peanut oil (if no nut allergies)
• Vinegars and flavor enhancers
  Balsamic vinegar (red)
  Balsamic vinegar (white)
  Flavored balsamic (chocolate, fig, peach, ginger, plum)
  Ume plum vinegar
  Apple cider vinegar
  White vinegar
  Malt vinegar
  Worcestershire sauce
  Low salt soy sauce (only use 2 tablespoons in a recipe)
  Mustard (low salt)
  Mayonnaise (Heinz is lowest salt at 70mg for 2 tbsp.)
  Marsala wine