Guess I am the exception, because of my health not being great I do my best to avoid things like BPA in product packaging, soya (including in some GF sausages and soya lecithin in chocolate, boo), vegetable oils etc.. I am also pretty strict now about avoiding gluten even when 'cheating' as since I stopped eating it it makes me feel all flu-ey when I have some! The GF sausages I find annoying because I have to choose the 'least bad' option, if they don't have soya in them then they have 'GF crumbs' which are made out of rice and whatnot. Even our fab butcher makes theirs with oats - although maybe I should ask them if they could do me some special ones!
Before my list I should mention that I'm a bit of a storecupboard hoarder, I think if we needed to we could live for a few months on the contents of the cupboards/freezer with added fresh veggies! Think it harks back to cold Central Oregon winters when we could get snowed in for quite some time.
Mainstays in my kitchen are:
Coconut milk
(Almond milk - I used to buy this but was using so little that I didn't get through the whole litre before it went a bit funny)
Almond butter (bought or homemade)
Eggs, many many eggs
Meats - we buy ours already frozen/vacsealed in portions from a local butcher
Fishes/seafood - again, frozen
GF sausages/bacon (I roll rashers of bacon into little tubes and freeze them in a bag)
Tons of non-starchy veg and salad - I get through so much!
Frozen blueberries
Winter squash
Sweet potato
Tinned pumpkin
Tinned salmon/tuna/mackerel fillets
Tinned tomatoes (although I buy tetrapaks now because of the BPA in most tins)
Anchovies in olive oil (again you can roll up leftover fillets and freeze them)
Fruit/small amount of dried fruit - I try to keep this to 2 portions total on a non-exercise day
Nuts
Shredded and flaked coconut
Almond flour
Sweet potato starch (arrowroot also ok)
Coconut flour
Coconut oil (in which I cook almost everything)
Red palm oil (more of a savoury flavour)
Very good extra virgin olive oil (for salads)
Sesame oil
Wheat-free tamari (I know it has soy but the coconut aminos are really expensive in the UK)
Homemade mayo (just because I have to avoid the vegetable/seed oils)
Maple syrup
Honey
Dried herbs and spices
Either homemade chicken stock or sometimes frozen chicken carcasses if I wasn't able to make the stock immediately after cooking the chicken!
Fruit and herbal teas
And things I keep on hand that are more primal than paleo and that I try to eat in moderation:
Double cream (I freeze in 1 tbsp ice cube trays, to add to coffee or soup - if making a sauce I'll buy a fresh pot)
Butter
Ghee
Full fat greek yoghurt
Parmesan/full fat cheddar cheeses
Dark chocolate
Red wine
And things that I eat very occasionally that are not *strictly speaking* paleo but that don't disagree with me:
Sweet potato & buckwheat soba noodles (wheat-free)
Quinoa
Lentils
White basmati/wild rice blend
Frozen peas
Tapioca pearls
Knorr stock pots (these are GF, they're just a bit processed)
Decaff coffee
Mixed berry cider
Ice cream (oh the shame)
Not so much shopping, but 'treats' that I prepare ahead and freeze for those times when nothing else will do:
Paleo brownies
Paleo scones
Paleo bread
Paleo fruitcake
Dark chocolate bark with chopped nuts
I think I am going for a more primal 80:20 at the moment but cutting out milk, grains and just eating natural.
