As with anything in life, preparation is necessary in order to accomplish your goals. This is especially true when taking on the challenge of changing your nutritional habits. Cooking at home is a must when beginning an elimination diet. The last thing you want to find is a missing ingredient that can derail your good intentions in a split second. Here are 12 pantry staples that are regularly used in Healable Meals’ menus that will help you stay on track and lead to success in your healing journey.

1. Coconut Oil: High in medium chain triglycerides, coconut oil is an amazing cooking oil that can help heal the brain, the gut and reduce pain. This is a must have (as long as you don’t have an intolerance to coconut) for a variety of recipes used in Healable Meals.

2. Avocado Oil: Because of its neutral flavor, it is great to use in dressings, homemade mayo and for cooking. Avocado oil is high in healthy fats that feed the gut and brain.

3. Coconut Flour: High in fiber and low in carbohydrates, coconut flour is a go to for a flour substitute. It absorbs moisture very well so it is not a one for one substitute but can be used as a thickener for sauces or in baked goods. You may have to add more liquid when baking with coconut flour.

4. Almond Flour: If you don’t have nut sensitivities almond flour is your best friend. High in good fats, vitamin E and magnesium, almond flour is a great alternative to wheat flour (which is always avoided in Healable Meals due to its inflammatory nature to the gut)

5. Psyllium Husk Powder: It makes dough easier to shape and roll when making low carb gluten free breads and rolls. It is also high in insoluble fiber making it a perfect pre-biotic to feed the beneficial bacteria in our gut.

6. Arrow Root Powder: It is gluten free and a great thickener for sauces. It is used in place of corn starch which is made from, obviously corn, which is a grain that should be avoided when healing your body.

7. Sea Salt: An absolute must in the pantry. Either Himalayan sea salt or Grey sea salt. Both are high in important minerals and are not processed, iodized and bleached like commercial salts. Salt enhances any dish so it is important to use the healthiest choices when healing from the inside out.

8. Coconut Sugar: While keeping the sugar consumption low in a healing diet, used as a sweetener in moderation it is a great substitute for commercially processed white sugar.

9. Nutritional Yeast: A deactivated yeast; it is high in beta glucan which is a natural immune booster. One serving also provides 40% of daily iron. With its tangy cheesy creamy taste, it is a great flavor enhancer. Flavor is important when transitioning from artificially flavored “non-foods” to natural foods. Set yourself up for success with great flavors!

10. Coconut Aminos: Used as a substitute for soy sauce and teriyaki sauce. It has a slightly sweeter taste than soy sauce. It is regularly used in Healable Meals to bump up the flavor factor.

11. Fish Sauce: Another flavor enhancer; fish sauce along with coconut aminos makes a nice substitute for soy sauce. Avoiding soy and gluten is a must when healing from the inside out. Fish sauce is very salty so a little goes a long way.

12. Variety of Herbs and Spices: Did we tell you how important good tasting food is when cooking healthy? Coming off addictive artificial flavors and coloring is no easy feat. Your brain literally becomes addicted to these unhealthy substances and when transitioning to healthy food a common complaint is the food just doesn’t taste as good. In reality, it really is delicious, but your palate has been numbed by these chemicals. It usually takes a week or two before you really start to taste real food again. A pantry stocked with herbs and spices is the perfect tool to enjoying your food through the transition period and beyond. Herbs and spices not only taste amazing, they have their own healing properties as well. A few standards would be: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, turmeric, thyme, oregano, peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon, coriander, fennel seeds. There are so many more herbs and spices to experiment with. Try some of these standards but then, explore the spice isle and see what you enjoy the most!