The timing for this post is perfect because my freezer has never been so beautifully stocked in my life. I’ve actually been wanting to share that my husband and I are lucky enough to be going on the trip of a lifetime tomorrow. While our children stay home with the grandparents we will spend the next 15 days exploring Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and China. I absolutely love to travel and desperately want to see as much of the world as possible so this trip is honestly a dream come true for us!
Our Freezer
So what does this have to do with my freezer one might ask? Since we have two different sets of grandparents who are generous enough to fly here and baby-sit I decided to take it upon myself to hook them up. Not only is my wine rack fuller than it’s ever been, but my freezer is stocked to the max with homemade soups, breads, tortillas, breakfast items, muffins, etc. I also bought and froze lots of locally and humanely raised meats like whole chickens, flank steaks, ground meat, bacon, and pork tenderloin. I even found some fresh North Carolina seafood that I threw in the freezer, too. The idea is that they won’t have to worry about buying any food other than fresh fruit and veggies while we are gone. Oh, and this will also guarantee that my children will mainly be eating “real food” approved items in our absence…c’mon you know that has something to do with all this, too. 
So without further ado, here are 21 “real food” freezer, pantry, and fridge essentials including pictures from my own kitchen (click images and then click again to zoom in)!
7 “Real Food” Freezer Essentials
I hope to keep it stocked so nicely for us to enjoy when we return! I also made a “freezer inventory list,” which would be nice to have on hand if we could keep up with it as well.
- Frozen organic berries for making smoothies or berry sauce
- Whole-grain flours like whole-wheat & masa harina and whole-wheat breadcrumbs
- Pre-made stored dishes like soups, sauces, stocks, raviolis, smoothie pops and other leftovers
- Pre-made baked goods like pancakes, waffles and muffins
Our Pantry
- Extra whole-grain breads and tortillas for when you can’t make it to the bakery or don’t feel like making a fresh batch
- Locally & humanely raised meats and seafood that you stock up on when you find a good source and have the chance to buy it
- Frozen organic vegetables like peas and corn (frozen are more nutritious than canned)
7 “Real Food” Pantry Essentials
- Nuts (like raw cashews, almonds, & pecans) and seeds (like raw pumpkin & sunflower). The pantry works for short-term storage, but if you don’t go through these items fairly quickly then store them in the freezer.
- Dried fruit like raisins, dried apricots, and dried apple rings. Also 1-ingredient organic applesauce is great to have on hand when you are out of fresh fruit.
- Baking ingredients like honey, vanilla extract, spices, oils, salt, and baking powder/soda.
- Whole-grain products like whole-grain sandwich bread, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, quinoa, whole-wheat couscous, whole-wheat pretzels/crackers, etc.
- Whole grain cereals like raw oats (for oatmeal), homemade granola, shredded wheat, and whole-grain corn puffs.
- Fresh fruit that doesn’t need to be refrigerated like bananas, peaches, apples, pears, tomatoes, etc. We actually keep these items in a big fruit bowl on the kitchen table.
- Staples like potatoes, onions, garlic, dried/canned beans, and canned tomato products.
Our Fridge
7 “Real Food” Fridge Essentials
- Dairy products like milk, cheese, cream cheese and plain yogurt
- Eggs
- Perishable fruits & vegetables
- 1-ingredient peanut butter & “all-fruit” type jelly
- Cooking fats like unsalted organic butter, clarified butter (ghee), and lard
- Snacks like olives and pickles
- Spread and sauces like hummus, tzatiki, soy sauce, maple syrup, mustard, and homemade salad dressings
Thanks for the list of staples, Lisa! You have some great items on this list, and I’m sure both the kids and grandparents will appreciate all the work you put into their health while you are away.
Have a wonderful trip, and Enjoy Your Journey!
Sayonara ~
We are leaving to Europe & have a similar situation with kids & Grandparents. What are your favorite premade, freezer friendly meals besides soups?
I would LOV E to see an article with pre made meals that can go in the freezer! One recipe I often make and freeze is homemade chunky marinara with (grass fed beef)meatballs. We put a bag in the fridge to defrost and then pick up or make a nice whole grain bread and eat it without noodles. Mmmmm…
Adding “pre-made frozen meals” to my list of future posts to publish…good idea!
Love all these ideas. As far as baking/cooking with flour. Do you grind your own flour, or buy a special brand?
The grocerie store where I live only sell white and whole wheat (which is mostly white right?)… Just wondering what a healthy, cheaper alternative would be?
Thanks!!!
If the whole wheat is 100% whole wheat, you will be fine. I don’t think whole wheat flour is anything other than 100%. I know that Lisa has started grinding her own, but I think store-bought is okay, too.
The brand that she uses in most of the recipes on the site is King Arthur White Whole Wheat. It’s 100% whole wheat but it’s ground from soft white winter wheat instead of hard wheat berries, so it’s a much softer, finer texture. It’s really great for baking and is much less heavy than “regular” whole wheat. I love it!
You are so organized! Have a great trip.
Whoa! Am I jealous! Definitely great staples to have in the house. Good luck on your trip!
I LOVE your pantry, in my small kitchen, the top of my fridge is my “pantry”! I am so jealous! Have fun on your trip and thanks for the great lists.
Wow. They are hooked up!!! Love the suggestions, thank you
This is awesome! Just curious about why olive oil was not listed as one of your cooking fats, and alsi, how lard made the list! I’d love to hear what you have to say about both. Enjoy your trip!
I actually keep olive oil in a cabinet by the stove, but for accuracy purposes I guess I should have listed it as a “pantry” ingredient. Thanks for bringing that up! And for more about lard read this: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/14/mini-pledge-week-10-no-refined-oils/
Gee, can I come stay at your house? lol Looks great!! We have a very small freezer and no place to put a seperate freezer so I’m jealous!
Have a GREAT trip!!!!
I noticed you have frozen food in canning jars. Is there a method for this? I am afraid they wil crack, or cause freezer burn.
They will definitely crack or explode if not frozen correctly! It has happened to me and it makes a big mess. They’ll be OK if you let the jars freeze before putting the lids on. That’s the only way to be sure they won’t crack or explode in your freezer.
If you leave enough headspace in the glass jar at the top to allow for expansion, you won’t have a problem freezing it. About 1-2 inches of headspace is plenty of room.
Yes, there is definitely a method. You either need to leave room at the top for the food to expand when frozen or you can freeze items with the top off (just to be safe) and add the top after it freezes. Good luck!
Great list!! I am always a little hesitant when it comes to putting prepared food in the freezer. Not so much because I’m afraid they will go bad but more because I usually forget that I have them in the freezer and then they are sitting there for months. Maybe I should put a list on the freezer with all the items in there and just cross them off when I eat them.
Have a great trip!! I hope you will post some pictures here when you return!!
Best,
Jen
I discovered your site after yahoo did an article about what you guys are doing. I love your website and ideas, especially the kid friendly aspect of many of your recipes. I have a suggestion though: what if you did 100 days for working moms? or something like this. I typically work about 60 hours a week and I just don’t have a lot of time to cook, although I want to cook healthier.
Thanks again for all the useful information!
I’ve considered that challenge, but not exactly sure how I would structure it. The fact of the matter is though I do “work” by keeping up with this blog. I don’t work quite as much as 60 hours a week, but it is often a full time job to write/edit/publish posts, make/test/photograph recipes, answer comments/emails, manage sponsors, promote the site, etc!
Where are you getting that glass bottled milk?
Enjoy the trip!!
glass bottles are available at whole foods and I’m guessing most food coops. Alternatively, it’s better to buy your milk in cartons (waxed cardboard) vs. plastic – according to some ‘food and toxicity’ gurus!? I tend to think the plastic is not all that bad as it’s kept cool so the toxins in the plastic don’t eat up and leach out into the milk. I tend to like glass containers though and I choose them when possible.
I buy it at Earth Fare. It is also delivered locally, but a few months ago I figured out the same thing is a little cheaper at Earth Fare.
Inspiring! 100days seems achievable
Hey Lisa – enjoy your trip!
When you get back – check out http://www.welcoa.org (wellness council of America) – look up the book by Dr. Ann Kulze about eating right for life – i think you’ll take lard off your list!? I know we eat these things in smaller quantities but I wonder about it…
Also – any idea for pie crusts without as much butter? I’m going on a search myself. And lasly, since you mention it, what do you know about ghee and the changes to the butter once it’s clarified!? Does it alter the saturated fat content at all?
thanks, happy trails,
suzanne
Don’t be afraid of good fats like butter (and even lard)! Here’s some more info on that including ghee: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/14/mini-pledge-week-10-no-refined-oils/ and also info on not eating low-fat: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/04/15/mini-pledge-week-6-no-low-fat-lite-or-nonfat-food-products/
Also, don’t forget that our ancestors survived on lard as a cooking fat for centuries. Unfortunately some flawed research has made everyone scared of it (including me – until recently)!
Kathy- I’m pretty sure she gets her milk delivered by a local dairy farm.
I found a local dairy that has grass-fed cows and they sell their milk at my local food co-op, unfortunately it is almost $7 for a HALF gallon of milk
good list!! yay
good list!! yay!!
Wow! Great job putting together this list!
If I had a larger fridge (and if I didn’t live in a dorm room) I would print out this list and take it with me to the market. I think I’ll file it away somewhere for when I get an apartment. (:
I love it!
I make my own Ghee instead of using butter since my daughter is dairy intolerance used organic unsalted butter…you can see videos on how to make it on you tube!
Hello, Patricia, my boyfriend tries not to eat any dairy as he is lactose intolerant. Does your daughter have the same problem? I have to modify everything I make. Does Ghee make it easier to digest?
I am using that beautiful example of a freezer as a guide to my weekend of cooking!
Great list, thanks! Do you worry about BPA in canned tomatoes? or do you can your own?
No, I don’t. I feel like my brain is already worried about a lot of things when it comes to food so I suppose I let some things (that we use infrequently) go!
I could happily go shopping in your pantry.
When buying Frozen fruit, does it matter if asorbic acid is one of the ingredients, or is that acceptable?
You probably already know this, but in case not, ascorbic acid is just vitamin C.
When I busy frozen veggies/fruit I usually have no problem finding 1-ingredient products so I would keep looking.
why do you refrigerate soy sauce?
It says to do that on the bottle, although we also went many years keeping it in the pantry w/o a problem.
When you freezer your food in glass ball jars – do you actually “can” the items or just screw the lids on and freeze?
No “canning” necessary…just leave room at the top for the food to expand and put the lid on. That’s it!
I see you are also friends with a label maker!
Hi Lisa, I’m so jealous over your freezer! I’m on a campaign to convince my hsband that we NEED one. It looks like we have the same refrigerator that you do so you know how small the freezer compartment is!! I have a questionon a completely different subject. We are getting a puppy soon. I was wondering if you have pets and if so what do you feed them? I want to make sure I feed our new family member with as much care as I do the rest of us.
We don’t have any pets so I am sorry I am not the best person to ask about that one!
Do you have any tips for buying pure maple syrup? I guess what I want to know is whether there is a way to buy it in larger quantities to keep costs down. It’s soooo expensive.
I am not the best bargain hunter, but people have told me that you can get good deals on staples like this if you order it online. I buy mine from Earth Fare b/c it is convenient
Lisa, I’ve heard that it is NOT suggested to freeze or put in the fridge whole wheat bread ( or any type of bread) as it will change the taste or consistency? what is your suggestion? Thanks for all you do!
Great Harvest Bakery (where I shop regularly) told me I can freeze the bread, but not to refrigerate it b/c like you said…it compromises the texture. I freeze their bread all the time and then defrost it (and keep it) at room temp. It comes out great! (And you are welcome!
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I have Celiac Disease and cannot have anything with gluten (ie wheat, barely, rye, or spelt) in it. I have been moving more towards whole food and healthier eating but I can’t seem to figure out how to get around using starches or finding good whole grain gluten free bread. Is there anything you suggest?
Check out Deliciously Organic and Elana’s Pantry (both blogs) b/c they have lots of gluten-free info/recipes!
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Hi,
I’m a latecomer to your blog. I love(!) this post but I couldn’t help but cringe when you called corn a vegetable, as you mentioned with the whole-grain cereal portion.
I feel that it’s also worth mentioning that corn and soy products (and items containing either ingredient) should always be purchased organic as this is the only way to ensure you’re not eating Monsanto’s “Round-up Ready” GMOs.
Thanks for your blogging. Looking forward to reading more!
I agree, corn is NOT a vegetable, neither are white potatoes, both are starches. Also dairy and eggs should be stored in the main part of your fridge, according to Martha Stewart, as the door doesn’t stay cold enough. That being said, I’m jealous of all the extra space in your fridge, mine is usually overflowing with real food
According to the 5 ingredient rule, I found that Dannon all natural yogurt (plain) has only one, cultured grade A milk!