If you want a simple list of healthy food we keep in our pantry, fridge and freezer, you’re in the right place! Stocking your fridge means fresh veggies, fruits, and some dairy to fuel your days. Check out some of the things we always have on hand.

If you haven’t seen our grocery guide, you can check it out HERE .

If you’re looking for specifics on baking, we do have a baking guide HERE.

Let’s Stock Your Fridge!

Our fridge is stocked full of fresh foods you are going to use frequently. Specific recipes will require additional ingredients, but here are the things we like to always have on hand from our local grocery store. Depending on your family, you might shop for some of these items at big box stores like Costco or Sam’s club but in most cases we just go to our local grocery store!

*Protein - I always have 3 different types of protein in my fridge. Why? You can season it, cook it, and pair it with a veggie and you’ve at least got SOMETHING healthy you can eat! diversity in the foods that you eat leads to diversity in the nutrients you receive. So try to change it up. Check out our Grocery Guide for a list, but salmon or shrimp, beef, pork, chicken… there are so many options! We almost always start our week out with ground beef, chicken breast and either salmon or shrimp.

Tips: Buy the healthiest version that works for your budget and it’s easiest if you skip the pre-seasoned options. It’s so easy to season yourself and you’d be surprised at the sugar that can be added to seasoning and sauces!

*Veggies - Our diet is based in healthy protein and veggies. So we have to keep veggies on hand! Favorite veggies vary by family. For us it’s broccoli, Caesar salad and cucumbers (although technically cucumbers are fruit). When it’s grill season, asparagus also becomes a favorite. Find an above ground green veggie your family will eat. Not sure what that is? Try roasting, grilling, baking, and steaming different veggies.

If you’re looking for a full on side dish (rather than just a simple veggie) we have delicious broccoli salad, coleslaw and potato salad recipes that your family will love! They’re so good we eat the leftovers as lunch!

Remember - your carbs come from your veggies, so eat up!

*Butter - When the Keto diet first became popular, bacon and butter were the symbols of this high fat diet. Now that it’s more used as a metabolic health “diet” rather than a therapeautic diet relying on very low carb and very high fat macros, butter plays a more traditional role.

In any recipe that calls for vegetable or canola oil, I simply replace it with butter. I also use butter when I roast my veggies. It’s my go-to for roasted broccoli or cauliflower! Grab a high quality butter (not margarine). Kerrygold is a very popular brand, but there are other brands (they vary by store and region). Butter is definitely something I stock up on when it’s on sale.

Remember… don’t blame the butter for what the bread did! Butter is good!

*Eggs - This delicious source of protein is essential to have on hand for baking (our white bread chaffle is the perfect bread replacement!) or to have as breakfast! We have a whole list of omelet ideas on our Mason Jar Egg recipe. Hardboiled eggs even make a great snack or lunch. We make them in the Instant Pot.

Just like the protein mentioned above, when you buy eggs you want to go for the healthiest version your budget allows.
Conventional eggs - not marked in any way and are your typical grocery store egg.
Cage Free - not restricted to cages, but not necessarily outside or much space to move.
Organic - uncaged and access to outside
Pasture Raised - Raised outside with more space, the best option unless you can find…
Farm Fresh - get them straight from your local farmer! We live in the suburbs and this is a great option for us.

*Berries - Berries are the lowest carb fruit and the first thing I turn to when I need a sweet snack or dessert! They’re also great for my kids for breakfast or after school.

Berries are the lowest carb fruit with the best nutrients. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries… whatever is in season! We’ll also freeze them when they’re in season to use them in recipes later.

Try some of these recipes:
Raspberry Scones
Blueberry Muffins
Fruit Parfait
Chocolate Mousse / Stuffed Raspberries

*Almond/Coconut Milk - This low carb/keto friendly option is what we now use for smoothies and cooking. I always have it on hand! We generally don’t drink milk anymore (our kids still do sometimes, but they don’t eat a strict Keto or low carb diet). Milk has a surprising amount of sugar in it (especially when you go from whole milk to 2% to fat free!).

When we make our Chia Seed Pudding, we use coconut or almond milk. When I make my Keto Kreme drinks for a hot afternoon or evening snack, I use coconut milk. It’s also in our pancake recipe. Generally almond and coconut milk are interchangeable, so just grab the one you’d prefer. We actually buy a brand that is combined almond/coconut milk.

Tip: Make sure you buy unsweetened. No need to add sugar to it!

*Yogurt - A simple high protein, low carb item to stock your fridge! This healthy grocery item keeps me on track with quick and simple snacks or meals that are high in protein and low in carbs!

There are a few basic rules to buying yogurt. First, buy the plain kind. Any flavored ones will most likely have unfavorable sweeteners in them. Now that keto is more popular, there are keto friendly vanilla and strawberry options available…but you really need to read the labels. And of course the “keto” versions are more expensive than just a plain yogurt!

Second, choose the whole milk, full fat, or greek version. Different brands have different options. If you buy fat free or low fat, the fat is replaced with sugar… and sugar is what we want to avoid!

Yogurt and granola is so versatile for me. A go-to quick breakfast, lunch or snack! Having healthy, filling snacks around keeps you on track. Want to add a little sweeteness? Dice up whatever berry you have on hand! We also have an amazing Snickers Dessert made with plain yogurt. It is SO good!

*Heavy Whipping Cream - Coffee lover? Heavy cream and sweetener is my go-to. Making keto pancakes, waffles or crepes? Make your own whipped cream. Need a fluffy peanut butter pie? This is an ingredient you’ll need!

We also make some delicious cream based sauces (like our alfredo sauce) and dinners (like this stovetop chicken broccoli). One thing we do keep in mind is how much dairy we are eating. Between the cheese, heavy cream and yogurt, it can be a lot if you’re not careful. So while it’s something we keep on our grocery list, it may not be in our fridge every week.

Click below to see our guides to stocking your Pantry or your Freezer!