Shopping List

Click on a category below to view Shopping List resources:

• Coconut Products

  I regularly use coconut products of all kinds in my home for a variety of dishes.

  Virgin coconut oil (VCO) is wonderful for skincare, weight loss and therapeutic uses like oil pulling. This brand is also excellent and thoroughly vetted for quality.

  Coconut flour is an excellent alternative to grains for baking and there are many recipes on this blog that use it.

  Coconut ghee, coconut cream, coconut milk, coconut flakes/chips, and coconut butter are other products I find useful for baking. I recommend sourcing coconut products from Radiant Life or Perfect Supplements (use coupon HEALTHYHOME10 to get 10% off).

  I recommend this brand and this brand of expeller-pressed, lightly refined coconut oil for low temp cooking and baking as it does not impart a coconut taste to the food like VCO can. I do not recommend fractionated coconut oil (sometimes called “culinary” or “liquid coconut oil”) for any uses whatsoever as they are heavily adulterated.

• Healthy Fats & Oils

  Olive Oil: Most of the olive oils on the market are blended with (unlabeled) cheaper vegetable oils so I buy this extra virgin olive oil by Jovial Foods which is organic and 100% authentic. I have personally toured the facility where it is made in Italy. It is delicious on salads with a drizzle of pure balsamic vinegar.

  Ghee also called clarified butter is a traditional cooking fat from India and a wonderful option for those with dairy allergies as all the milk proteins have been removed leaving only the nonallergenic butter oil. Different types of ghee are available depending on the culinary need including plain, cultured, spiced or coconut ghee.

  Butter is one of the healthiest and most affordable fats to use for cooking – use grass-fed and use it often! Homemade ghee is easily made from grass-fed butter, by the way!

  Palm Oil: Not all palm oil including red palm oil is contributing to deforestation. This source for a sustainably produced palm oil is a green as well as a healthy choice.

  Sesame Oil a great oil to use for making mayonnaise as it does not solidify when refrigerated. “Mary’s Blend” named after Dr. Mary Enig, co-author of Nourishing Traditions cookbook, is recommended for cooking or making mayo and is 1/3 sesame oil, 1/3 extra virgin olive oil, and 1/3 coconut oil.

  Other healthy fats for cooking include avocado oil, tallow, lard, duck and goose fat. Either render at home or for convenience, tallow and pastured lard can be purchased.

  Fats to avoid include grapeseed oil, rice bran oil, hemp seed oil, canola, peanut oil, safflower oil, pumpkin oil and sunflower oil (unless cold-pressed and high oleic). Walnut oil is a wonderful source of plant-based omega-3 fats for salad dressing.

• Healthy Sleep

  Mattresses: I recommend two brands of mattresses, Intellibed and My Green Mattress.

  Premium Option: The Organix line of IntelliBED mattresses is made with the patented IntelliGel and organic cotton cover. It is recommended by hundreds of osteopaths and chiropractors as the best, safest, and most nontoxic sleep technology on the market today. Intellibed has the lowest mattress return rate in the industry and a 20-year guarantee.

  Click here to learn more or read my intelliBED review here.

  Try the IntelliBED for three months risk-free, using coupon code HealthyHome to get 10% off, a free mattress protector, and a set of organic cotton sheets ($600 value). Free shipping and white glove set-up included.

  Budget-Friendly Option: My Green Mattress is an excellent, quality option for tighter budgets. All mattresses are GOLS and GOTS certified organic, made to order, and delivered within two weeks or less. The Natural Escape is my favorite model, and the Hope mattress has no metal innerspring for those sensitive to EMFs. My Green Mattress offers a 120 Night Sleep Trial guarantee.

  See my organic mattress brand review for more information.

• Detoxification

  Near Infrared Sauna: While sauna is a traditional and highly effective way to safely and gently detoxify, be aware that not all sauna technology is safe. I only recommend and personally use the SaunaSpace near infrared (NIR) sauna (far infrared is high in EMFs and flicker stress from the LED lights).

  Near infrared saunas with analog lamp bulbs, on the other hand, are completely safe even if a person is very sick or frail. Saunaspace doesn’t get too hot (stays comfortably around 100 °F/ 38 °C) or scatter dangerous EMFs inside the sauna while a person is using it like popular far infrared (FIR) sauna technology.

  * If you would like to try any Saunaspace model risk free and see for yourself how gentle detoxification improves health dramatically, use coupon code HEALTHYHOME for 5% off (valid for 1 use per person). You can read my infrared sauna review at this link which compares near, far, and full-spectrum sauna models.

  

• Fermented Food

  Getting started with fermented food and beverages is an important step to incorporating Traditional Diet in one’s home. There are over 20 videos on this blog that teach you how to make various fermented foods and drinks, but in order to get started, you need the proper cultures!

  For kombucha and Jun tea cultures, starter liquid, fermentation vessels, and other supplies, I recommend Kombucha Kamp.

  For all other fermented food starters and supplies including dairy and water kefir, vegetable starter cultures, yogurt, kefir, sourdough, vegetables and cheese, I recommend Cultures for Health. Free shipping is available. Use the banner below to get 20% off your first order.

  

• Bread, Flour, Grains & Legumes

  Einkorn: I use both plain and sprouted einkorn flour for baking as it is nonhybridized heirloom wheat which is higher in nutrition and more digestible and well-tolerated than any other type of wheat. If you have a grain grinder, you can purchase einkorn berries for the freshest flour or alternatively, high-extraction flour for general baking needs.

  REAL Sourdough! Looking for real sourdough bread with no yeast, sweetener or additives? Try this family-owned bakery that ships fresh to your door! I order a half dozen loaves of the rustic sourdough every 2-3 weeks and freeze what I won’t use right away. They thaw perfectly!

  Use coupon code MYFIRSTORDER at checkout to get 10% off. Free shipping available.

  Other real sourdough products I buy from this bakery include:

  • tortillas
  • burger buns
  • oat sourdough
  • bagels
  • cinnamon bread
  • English muffins

  For gluten-free baking, it is best to mix your own flour, but if this is not possible, this organic, sprouted gluten-free flour blend is available.

  Grain Free Flours: Coconut flour is wonderful for grain-free baked goods. Arrowroot is a healthy grain-free thickener. Sprouted almonds and other nuts also make great flour for baking when finely ground. Another option is cassava, similar to arrowroot with many health benefits as outlined in the linked articles.

  Sprouted Pasta and Grains: Sprouted flour is ideal for cookies and quick bread. I used to have to sprout all my grain myself, but thankfully, you can make homemade sprouted grain flour or buy quality sprouted flour online, which eliminates the need for this time-intensive process.

  Sprouted pasta is a much healthier and digestible alternative to standard pasta.

  Oats and Other Grains: Oats are often heat-treated prior to grinding into flour or rolled for oatmeal which can inactivate heat-sensitive food enzymes while leaving enzyme inhibitors like phytic acid intact. Sprouted oats eliminate this problem as they are untreated. Simply grind them on a coarse setting in a grain grinder, soak and cook as usual.

  Other grains for cooking and baking include millet, spelt, quinoa, basmati rice, and barley. Millet has health risks if consumed in excess, so take heed to enjoy in moderation. We use these other grains soaked and cooked for side dishes, breakfast porridge or as an addition to soups. They can also be ground fresh into whole-grain flours as needed. It is best not to buy grains from bulk bins as grains tend to go rancid quite easily. Best to buy in sealed packages or buckets.

  Beans and Other Legumes: My favorite legume is lentils due to their high phosphorus content. You can also buy sprouted lentils to avoid the work of soaking lentils prior to cooking. Lentil soup is a staple during the wintertime in our home. I also use red and white kidney beans for chili on a frequent basis. Dried beans are best sourced organic with navy beans the lowest in starch if you are low carb (also GAPS friendly).

  If you prefer jarred beans instead of dried, this line of organic chickpeas and beans in glass jars packed in water and sea salt by Jovial Foods is produced on small farms for the best quality. No soaking needed first! You can proceed directly to cooking using these quality legumes. This article explains why soaking beans and other legumes prior to cooking helps with digestion and nutrient absorption.

• Supplements & Superfoods

  I don’t recommend a lot of supplements – only a few that are whole food based and nutrient-dense. Here is a list of the ones I recommend and that my family and I take on a regular basis.

  High Vitamin Fish Liver Oils: Fish liver oil extracted using no heat or solvents to preserve delicate nutrients and co-factors is the ideal supplement to supply natural Vitamin A and D and omega-3 fatty acids to the diet.

  Our family uses raw, Icelandic extra virgin cod liver oil available in both plain and flavored liquid or capsules.

  Dropi is also available here in all flavors. Use coupon code HEALTHYHOME10 to save 10% off your entire order.

  

  Testing results for quality CLO brands can be found here.

  Vitamin K2: High-vitamin butter oil is the perfect synergistic companion to high vitamin cod liver oil based on the research of Dr. Weston A. Price for maintaining optimal dental health. Find it here. This article on the benefits of butter oil contains more information.

  If you have a dairy allergy, emu oil is the best animal source of K2. Find it here.

  The most potent plant-based source of Vitamin K2 is fermented natto extract. I use this vetted source.

  Raw, Desiccated Liver: Liver is a traditional superfood, and extraordinarily rich in B vitamins, folate, and vitamin A. Liver capsules are great for traveling and for those who have trouble consuming liver once or twice a week. Beware of some brands that denature the liver powder into a fractionated food by defatting it! Where to find whole food-based liver powder and capsules.

  Probiotics: In addition to consuming a wide range of fermented foods, my family and I also consume a therapeutic-grade BioKult probiotic to help support ongoing gut health. We have consumed this brand for over 10 years with fantastic results.

  Other vetted probiotic brands for gastrointestinal and immunity health include: Prescript-Assist, Pure Encapsulations, Just Thrive, and Terra Flora.
  
  Oral probiotics are helpful to reduce the frequency of ear, nose, and throat infections and to improve the health of the teeth and gums. This brand has the best ingredients I’ve found, and it is a chewable, great-tasting tablet good for both kids and adults.

Other Supplements

Vitamin C: Most vitamin C on the market is synthetically derived as ascorbic acid from GMO corn. Make sure you source only whole food based vitamin C. Here is where I buy mine (I personally like to rotate these quality whole food sources).

Gelatin: Gelatin greatly supports skin and digestive system health. Powdered gelatin is a healthier choice than protein powder and can be added to smoothies for a natural protein boost. It can also be used in soups and desserts or as a thickener for sauces. We use high-quality grass-fed beef gelatin in our home that is tested for purity including glyphosate residue.

Collagen Hydrolysate (peptides): Collagen is great to use as a whole foods protein supplement to add to cold foods like a smoothie. You can also add it to baked goods and other foods. I prefer to use pasture-raised collagen peptides tested by a third party.

Be sure to ONLY buy grass-fed collagen from brands that have independently certified that the collagen is free of glyphosate residue, which is a huge problem for these types of products that concentrate animal tissue. Currently, only one brand meets this criterion.

These articles on collagen hydrolysate and hydrolyzed collagen explain the differences between brands.

Natural Antibiotic/Antifungal/Antiviral:  My go-to supplement for natural anti-viral, antibiotic, antifungal and antiparasitic needs is Allimax…pure allicin extract from garlic. One capsule is the equivalent of consuming 34 raw garlic cloves. Won’t harm good flora and acts as a prebiotic for the gut too.  I haven’t ever come across anything this stuff can’t knock out in a hurry!

• Baby & Child

  

  Homemade Baby Formula: Breastfeeding is best for Mom and baby, but when logistical or medical challenges make this goal impossible, a nourishing homemade baby formula fills the gap much better than any commercial formulas – even organic!

  I recommend this one-stop shop for purchasing the homemade formula kit to get started quickly as babies don’t wait. Piecing the ingredients together is very difficult otherwise.

  Please note that once your ingredients arrive, there are videos on this blog to show you exactly how to make homemade formula yourself (one 36 ounce batch takes about 10 minutes).

  Check these links for cow milk DIY baby formula, goat milk homemade formula, non-dairy baby formula, and camel milk infant formula recipes.

• Organic Bone Broth

  Bone Broth: Homemade bone broth simmered properly for 24-48 hours with organic vegetables and loaded with colloidal minerals and gelatin is a superfood essential to good health and maintenance of a healthy digestive system.

  I recommend ONLY two sources:  Epic bone broth in shelf-stable glass jars or Bonafide Provisions if you have refrigerator/freezer space. Bonafide broth is the best choice as it gels at room temperature, indicating a higher quality product. It is also cooled before packaging so hot broth never comes in contact with the container.

• Snacks

  Decent snacks are a must for lunchboxes and on the go in the car. Here are a few of my favorites that never equal homemade but are high enough quality that I feel good enough about to purchase.

  Nuts: These sprouted nuts of all kinds make for filling and highly digestible snacks.

  Snack Bars: I purchase 3 types of jerky – buffalo jerky, grass-fed beef jerky, and free-range turkey jerky. We’ve tried many brands and these are my children’s favorites as well as ones that are free of MSG, chemicals, and additives.

  Another super delicious snack idea is the PaleoValley grass-fed beef sticks (turkey sticks too). They are so tasty and the ingredients are perfect! I even sliced one up very thin and it made an excellent pepperoni on a homemade pizza! My son eats one or two for a quick breakfast in his college dorm room.

  Crackers: These 3 flavors of Jovial Foods’ sourdough crackers literally have perfect ingredients. There isn’t another cracker on the market that is as delicious or healthy, and I’ve examined dozens of brands. It is the only commercially made cracker we use in our home.

  Cookies: I am very picky about the cookies I will purchase for my children, preferring homemade if possible. If I must purchase, here are my three current favorites: this brand which offers a good selection of mini cookies, this brand of butter shortbreads and these delicious quinoa cookies.

  Chips: Most brands of chips even if organic are unacceptable due to the inappropriate and unhealthy frying oils involved. I do purchase these potato chips made with avocado oil for my children’s lunchboxes on occasion. I also purchase these sprouted pretzels and sprouted pretzel puffs. Another option is Sea Snax which is a crunchy, tasty alternative made with kelp.

• Sweeteners

  Raw Honey: Local raw honey is the healthiest of all sweeteners and most preferred in my home. Don’t ever heat it though as it destroys many of the beneficial properties. If finding a local source that you trust proves difficult, quality raw honey is available online.

  For medicinal purposes, choose manuka honey that is raw and certified 15+ for maximum potency. More on the benefits of manuka in the linked article.

  Date Syrup and Sugar: Next to raw honey, date syrup is my favorite sweetener as it is 100% fruit and loaded with minerals. Date syrup is fine to use in any type of dish, heated or not.

  I recommend sourcing from the Date Lady website. Use coupon code healthyhome to get 15% off your first order, and use coupon code healthyhome2 for a 5% discount on all reorders. Free shipping available too!

  

  Other Healthy Sweeteners: Other whole, natural sweeteners I use in our home are liquid and powdered stevia, blackstrap molasses, and dark maple syrup.

  Unrefined Maple or Cane Sugar: Unrefined maple sugar or cane sugar are a better choice than white sugar because the beneficial minerals remain. They can be substituted in most recipes 1:1 for white sugar and will add an additional level of complexity to the flavor that is very enjoyable. I purchase it in bulk from a local co-op but if this isn’t an option, unrefined cane sugar is available online.

  Jaggery: Jaggery is a traditional sweetener from India and South America made by evaporating raw sugarcane or coconut nectar juice without separating any minerals from the crystals. Jaggery is a truly delicious and healthy alternative sweetener! Source palm jaggery here and cane jaggery here.

  Organic White Sugar: I recommend using organic white sugar for making kombucha only. The sweetener feeds the culture during the fermentation process and is almost entirely used up in the process. I don’t recommend nonorganic white sugar as this is many times from genetically modified (GMO) sources unless it specifically states that it is 100% cane sugar.

  Coconut Sugar: Coconut sugar is an all natural, mild tasting and low glycemic sweetener produced by dehydrating the nectar produced from coconut buds. It can be used at a 1:1 ratio for regular cane sugar. It can also be used in liquid form as coconut nectar instead of maple syrup.

  Healthy Chewing Gum: My family’s favorite all natural chewing gum is Simply-Gum which contains no synthetic or artificial anything. It comes in six flavors to choose from: maple, cinnamon, mint, ginger, licorice, and coffee. Our family enjoys the cinnamon, mint, and licorice flavors the best