Years ago, when I lived in Germany, the fridge in our apartment was really small. Over the course of the few years I lived there, and the different apartments and townhouses I occupied, that was pretty standard - small fridges were in every kitchen. At first, it took some getting used to. We couldn’t buy a lot of food because it simply wouldn’t fit. Further, the food didn’t tend to last as long as the food in the states (which really made me wonder what was being put on the food to make it last longer, but that’s another story for another day). So, we adjusted our shopping habits and started to buy food daily. It wound up turning out really great - I’d buy just what I needed, and on Saturday, I’d buy a little extra since nearly everything was closed on Sundays. The end result is that food was rarely wasted, and my money went a long way.

I continued to shop this way over the last few years since returning to the US, but with the arrival of COVID-19 and the importance of social distancing, I’ve revised my shopping strategy and now only go to the grocery store about every nine or ten days. I recently shared a grocery haul on the YogaByCandace® app (available on iOS and Google Play), which showed the different fresh food I buy.

Today, I wanted to focus on shelf stable food. To be honest, we don’t typically have a lot of shelf stable food in our house - we typically eat meat and veggies and then either sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or double veg. That’s not sustainable right now, so we’ve been buying more shelf stable food as of late and here are my healthier picks:

Kettle and Fire Bone Broth - This stuff is legit, and is the only shelf stable bone broth I’d recommend. I’ve personally worked with the owner of this company a few years ago and trust him implicitly. They simmer the broth for an extended period of time, use high quality ingredients and the taste is fantastic.
Organic Quinoa - To reduce the trips to the grocery store, we’ve stocked up on quinoa and use it to bulk up our meals instead of having our usual double veg or sweet potato. Cook it in the broth for exceptional taste!
Organic Refried Beans - Taco nights have become something we look forward to every week (I highly recommend these taco shells), and refried beans in the taco are a must.
Organic Kidney Beans - I’ll use these to bulk up a salad when we have salad for a main meal. Prep tip: Soak them overnight and rinse thoroughly - they are easier to digest this way.
Organic Chia Seeds - These are a staple snack. You can put them in your milk or choice, yogurt, or water for a pudding. They’re also a great source of fiber in a breakfast smoothie.
Pork fat - Cooking your food in a variety of fat is good for the body, according to this book on leaky gut. I always have pork fat on hand. It adds incredible flavor while sautéing veggies, to toast quinoa before cooking, or when making eggs.
Pasture Raised Ghee - Another great source of cooking fat, and this one is particularly good because it can withstand extremely high heat. I love this brand so much and all their flavored ghee is incredible!
Coconut Oil - Coconut oil is a must in our house. I bake with it, cook nearly everything in it, and love it especially for popcorn! I aim for cold pressed and unrefined for the best quality.
Olive Oil - I tend to buy my olive oil at HomeGoods (they have a fantastic health food section). Their oils are usually imported from Italy or Greece, and those countries have much higher standards for their olive oil than the US, so the taste and quality is excellent.
Protein Powder - Right now, the Bulletproof brand is my favorite (chocolate only, though, the vanilla I’m not crazy about). I use this in my breakfast smoothies.