10 Foods We Always Have in Our House

1. Olive Oil & Apple Cider Vinegar

I use these two ingredients every day to cook with and to make marinades, dressings, dips, and more. A good cold pressed olive oil has numerous health benefits without congesting the body when used in moderation. Braggs Raw Apple Cider Vinegar with "The Mother" is one of the most healing things on the planet. We use it in most of our cleanses to help alkalize the body and provide it with healthy bacteria to aid in digestion. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is great in salad dressings and marinades as well.

2. Almonds/Walnuts/Sunflower/Pumpkin Seeds

We use nuts and seeds every day for snacks, salad toppings, or in recipes like raw balls. It's important to soak your nuts and seeds before consuming them because they naturally contain nutritional inhibitors which keep the nuts and seeds from spoiling and in good storing condition, but these make it difficult to digest and breakdown. Here's an easy guide for soaking and sprouting.

3, Coconut Flakes

We use raw unsweetened coconut flakes to make coconut milk, breading for chicken fingers and fish sticks, toppings for smoothie bowls, an ingredient in raw balls, or just by themselves as a snack.

4. Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are some of the most nutritious and healing foods we can eat. We use greens in salads, soups, smoothies, juices, as wraps in place of bread, and more.

5. Root Vegetables (mainly beets and carrots)

Carrots are a great raw snack especially when paired with our dairy-free ranch dressing. We use beets and carrots as bases in a lot of our juices. One of our favorite family recipes is roasting root vegetables with olive oil, sea salt and herbs in the oven and making it a side dish with chicken or fish or using them to top a big salad.

6. Sauerkraut (fermented veggies)

A lot of health diets encourage fermented foods, especially veggies to help aid digestion, promote healthy gut flora, and create a strong internal ecosystem. We use sauerkraut on salads, mix it into guacamole, toss it with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and our Greek dressing, or eat it on its own for a healthy snack.

7. Avocado

We keep lots of avocados in the house for a source of healthy and filling fats. Throwing an avocado into a smoothie instantly makes it more filling and a great consistency too. We also love them on salads, wraps, and of course as guacamole for dipping carrots, celery, cucumbers and raw zucchini slices. One unique way we use avocados is in desserts like Lemon Avocado Pudding, Raw Chocolate Cream Pie with Vanilla Maca Layer, and Raw Chocolate Pudding.

8. Organic or Local Apples

Apples are very high in fiber, so these are also a filling food to have at breakfast or between meals as a snack. They are great in smoothies, dipped in almond butter, blended into homemade applesauce, or simply baked. We also sweeten many of our green juices with a Granny Smith apple.

9. Lemons

We go through lots and lots of lemons! Every day we put lemons in our water for a quick alkaline drink. Many people drink hot lemon water in the morning instead of coffee or tea to help wake them up and give them clarity to start the day. We also use fresh lemon juice in sauces, dressings, smoothies, and juices.

10. Sea Salt or Pink Himalayan Salt

Never use table salt! If you don't know, table salt is 97% Sodium Chloride (NaCl) that is chemically produced, bleached and devoid of most other nutrients including trace minerals. It also contains aluminum which can cause numerous health issues. This is why we use sea salt or pink Himalayan salt. A good quality salt comes from nature and isn't changed or altered. This kind of salt provides trace minerals that the body needs to function. Remember God formed man out of dust (minerals), so we need minerals for our bodies to work properly. We use sea salt in the obvious ways on food and in recipes, but another is in our water. We often start the day with one tsp. of sea salt or pink Himalayan salt in a glass of water and drink it (you can do the same thing through the Sole method with salt stones). It may sound silly, but this is incredibly powerful for regulating insulin, hydration, longevity, hormones, digestion, and more. Try it for a month and see how it makes you feel.