The source and quality of ingredients matters in each recipe. Not all types of foods like almond flour, coconut flour, chocolate and cocoa powder are created equal or perform the same way in recipes. Here is a list of the products that I consistently buy and use. I have done my research and think they are fantastic. Most products I buy are organic. I operate on the principle of "organic is preferable, but only if possible." Some foods are not completely necessary to buy organic, or the price is simply not affordable. May this list help you in your real food cooking endeavors!
Baking Items:
Almond flour (blanched and unblanched) -- Honeyville
Coconut products (all):
coconut flour -- Tropical Traditions
coconut oil -- Tropical Traditions
coconut meat -- Tropical Traditions
coconut cream concentrate -- Tropical Traditions
Chocolate products [FREE OF SOY] (all):
Baking squares --
Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate Squares
Ghirardelli Unsweetened Chocolate Baking Bars
Bars --
Alter Eco
Equal Exchange
Vivani
Green and Blacks, 85%
Lindt, 90%
Some Trader Joes varieties, look for the shiny purple label dark chocolate bar
Chocolate chips --
Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
Enjoy Life Chocolate Chunks
Marcie's Sweets
Soyfreesales.com
Cacao nibs (raw) -- Navitas Naturals
Cacao powder (raw) -- Navitas Naturals
Cocoa powder -- Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Cocoa butter (raw) -- Tisano Organic and Raw Cocoa Butter
Sweeteners (all):
Stevia, unflavored -- SweetLeaf, Stevia Clear
Stevia, vanilla flavored -- SweetLeaf, Vanilla Creme
Molasses -- Any organic unsulfured molasses
Raw honey -- raw honey's do not all taste the same
Online: YS Organic Bee Farms
Great local NH brand: Swan's Maine Beekeeper
Maple syrup -- Any grade B, preferably straight from the farmer
Palm/coconut sugar --
Sweet Tree
Navitas Naturals
Essential Living Foods
Spices (all):
Cinnamon -- Now I always buy cinnamon online, in bulk. It is SOO much cheaper, and convenient, since I go through cinnamon quickly and can just fill up my own shaker spice jar as needed. Look for Vietnamese cinnamon, it has a higher % oil content is is more robust and flavorful than typical grocery store cinnamon. If you cannot get Vietnamese cinnamon, look for the kind with the highest percentage of oil.
Nutmeg -- Buy whole nutmeg, and grind it fresh yourself or buy any organic ground nutmeg
Unrefined sea salt -- see below
Vanilla Beans -- Organic Vanilla Beans
Best companies to buy dried spices -- Look for organic, non-irradiated spices:
Frontier Organics
Simply Organic
Whole Foods Market organic brand
Fresh items (dairy, eggs, fats):
Dairy [FREE of all oxidized cholesterol/milk powders] (all):
Butter --
KerryGold
Organic Pastures Raw Butter (CA)
Organic Valley Pastured Butter
Cheese --
Cheddar --
KerryGold
Cabot
Organic Pastures Raw Cheddar (CA)
Raw cheddar from your local farmer
Cottage cheese --
Kalona Organics Super Natural 4% (whole milk) Cottage cheese
Daisy brand Cottage cheese, 4% or 2% - not organic
Feta -- For taste and nutrition, pick goat and sheep's milk feta
Goat cheese --
Whole Foods
Redwood Hill Creamery
Mozarella -- Look for local whole milk mozarella
Parmesan -- Look for imported raw milk parmesan
Egg-nog -- Make your own!
Raw whole milk --
Fresh from a local trusted farm
Brookford Farm (local NH)
Organic Pastures (CA)
Clarevale Farm (local CA)
Pure Eire Dairy (WA)
St. John Creamery (goat milk, WA)
Pride and Joy Dairy (WA)
Twin Brook Creamery (WA, great products, not raw)
Raw cows cream --
Organic Pastures (CA)
Clarevale Farm (local CA)
Yogurt --
Redwood Hill Creamery Plain Whole Goat Milk yogurt
Straus Organic Creamery Cows Whole Milk Plain yogurt (West Coast)
Stonyfield Farms Organic yogurt
Fage Total and 2% Greek yogurt
Greek Gods Traditional Plain (green packaging only)
Eggs --
Seek pastured eggs from your local farmer or buy them at Whole Foods or your local natural foods store
Fats (all):
Avocados -- because of their thick skin, these are not necessary to buy organic
Butter -- see above
Coconut oil -- see above
Olive oil -- Always look for cold-pressed, organic, extra-virgin with an expiration date, dark bottle, and from one olive source (not several countries)
Red palm oil -- Tropical Traditions
Palm oil shortening -- Tropical Traditions
Nuts -- look for organic, raw and unpasteurized
Other essentials:
Unrefined Sea salt -- Real Salt and Celtic Sea Salt
Baking soda -- Arm & Hammer
Baking powder -- Look for aluminum FREE, my favorite is Rumford's
Vanilla extract -- Look for organic and sugar free, my favorite is Simply Organic
Apple Cider vinegar -- Bragg's brand
**For a list of essential tools that I never would want to live without, check out my Amazon store.
ALSO -- Try COSTCO for some great items also, like Nutiva coconut oils, Avocado oils, good quality vanilla extract, garlic powders, whole nuts, etc.
These are websites/companies I frequent, have used for several years, and fully endorse (but I am NOT affiliated with them in any way):
Tropical Traditions
Vitacost.com
In general, Amazon has tons of products that you can easily buy together.
Vitacost.com has the cheapest prices around (I've done my research).
iHerb.com is sometimes ok. Their selection, prices, and service has been improving.
Tropical Traditions is a must for good quality products (at great prices) like all coconut products and other fats. They even carry organic/natural personal care products with short ingredient lists which I love! You may even wish to become a member of their Health Buyers club and which can save a lot of money.
If you have any questions about a specific product or any questions in general, feel free to contact me.
