sick of quinoa and oats.
what to do with
EXTRA WILD RICE
You can pop wild rice the same way
you pop popcorn.
Fiber-rich
grains can
be a great
addition to a
healthy diet.
In the recipes
that follow,
you’ll find wild
rice, quinoa,
rice, and
rolled oats.
DRIED/CANNED GOODS
• Canned organic chickpeas
• Canned organic black beans
• Canned organic lentils
• Canned organic kidney beans
• Dry red lentils
• Canned organic cannellini or great
northern beans
• Canned full-fat coconut milk
• Canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
• Nuts: almonds, cashews, pecans,
walnuts, hazelnuts
• Nut and seed butters: Almond butter, peanut
butter (technically a legume, but we use it
like a nut), and tahini paste*
• Seeds: Chia*, sunflower, pumpkin
• Unsweetened coconut flakes: Coconut
flakes are different from shredded coconut.
Shredded coconut is made of thicker, larger
pieces than coconut flakes, so they’re not a
1:1 substitution. If you use shredded, I cannot
guarantee the exact same outcome, but it
shouldn’t impact a recipe dramatically.
• Unsulphured dried apricots*
• Medjool dates*
• Nutritional yeast*
• Pasta: Brown rice, quinoa, spelt, black bean,
or chickpea pasta
• Wild-caught, boneless and skinless canned
tuna and salmon
• Non-GMO popcorn (as a snack)
• Dandy Blend: This is a caffeine-free coffee
substitute made from ground chicory,
beet, and dandelion root. Order it online
at dandyblend.com.
• Stock of choice (low-sodium chicken
or vegetable)
• Canned artichoke hearts
• Figs
• Kalamata olives
• Tea bags
• Salsa
• Unsweetened applesauce
• Organic crushed tomatoes
• Diced tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• Dill pickles
• Dried cranberries/dried cherries
REFRIGERATOR STAPLES
• Tamari* or low-sodium soy sauce
• Sriracha: The best condiment of all time,
I’d wager! No, this is not a perfectly healthy
product. It has added sugar and some
preservatives, but this is the LL Balanced
cookbook, and I’m not worried about a
tablespoon of sriracha spread over multiple
servings in a recipe. It has the perfect balance of
sweet, savory, and spice, and I just adore it. You
can sub 1 teaspoon honey + 1 teaspoon plain red
hot sauce + 1 teaspoon water if needed.
• Mayo: As you will see in this book, I am not
anti-mayo. I’m a Southern girl, after all! The
problem with commercial mayonnaise is
that it’s usually made with hydrogenated
vegetable oils, like soybean, and I’ve
explained in my Healthy Fats section (page 26) why this is a NO. However; thoughtful companies like Spectrum, Chosen Foods, and my favorite, Primal Kitchen, have made mayonnaise with olive oil and avocado oil, both healthy choices that taste great. I buy my mayo on thrivemarket.com, or you can check out chosenfoods.com.
• Dijon mustard: A classic and staple! I
adore Dijon mustard, and find that it adds
a wonderful touch of acidity to countless
recipes. A dear friend from college taught
me to dip baby carrots into Dijon, and I still
love this combo. My favorite Dijon ever is
the Trader Joe’s Moutarde de Dijon, but any
basic variety will do.
• Organic ketchup: As with sriracha, ketchup
is not a perfect food, but there are many
brands now offering organic versions
without high-fructose corn syrup. And
sometimes, only ketchup will do. That
is a culinary fact of life. I like Annie’s
Homegrown, which I buy on Thrive Market.
It has a touch of cane sugar, but I don’t
spend a minute worrying about it.
• Coconut water: This is nature’s Gatorade
and something you will always see stocked
in our refrigerator, because my husband
drinks a glass every morning. Coconut water
is packed with natural electrolytes, which
keep you hydrated and help regulate the
nervous system. I use coconut water as the
base of smoothies, my Workout Water (page 89), and as a key component to any illness recovery. I just look for any brand that is 100% coconut water, without added sugars, flavors, or preservatives.
• Tempeh
• Lemon/lime juice
• Cheese of choice
• Eggs
• Prepared horseradish
• Orange/grapefruit juice