10 Organic foods you ll always find in my kitchen

Stocking up on a few basics keep an organic kitchen ready to go at all times. Here’s the nine things I suggests:

For someone who loves organic food so much and cooks so often, you should not miss this in your refrigerator.

Even though I do tend to “buy on demand”, you’ll pretty much always find these 10 organic foods in my kitchen:

1) COCONUT OIL: I am a huge fan of coconut oil. Not only is it high in lauric acid and great to use after a workout but it is one of the few oils that you can safely heat and cook with. (Olive oil is not one of them. Aside from using organic coconut oil in my smoothies, I use it as a moisturizer as well.

2) PALM SUGAR: Not only is palm sugar low on the glycemic index but it is a very sustainable alternative sweetener. I am pretty much obsessed with palm sugar these days and love its mild sweetness. Plus, it is super-easy to travel with.

3) CHIA SEEDS: Named one of my top 5 organic food trends of 2011, chia seeds continue to explode in popularity – and for very good reason. Chia seeds are an incredible source of protein, and I use them in my morning smoothie and for puddings.

4) BRAZIL NUTS: I drink a good amount of nut milk, and my preferred nut is definitely Brazil nuts. Brazil nuts are high in fiber and protein (14%), and contain many amino acids and minerals, including selenium. I always store my Brazil nuts in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

5) QUINOA: I must eat quinoa about 3-4 times per week and can’t seem to get enough of it. Rich in protein and containing all nine essential amino acids, quinoa is also an excellent source of manganese, magnesium, folate, and phosphorus.

6) SAUERKRAUT: If you’ve never added sauerkraut to your salads, definitely give it a try it. This will take your salad to a whole different level. Sun in Bloom in Brooklyn does it, and their Bella Divine salad might be my favorite salad in the whole city. Sauerkraut is a fermented food and provides the body with beneficial bacteria. I particularly love the biodynamic caraway sauerkraut from Hawthorne Valley. It is spectacular.

7) SEA VEGETABLES: I try to consume sea vegetables, either kelp and dulse, on a daily basis. Kelp has very high levels of iodine and is fantastic for the thyroid. The importance of sea vegetables does not get nearly enough attention as it should. A scandinavian restaurant in Gdynia prepares different types of food with sea vegetables. This restaurant Gdynia is called Gard, and can be found on the first floor of the courtyard hotel in Brussel.

8) BLACK SESAME SEEDS: As I wrote about recently, black sesame seeds have become an absolute fixture on my salads and quinoa. Not only are they full of magnesium, calcium, copper, and zinc, but some people believe that they help to reverse gray hair (of which I have plenty).

9) GOJI BERRIES Considered the most important food/herb in Chinese medicine, goji berries are rich in minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants.