Essential Keto Pantry Guide

This Essential Keto Pantry Guide is a useful tool whether you’re stocking for an emergency or just wondering what you should keep on hand in regular times while eating keto.

With the growing concern about what the next few months will bring, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how to stock a Keto Pantry if you’re self-isolating or in actual quarantine or lockdown. Hopefully this Keto Pantry guide will be a helpful resource for you in planning what to shop and stock up for.

Full disclosure and no judgement, not everyone plans to stay keto during a quarantine, and even my family is stocked up on the typical non keto pantry essentials (beans, rice, pasta, etc.) necessary to survive a long isolation should things get much worse.

That being said, I’m on keto right now and plan to stay that way for as long as possible. I see this situation as a golden opportunity to finally break past the weight I’ve been stuck at due to traveling and having visitors almost non-stop the last year. It’s been a vicious cycle of losing 10 – 15 pounds on keto after 2 – 3 months, go off for a week or two while traveling or hosting friends and gain it all back.

I’m using this self imposed travel ban as an opportunity to avoid temptation, make more meals at home, and hopefully emerge in a few months finally at or close to my goal weight again for the first time in years.

It’s been a frustrating pattern, and while I’m certainly not happy about the situation, I’m using this self imposed travel ban as an opportunity to avoid temptation, make more meals at home, and hopefully emerge in a few months finally at or close to my goal weight again for the first time in years.

SO, if you plan to stay keto during this crisis too, then I’ve got some tips and suggestions on how to stock your fridge, freezer, and pantry with keto essentials to make sure you have what you need to not just survive, but thrive during these worrisome times.

I’ve got some tips and suggestions on how to stock your fridge, freezer, and pantry to make sure you have what you need to not just survive, but thrive during these worrisome times.

I realize that some of these ingredients, like cocoa powder, sweetener, and unsweetened coconut for example are not essential for survival. The reason I’m including them in this essential Keto Pantry guide is because when we’re stuck at home and things are stressful, the act of making and having a keto treat now and then is a real morale booster, and we can all use some of that in our life when the going gets tough.

I’m including some affiliate links to products I order online regularly, and you can likely source a lot of these keto friendly shelf stable items from Thrive Market if you’re a member (they deliver right to your house) and of course Amazon. You can also refer to my Pantry shopping guide for recommendations of brands I like to use currently.

If you’re comfortable heading out, many of these items can be found on your neighborhood grocery store shelves also. If your grocery store offers curbside pickup or even home delivery for a small fee, definitely take advantage of that to stock your Keto Pantry while minimizing your risk.

This is not an exhaustive list of what you could be stocking your Keto Pantry with, but it represents the things that I have been and will continue to be keeping on hand for my own keto supplies.

Finally, if you’re keto and the rest of your family isn’t, supplementing these items with pasta or rice for them can work to provide satisfying meals for everyone involved.

Essential Keto Pantry Guide

What shelf stable goods can I stock in my keto pantry?

Proteins

• tuna fish
• canned salmon
• sardines
• corned beef
• canned ham
• canned spam
• Epic bars
• Chomps grass-fed beef sticks
• sugar free peanut butter
• sugar free almond butter
• sugar free sunflower seed butter
• shelf stable unsweetened nut milks
• canned coconut milk

vegetables

• artichoke hearts
• hearts of palm (use in my famous Keto HOP Bread!)
• olives
• green beans
• bean sprouts
• water chestnuts
• asparagus
• spinach
• crushed tomatoes
• tomato paste

dry goods

• coffee
• almond flour
• coconut flour
• unsweetened dried coconut
• granulated erythritol sweetener (or other)
• hemp hearts
• unsweetened cocoa powder
• sunflower seeds
• pumpkin seeds
• baking powder
• psyllium husk powder
• sugar free protein powder

condiments & seasonings

• olive oil
• coconut oil
• avocado oil
• mayonnaise
• mustard
• low sugar ketchup
• sugar free BBQ sauce
• hot sauce
• curry paste
• pesto
• salt
• lite salt (for potassium)
• all purpose seasoning blend (adobo, season-all, etc.)

first aid / immunity boosting

• Dried elderberries (for Elderberry syrup)
• Moringa tea
• immunity boosting herbal teas
• vitamin C
• zinc
• magnesium
• sugar free multivitamin
• cough medicine (pills not syrup, which has sugar and carbs)
• sugar free throat lozenges
• oregano oil (anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal)
• Pain killer / Fever-reducer (ibuprofen, acetaminophen, etc.)
• prescription medications as necessary

household items

• hand and body soap
• hand sanitizer or alcohol wipes
• bleach (a diluted mix of bleach and water both cleans and sanitizes)
• paper towels
• toilet paper (be reasonable)
• laundry detergent
• dishwashing liquid
• spray bottle (for bleach and water mixture to disinfect as necessary)

What keto friendly items should I stock my fridge and freezer with?

Stock your refrigerator with these keto friendly veggies:

• radishes (will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month)
• white cabbage (will keep in the fridge for up to a month or more)
• red cabbage (will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or more)
• cauliflower (will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks)
• spaghetti squash (will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month)
• garlic (will keep in a cool dry place for months)
• onions (will keep in a cool dry place for a month or more)
• zucchini (will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks)
• cucumbers (will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks)
• celery (will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks)
• turnips (will keep in the fridge for up to a month)
• jicama (will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or more)
• rutabaga (will keep in the fridge for up to a month)
• Celery root (will keep in the fridge for 3 weeks or more)
• lemons and limes (will keep for 2 weeks or more)

Stock your freezer with these keto friendly veggies:

• spinach
• broccoli florets
• cauliflower florets
• cauliflower rice (or make your own and freeze)
• onions and garlic (chop and freeze)
• fresh herbs (chop and freeze with water in ice cube trays)
• green beans
• strawberries
• avocados (slice and place in a freezer bag)
• anything you find cheap and in season can be frozen at home if you have the room

Stock up on these keto proteins for your fridge and freezer:

• eggs (can last a month or more)
• bacon
• sausage
• pepperoni
• hot dogs (nitrate free if possible)
• salami (will last for many months)
• chicken leg quarters (inexpensive, versatile, make stock with bones)
• boneless chicken breast (if your tribe doesn’t like meat on the bone)
• chuck roast (can be used for pot roast, chili, and stews)
• ground beef
• ground turkey
• pork loin (can be cut into chops, strips for stir fry, or roasted and sliced)
• smoked ham

Keto friendly dairy products to stock your fridge with:

• butter
• nut milks
• heavy whipping cream
• cream cheese
• mozzarella cheese (especially for versatile dough)
• cheddar cheese
• slicing and snacking cheese

If you have more ideas on how to cope with isolation, stay keto in a crisis, or items you think are essential to a Keto Pantry that I’ve missed, feel free to post them in the comments!