19 Things That Should Be in Your Kitchen When You Go Sugar Free!

If there is one thing I’ve learned since removing the sugar from my diet, it’s that eating sugar free is a lot easier when you have a few things on hand to fill the void left by all the sugars and grains leaving the pantry.  Here is a list of the things I’ve found that are absolutely invaluable to me and why.

Coconut or Almond Flour – Since cutting out sugar, I’ve learned how important it is to throw grains out with it so I always try to keep a few gluten-free flours around in case I need them.  These are especially handy when I’m making gravies.

Almond Meal – Almond Meal is coarser and tastes nuttier than the flour.  I like to use it as a breading when I make Chicken Fried Steak or my beloved oven fried zucchini sticks.

Head of Lettuce – Sometimes you just want a sandwich or a wrap.  Having a head of lettuce means I can take the leaves off and wrap any meats and cheeses up in it like I would with a tortilla and make a wrap.

Almonds – I like crunchy salty snacks so keeping almonds or mixed nuts is a must

Carrots – Same as above.  When I’m craving a snack, I want something that crunches.

Xylitol – This has become my go-to sweetener, so much so that I subscribe to it on Amazon so it just shows up at my doorstep every once in a while.  My wife uses it in her morning coffee and I like to make the occasional dessert with it.

Zucchini – Zucchini is such a versatile veggie that I always like to keep it around.  I put it in my veggiti and turn it into noodles for a faux-pasta or cut into wedges and oven fry them for my zucchini sticks.

White Pasta Sauce –  Typically any white pasta sauce won’t have any added sugar (as opposed to red, which virtually always has it) so I like to keep a few jars around to pour over the zucchini noodles or chicken breasts.

Low Sodium Bacon – I don’t care anything about the low sodium but if you don’t season your bacon with as much salt, you don’t have to balance it out with a little sugar so Low Sodium Bacon typically doesn’t have any added sugar.  (You might try Pederson’s bacon also if you are concerned about sugar AND Nitrates)

Cheese – Can’t say enough about cheese.  It’s a staple of most breakfasts and lunches and occasionally dinner as well.  I like any cheddar and a full fat Mozzerella when I can find it.  I also keep Parmesan and Feta round for different recipes.

Adams Natural Peanut Butter – Just because a peanut butter says “Natural”, doesn’t mean it’s sugar free. (I’m looking at you Skippy!)  Adams is just ground up peanuts in a jar.  Just be sure to stir to get the oil back down into the peanut butter or those last few spoonfuls are ging to be a bit dry.

Olive Oil – A must have for cooking or dressing salads.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar – Good for salads and adding an acid to different recipes.

Spices – My spice rack has probably quadrupled in size since starting this diet.  I get a little of everything and try it all.  One of my favorites has become Tajin, a Chile Lime Salt that goes well with grilled vegetables.

Pace Picante Sauce – It’s almost impossible to find a sugar free ketchup so I’ve switched over to picante sauce on everything I used to put ketchup on.  My favorite variety is Pace Thick & Chunky Medium.

Tabasco sauce – I little dash really kicks up the flavor of most dishes, especially my morning eggs.

Butter – Stay away from Margarine, get the good stuff your Grandma used to serve you.

Coconut Oil – My go-to oil for deep or pan frying anything

Mustard – It’s one of the few condiments that is naturally sugar free.

So what do you think?  Is there something you can’t live without that I missed?  Let me know in the comments!