Ingredient Guide
Grocery shopping can be an overwhelming and confusing process.
Without some guidance, it can be difficult to know which ingredients to purchase!
We created this ingredient guide so that as you prepare recipes, you can feel confident that your culinary creations maximize nutrition and flavor. This guide was designed to be flexible to work at any grocery store and for any budget.
Overall, choose natural ingredients as much as possible – ingredients that you immediately recognize when you read them. Not all additive “chemical” ingredients are bad persay, it’s just that there are so many that it can be hard to remember which ones are okay and which ones to avoid; limiting them overall makes shopping and protecting your health a little easier. If you want some guidance on chemical additives, the Center for Science in the Public Interest has published a comprehensive guide to food additives. While we cannot guarantee their sources or research, we have not found another list of this kind.
We base our decisions on sustainability, environmentally friendly practices, humane animal treatment, health, and palatability.
Shop seasonally and locally for best price, flavor, and quality.
There is little evidence that organic produce is nutritionally superior to conventional. While synthetic pesticide levels might be of concern, there is also not substantial evidence of their harm (1, 2). The effect on children might be of greater concern since concentration levels could be higher in their smaller bodies, so if you have children, consider purchasing organic (1). Otherwise, we leave the choice up to you and your budget. Organic farming may also be better for our environment – another reason to support organic practices.
Organic produce regulations require that plants be grown in soil that had no prohibited substances applied for three years prior to harvest. Prohibited substances include most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
If conventional produce is all that you can afford, buy it! We would rather you eat more fruits and vegetables rather than to worry about whether or not they’re organic. Safe Fruits and Veggies is a great consumer resource that provides information about pesticide levels in both organic and conventional produce.
For frozen fruit, avoid added sugars.
Overall, limit consumption – especially red meat (beef, pork, goat, lamb). The best option is to source your meat from a local producer. Buy organic if you can afford it. The next best option is natural, although unfortunately, that term does not mean much.
Beef
Best choice: organic, grass-fed
Next choice: natural, antibiotic- and hormone-free
Bison
Best choice: organic, grass-fed
Chicken
Best choice: organic, pasture-raised, no added sodium solution
Next choice: natural, antibiotic- and hormone-free, cage-free, vegetarian-fed
Pork
Best choice: organic, pasture-raised
Next choice: natural, antibiotic and hormone free
Fish
Best choice: wild caught (usually higher in omega-3’s, but it depends on farmed fish diets)
Next choice: Farmed fish can be a good option depending on the farming practices. Reference the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch website or app for best options.
Canned Tuna
Best choice: canned in water or extra virgin olive oil
Aim to keep sodium between 140 mg – 200 mg/serving
Choose chunk light, albacore, yellow fin, or skip jack
Canned Salmon
Best choice: Wild Alaskan, sustainably caught
Aim to keep sodium between 140 mg – 200 mg/serving
Choose pink or red (sockeye)
organic: animals are raised in living conditions accommodating their natural behaviors (like the ability to graze on pasture), are fed 100% organic feed and forage, and are not administered antibiotics or hormones.
natural: a product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and only minimally processed.
Choose either brown or white – color does not affect nutrition or palatability.
Choose Grade A (indicates yolk quality)
Good choice: large, cage-free, omega-3-enriched
Better choice: large, free-range
Best choice: large, free-range, organic
organic: laid by cage-free or free-range hens that have access to the outdoors and are raised on certified organic feed. The feed is grown without most synthetic pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or fertilizers, and 100% of the agricultural ingredients must be certified organic.
Choose low-fat or fat-free options if your saturated fat intake is high from other foods, like red meats. If you consume limited saturated fat, you can choose full-fat options.
Buy plain dairy products and flavor/sweeten them yourself.
Buy organic and grass-fed if you can afford it.
Yogurt
Plain, any variety – Australian, Bulgarian, French, Greek, Icelandic
Look for natural ingredients: milk, cream, cultures, etc.
If flavored, keep added sugars <8 grams (2 teaspoons)
Avoid artificial sweeteners
Kefir
Plain, any variety – Australian, Bulgarian, French, Greek, Icelandic
Look for natural ingredients – milk, cream, cultures, etc.
Cheese
Choose full-fat (low-fat/fat-free varieties don’t melt or satisfy)
Cottage Cheese
Look for natural ingredients – milk, cream, cultures, etc.
Limit gums and stabilizers
Butter
Unsalted
Milk
Best choice: grass-fed organic
Good choice: organic
Milk Alternatives
Look for limited ingredients (just nuts + water, soybeans + water, etc.)
Limit added sugar and salt
organic: milk must come from a cow that has not been treated with antibiotics, has not been given hormones (for either reproduction or growth), and has been fed at least 30% of its diet on pasture.
It’s up to you to determine whether to purchase these ingredients organic or non-organic. We don’t have a strong opinion one way or the other, so make the choice that feels best for your budget and lifestyle.
Grains
Look for whole grain varieties
Quick-cooking grains are a great option
Grains include quinoa, farro, millet, barley, bulgur, amaranth, brown rice, quinoa, oats, etc.
Brown Rice: short-grain, medium, long, Jasmine, Basmati – variety will affect texture and flavor
Quinoa: any color (red, white, tricolor)
Oats: old-fashioned or rolled
Pasta
Choose whole grain more often
Okay to use traditional white pasta occasionally depending on ingredients and sauce
Lentil or bean pastas: look for bean flour as the only ingredient or limit to only natural ingredients
Bread
Choose whole grain – look for “whole” as the first grain ingredient
Fresh baked recommended
Sourdough is the best refined grain option
Broth
Look for natural ingredients
Low sodium or no salt added
Nut Butters and Seed Butters
Look for the fewest possible ingredients – peanuts, almonds, cashews, etc.
Avoid palm oil
No added sugar (peanuts have ~2 grams of natural sugar/2 Tbsp. serving)
Sodium <140 milligrams/serving (some salt is okay!)
Dried Fruit
No added sugar (exceptions: cranberries and tart cherries for palatability)
No artificial sweeteners
Flour
All-purpose: unbleached
Whole wheat: regular or white whole wheat
Powdered and Granulated Sugar
Made from sugar cane
Honey
Pure 100% honey
Local if possible
Substitute agave if desired
Maple Syrup
100% maple syrup
Grade and color do not affect nutrition or palatability
Vanilla
Pure vanilla extract
organic foods cannot contain artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors and require that their ingredients are organic, with some minor exceptions. For example, processed organic foods may contain some approved non-agricultural ingredients such as enzymes in yogurt, pectin in fruit jams, or baking soda in baked goods.
There is little evidence that organic produce is nutritionally superior to conventional. While synthetic pesticide levels might be of concern, there is also not substantial evidence of their harm. The effect on children might be of greater concern since concentration levels could be higher in their smaller bodies, so if you have children, consider purchasing organic. Otherwise, we leave the choice up to you and your budget.
Canned Fruit
Canned in water or 100% juice
Do not buy “low sugar” varieties (contain artificial sweeteners)
Canned Tomatoes
No added salt or <140 milligrams sodium/serving
Canned Corn
No added salt or <140 milligrams sodium/serving
Canned Beans
Low salt/low sodium varieties (140 milligrams sodium/serving)
It’s up to you to determine whether to purchase these ingredients organic* or non-organic. We don’t have a strong opinion one way or the other unless indicated, so make the choice that feels best for your budget and lifestyle.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Dark/tinted container (not clear)
Do not purchase “light tasting”, “extra light”, or “pure” versions
Use less expensive varieties for sautéing and roasting
Save expensive bottles for finishing and dressings
Avocado Oil
Use for high-heat cooking, baking, and neutral flavor
Canola Oil
Organic, expeller pressed
Use for high-heat cooking, baking, and neutral flavor
Use for baking
Apple Cider Vinegar
Unfiltered / “with the mother”
Balsamic Vinegar
“Aged” for best flavor
organic: foods cannot contain artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors and require that their ingredients are organic, with some minor exceptions. For example, processed organic foods may contain some approved non-agricultural ingredients such as enzymes in yogurt, pectin in fruit jams, or baking soda in baked goods
Often natural or organic varieties will be the best choice for the below products.
Barbecue Sauce
Look for natural ingredients – tomatoes, vinegar, molasses, spices
Avoid high fructose corn syrup
Limit sugar to <12 grams/serving
Limit sodium to <300 milligrams/serving
Hummus
Look for natural ingredients – garbanzo beans, tahini, oil, spices
Marinara Sauce
Look for natural ingredients – tomatoes, oil, spices, vegetables, salt, sugar
Mayonnaise
Look for natural ingredients – eggs, oil, vinegar, spices
Choose mayonnaise made from healthier oils like canola, avocado, or olive oil
Salsa
Look for natural ingredients – vegetables, acids, spices
Limit sodium to <200 milligrams/serving
Soy Sauce or Tamari
Low sodium/reduced sodium
Avoid caramel color
Choose tamari if gluten-free
natural: nothing artificial, synthetic, or anything that you wouldn’t normally expect to be there has been added to a food, but there is NO OFFICIAL DEFINITION
organic: foods cannot contain artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors and require that their ingredients are organic, with some minor exceptions. For example, processed organic foods may contain some approved non-agricultural ingredients such as enzymes in yogurt, pectin in fruit jams, or baking soda in baked goods.
Questions about our ingredient guide?
We’d love to hear! Send us a message at contactus@totaste.com or using our contact form below.
