Paleo Shopping List

I've heard from some folks that they would like to have a shopping list of some basic staples to have on hand when they start eating paleo/primal. Here are the items I recommend having on hand in order to cook a basic array of paleo/primal dishes. Most of the items to buy are determined by what you like. If you don't like Cumin, then use something in it's place in a dish. If you love Dill, then use that more often.  The same goes for meat, veggies and fruit. Buy the ones you like, but try to have a variety of flavors so you don't get bored. Even healthy food doesn't improve your health if you don't eat it.

What do you have in your Paleo pantry? What can't you live without and what do you find unnecessary?

Oils
Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Bacon Grease or Lard

Vinegars
Red Wine Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar
White Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar

Nuts and Extras (eat in moderation if your goal is weight loss)
Almonds (whole and slivered)
Walnuts
Pecans
Macadamias
Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
72% or higher dark chocolate chips/bars 

Flours
Almond Flour/Meal
Coconut Flour

Milk
Almond Milk
Coconut milk (Canned and in cartons)

Spices 
Black Pepper
Chili powder
Turmeric
Oregano
Thyme
Rosemary
Basil
Garlic
Cumin
Salt
Marjoram
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Vanilla
Baking Soda

Meat/Eggs
As often as possible (when $ and supply allows) buy meats and eggs that are pastured, organic, grass-fed and free of nitrates, nitrites, preservatives, antibiotics and hormones. Here are a few I recommend, but others are good as well.

Local Eggs
Ground beef/bison
Beef/Pork steaks/loin
Whole poultry and/or parts
Pre-cooked and uncooked sausages/Bacon
Wild caught fish of all kinds (tilapia, salmon, cod, halibut, etc.)
Shrimp, Scallops, Squid
Organ meats

Vegetables
As often as possible, buy organic vegetables. Here are a few I recommend, but others are good as well. Choose what you like and what you will eat before it goes bad. The only healthy vegetables are the ones that get eaten. If fresh organic vegetables aren't  available where you live, frozen organic is a good alternative. (I'm not including nightshades - tomatoes, eggplant, peppers- here due to their tendency to promote inflammation, but if you don't have issues with them, then feel free.)

Onions
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Spaghetti Squash
Butternut Squash
Turnips
Zucchini/Yellow squash
Cabbage
Spinach, Chard, Kale and other greens
Lettuce

Fruit (Eat in moderation if your goal is weight loss)
As often as possible, buy organic fruit.  And if you plan to eat the skin of the fruit you should always buy organic (especially apples and berries)! Here are a few I recommend, but others are good as well. Choose what you like and what you will eat before it goes bad.

Apples
Berries (Blue, Straw, Rasp, Black)
Pears
Oranges