Baseline Shopping Guide

Our approach to food and nutrition is inspired by the principles of ancestral eating outlined by Weston A. Price nearly 100 years ago. This simple yet intuitive approach prioritizes nutrient dense foods like meat, organs, eggs, seafood, and raw dairy as our shopping staples.

Meat is an essential component of the human diet. The ancestral approach of eating ‘nose-to-tail’ provides balanced ratios of nutrients, especially amino acids that offset the methionine found in muscle meat. It is recommended to consume a diet composed of muscle meats, meat on the bone, bone broths and organ meats. Offal in particular is rich in fat-soluble Vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as B Vitamins required for nutritional replenishment. This ties into the ancestral belief that ‘like cures like’, e.g. eating eyes is good for your eyes. Meat should come from healthy animals raised in pastures instead of feedlots. Look for labels such as pasture-raised, grass-fed, grass-finished, Step 4/5/5+, organic. Best to source from your local rancher or farmer.

Eggs are one of the most nutrient dense foods, containing every vitamin except Vitamin C. They’re a complete source of animal protein and contain all of the essential amino acids. Eggs should be eaten whole, with the yolk (which can be eaten raw) and sourced from chickens that are raised outside on pastures, eating insects, seeds and greens, and hanging with their friends. Ideally they are not given supplemental grain feed, but of course this is not always possible. Happy chickens yield the most nutritious eggs. We have listed some brands found at most stores in Southern California, but if you are in a different state or country, you may have to do a little research to find what is available in your area. Try different kinds of eggs including duck, quail, ostrich, and fish. Best to source from your local rancher or farmer.

Seafood should be wild-caught, although oysters can be farm-raised. Avoid farm-raised fish as they are kept in crowded areas, fed grains, and given antibiotics. Best to source from your local fisherman.

Dairy should be raw – not pasteurized, homogenized, or fortified – and from cows that spend time during the natural growing season on pastures. The pasteurization process of dairy leads to the loss of enzymes, nutrients, alteration of proteins, and can affect digestion. Pasteurized yogurt, kefir, and sour cream are good in moderation due to the probiotic benefit. Best to source from your local rancher or farmer.

Meat, Offal, Bones, Broth

Pasture Raised Eggs

Wild Caught Seafood

Raw Dairy

Fermented Foods

Animal Fats/Cooking Oils

Condiments/Pantry Goods

  • Bee Pollen

    • Y.S. Eco Bee Farms Bee Pollen

  • Cacao/Chocolate

    • Honey Mama’s Cocoa Truffle Bar

    • HU Dark Chocolate Gems

    • Imlak’esh Organics Cacao Nibs

    • Natierra Himalania Organic Cacao Nibs

    • Navitas Organics Organic Cacao Powder

  • Coconut Cream

    • Native Forest Unsweetened Organic Coconut Cream (No Guar Gum)

  • Condiments

    • Nutiva Organic Coconut Manna

    • Once Again Organic Tahini

    • Siete Hot Sauce

    • Yellowbird Hot Sauce

  • Maple Syrup

    • Shady Maple Farms Organic Maple Syrup

  • Raw Honey

    • Bloom Organic Raw Honey

    • Wedderspoon Raw Manuka Honey

    • Y.S. Eco Bee Farms Organic Raw Honey

  • Salt

  • Spices

    • Simply Organic

Beverages

  • Aloe

    • Lakewood Organic Pure Whole Leaf Aloe

  • Coconut Milk

    • Aroy-D Coconut Milk – Paper carton packaging

    • Native Forest Unsweetened Organic Coconut Milk

  • Coffee

    • Bulletproof Coffee

    • Kion Coffee

    • Laird Instafuel

  • Orange Juice

    • Uncle Matt’s Organic OJ

  • Sparkling Water

    • Gerolsteiner

    • Mountain Valley Sparkling Water

  • Tea – Best to buy organic loose leaf

    • Traditional Medicinals Organic Tea

      • Dandelion Root and Leaf

      • Licorice Root

      • Nettle Leaf

      • Peppermint Leaf

      • Raspberry Leaf

    • Ujido Ceremonial Blend Matcha

Grains/Gluten Free

  • Buckwheat – Can be found in Russian markets. Altai (Siberian) sourced buckwheat is considered one of the best. Avoid Ukrainian buckwheat due to Chernobyl

  • Rice

    • Lundberg Family Farms – Least contaminated with arsenic

  • Sourdough Bread

  • Tortillas

    • Siete Grain Free Tortillas

Seasonal Fruit

Visit your local farmer’s market and buy organic – See EWG’s Dirty Dozen list

Seasonal Vegetables/Herbs

Visit your local farmer’s market and buy organic – See EWG’s Dirty Dozen list

Tubers, Roots, and Shoots

Visit your local farmer’s market and buy organic – See EWG’s Dirty Dozen list

  • Bamboo shoots

  • Beets

  • Carrots

  • Jicama

  • Potatoes

  • Pumpkin

  • Squash

  • Sweet Potatoes

Mushrooms

Visit your local farmer’s market and buy organic – See EWG’s Dirty Dozen list

  • Enoki

  • King Oyster

  • Porcini

  • Portobello

  • Shiitake

  • White Button

Supplement Brands

  • Ancient Minerals

  • Bulk Supplements

  • Great Lakes Wellness

  • IdeaLabs

  • ION*

  • Jigsaw Health

  • Marine Health Foods

  • Metabolic Maintenance

  • Mitigate Stress

  • Mountain Rose Herbs

  • North American Herb and Spice

  • NOW Foods

  • Perfect Supplements

  • Pure Encapsulations

  • Raw Revelations

  • Sol Supps

  • Trace Minerals

List of toxins, fillers, and additives to avoid – See Weston A. Price Foundation Dietary Dangers

  • Aluminum-Containing Foods and Products

    • Aluminum Foil – Use unbleached parchment paper instead

    • Antacids

    • Commercial Baking Powder

  • Artificial Food Dyes

    • Artificial Color

    • Blue #1, 2

    • Citrus Red #2

    • FD&C Lakes (combination of colors)

    • Green #3

    • Orange B

    • Red #40, 3

    • Yellow #5, 6

  • Artificial or Refined Sweeteners

    • Aspartame

    • Corn Syrup Solids

    • Dextrose – Derived from GMO corn

    • High Fructose Corn Syrup

    • Saccharin

    • Sucralose

  • Calcium or Sodium Caseinate

  • Canned Foods – With exception of sardines, anchovies, oysters, etc but avoid BPA/BPS lining. Glass containers preferred

  • Carrageenan

  • Commercial Salt

  • Factory-Farmed Meat, Eggs, Dairy, and Fish

  • Hydrogenated or Partially Hydrogenated Fats and Oils

  • Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein

  • Industrial Seed Oils – See full list here

    • Canola

    • Corn

    • Cottonseed

    • Refined Palm

    • Safflower

    • Soybean

    • Sunflower

  • Microwaves

  • MSG

  • Natural Flavors

  • Plastic Cooking or Eating Utensils

  • Plastic Food Containers – Opt for glass. Do not heat food in plastic

  • Processed Meat

  • Sodium Benzoate

  • Soy Protein Isolate

  • Sunflower or Soy Lecithin

  • Tap or Fluoridated Water

  • Teflon or Non-Stick Pans – Use cast iron pans with caution. Make sure it’s not seasoned with soybean/seed oils or rusting

  • Ultra-Pasteurized, Fortified, or Reduced-Fat Milk and Dairy Products

  • Xantham or Guar Gum

Ideally you would cook and prepare every meal at home. The problem with eating out is finding restaurants that don’t use seed oils. When ordering, ask the waiter what kinds of oils they use for cooking. You can also call ahead of time to verify. Avoid deep fried foods, pre-made salad dressings and sauces, pre-mixed drinks, etc. These are some better options when eating out.

  • Brazilian/Korean BBQ – Opt for unmarinated meats

  • Steakhouse – Ask to cook in butter

  • Sushi/Sashimi

    • Avoid most sauces

    • Avoid imitation crab

    • Avoid tempura

    • Avoid MSG

  • LocalFats.com – Directory of local restaurants who cook with good fats

  • Berkey

  • Pristinehydro Water Revival System

  • RO systems

Cleaning Products/Laundry Detergent

 

Deodorant

 

Floss

  • Cocofloss

  • Dr. Tung’s Floss

 

Hair Products

  • North American Herb & Spice ScalpClenz Shampoo

  • DIY: Eggs for Shampoo – Use cold water

  • DIY: ACV Rinse for Shine

  • DIY: Castor/Sesame/Olive Oil Hair Mask for Conditioning

 

Lip Balm

 

Mouthwash

 

Period Products

  • Aisle

  • Lola

  • Hannah

  • Natracare

 

Shower Filter

  • Aqualux Shower Filter & Head (Chlorine Removal)

  • Sante Ultimate Dual KDF Shower Filter without Head (Chloramine Removal)

 

Skincare

 

Soap

  • Dr. Bronner’s Baby Unscented Pure Castile Soap

  • Misty Creek Goat Dairy Goat Milk Soap

  • Shea Terra African Black Soap

 

Tongue Scraper

  • Dr. Tung’s Copper Tongue Scraper

 

Toothpaste

Books

  • Deep Nutrition – Dr. Cate Shanahan

  • Nourishing Traditions – Sally Fallon

  • Nutrition and Physical Degeneration – Weston A. Price, DDS

  • The Dental Diet – Dr. Steven Lin

Links

Our content is not medical advice. It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.