Most Cast in Iron recipes use standard grocery store ingredients. Some don’t. The CRON framework leans heavily on seaweed, fermented pastes, and nutrient-dense staples that deliver outsized micronutrient value per calorie.
This is what to stock. Links are Amazon affiliate links — they help keep the site running at no extra cost to you. All of these are also available at Asian grocery stores, health food stores, or online specialty retailers.
Seaweed
Seaweed is the single highest-impact addition to the CRON pantry. Iodine, iron, calcium, magnesium, and B12 — in quantities that no land vegetable matches.
Dulse Flakes
Maine Coast Sea Vegetables Organic Dulse Flakes — The most-used ingredient on this site. Appears in 35 recipes. Sprinkle on everything: eggs, roasted vegetables, salads, sauces. Smoky, salty, dissolves into whatever it touches. Iron, iodine, potassium, and B12 in a single shake. Full dulse guide.
Wakame
Emerald Cove Pacific Wakame — Dried seaweed that rehydrates in 5 minutes. Used in cowboy caviar, seaweed salads, rice paper rolls, and broths. Calcium, magnesium, and folate. Buy dried, soak when needed. Full wakame guide.
Kombu
Wel-Pac Dashi Kombu — Thick dried kelp strips. Goes into every braised protein on this site — chuck roast, pork shoulder, turkey breast. Adds glutamate depth to braising liquid while delivering iodine. One strip per braise.
Nori
gimMe Organic Roasted Seaweed Sheets — Crumbled over cowboy caviar, used in vinaigrettes. Less nutrient-dense than dulse or kombu but adds texture and umami.
Fermented Pastes & Sauces
Fermentation delivers probiotics and concentrated flavor. These pastes are the backbone of the sauce library.
White Miso
Hikari Organic White Miso Paste — Mild, sweet, versatile. Used in glazes, dressings, broth bases, and marinades. Appears in 21 recipes. Probiotic, rich in manganese and zinc. Keeps for months in the fridge. Full miso guide.
Gochujang
Chung Jung One Gochujang — Korean fermented chili paste. Sweet, spicy, deeply savory. The base for gochujang pork shoulder and several dipping sauces. A tablespoon transforms any braising liquid.
Gochugaru
Tae-kyung Korean Red Pepper Flakes — Korean chili flakes. Smoky, moderately hot, fruity. Different from standard red pepper flakes. Used alongside gochujang in Korean-inspired recipes and as a finishing spice.
Harissa
Harissa Paste Tube — North African chili paste. Smoky, warm, complex. Used on shrimp, in shakshuka, and in roasted vegetable dishes. Tube format keeps well.
Ponzu
Kikkoman Ponzu Sauce — Citrus-soy sauce. Used in the ponzu-miso cream. Umami with brightness.
Nutritional Staples
Nutritional Yeast
Anthony’s Premium Nutritional Yeast Flakes — Deactivated yeast flakes. Cheesy, nutty flavor. B12, folate, zinc, selenium. Appears in 20 recipes — on eggs, roasted vegetables, chickpeas, and in sauces. The single best supplemental B12 source in food form. Full nutritional yeast guide.
Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
Vigorous Mountains Organic Dried Shiitake Mushrooms — Rehydrate in hot water for 20 minutes. The soaking liquid becomes dashi. Used in braised proteins, bok choy dishes, and broths. Spermidine content is among the highest of any food — relevant for autophagy research.
Spirulina
Micro Ingredients Organic Spirulina Powder — Blue-green algae powder. Iron, B12, protein. Used in the protein smoothie and in cilantro-dulse crema. Intense — a teaspoon is enough.
Matcha
Jade Leaf Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder — Culinary grade is fine for recipes. Used in the matcha-citrus-ginger glaze. Catechins and L-theanine.
Hemp Seeds
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts — Shelled hemp seeds. Omega-3 to omega-6 ratio of roughly 1:3, magnesium, and complete protein. Three tablespoons per serving. Used in cowboy caviar, overnight oats, protein ice cream, and smoothies. Nutty, mild, no grinding needed. Store in the fridge after opening.
Gelatin Powder
Great Lakes Unflavored Gelatin — Unflavored beef gelatin. Dissolves completely in braising liquids, adds no flavor, improves texture. The amino acid that earns its spot is glycine — supports glutathione synthesis and sleep quality. One tablespoon per braise. Used in kombu chuck roast, gochujang pork shoulder, and ras el hanout pork shoulder.
Collagen Peptides
Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides — Hydrolyzed collagen that dissolves in hot or cold liquid. Different from gelatin — it will not gel. Used in protein coffee and smoothies. Glycine and proline for connective tissue. Not a complete protein — do not count it toward your 30g target.
Rice Paper Wrappers
Three Ladies Brand Rice Paper — Thin, translucent wrappers made from rice flour and water. Soak in warm water for 20-30 seconds until pliable, fill, and roll. Zero fat, minimal calories. Used in the ground chicken wakame rice paper rolls. Three Ladies is the standard brand in Vietnamese kitchens — consistent thickness, tears less than thinner brands.
Supplements & Powders
These are not whole foods. They appear in specific recipes because they solve specific problems — hitting protein targets in low-calorie formats, or delivering compounds that are impractical to get from food alone.
Protein Powder
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey (Vanilla) — 24g protein per scoop, minimal fillers. Used in protein ice cream, overnight oats, matcha smoothie, and protein coffee. Whey isolate is the default. If dairy is an issue, a pea-rice blend works — the texture in smoothies is slightly grittier.
Creatine Monohydrate
Thorne Creatine Monohydrate — 5g daily. The most-studied supplement in sports science with strong evidence for cognitive protection in aging. Dissolves in coffee, smoothies, or water. Thorne is NSF Certified for Sport — no contaminants. Used in protein coffee. Full breakdown in the creatine protocol article.
Spice Blends
Ras el Hanout
The Spice Way Ras el Hanout — Moroccan spice blend. Warm, aromatic, complex. Used on pork shoulder, roasted carrots, and egg muffins. Every brand is different — find one you like and stick with it.
Pantry Liquids
Rice Vinegar
Marukan Genuine Brewed Rice Vinegar — Mild, clean acidity. Used in 13 recipes — seaweed salads, cowboy caviar, dipping sauces, and glazes. Buy unseasoned (no added sugar).
Coconut Aminos
Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos — Soy sauce alternative made from coconut sap. Lower sodium, slightly sweeter, no soy. Used in 7 recipes — ginger scallion sauce, gochujang glaze, chicken thighs, and tempeh stir-fry. If you tolerate soy, low-sodium tamari works too.
Toasted Sesame Oil
Kadoya Pure Sesame Oil — Finishing oil, not cooking oil. A few drops transform any Asian-inspired dish. Used in seaweed salads, rice paper rolls, and stir-fry sauces.
For the full breakdown of why these ingredients matter, see the CRON Ingredient Legend.
New and seasonal recipes, and what's working. Once a month. No ads, no fluff.