Lighter and healthier than its creamy cousin (coconut cream), use coconut milk to lighten your spring cooking. From delicate curries to creamy rice, coconut milk is the easy way to add noticeable flavour to everyday dishes with ease. It’s also perfect for adding into your breakfast smoothie or for combating spice-heavy meals. Try your hand at making our coconut milk ice and lemon thyme ice cream that’s perfect for warmer spring nights. We prefer organic coconut milk, like Macro Organic Coconut Milk, which is available from Woolworths stores nationally and online now.

Forget regular old butter. When it comes to giving your fridge a good spring clean, it’s all about cultured butter. With more texture and fermented over a usual two-week period, cultured butter has a more developed flavour and consistency that lends itself to being perfect for baking richer and denser cakes not to mention taking your bread and butter game to the next level. Experience it for yourself in this classic Brittany cake.

Take your cake baking to the next level thanks to this unsung hero. Denser than regular flour and higher in the healthy essential fatty acids, almond meal is the perfect addition to your baking repertoire. Plus, it has the added bonus of having no carbs so now you can now have two pieces of cake, right? Try your hand at Jamie Oliver’s orange and polenta cake to see the results for yourself. We prefer almond meal, like Macro Almond Meal, which is available from Woolworths stores nationally and online now.

Getting busier in the lead up to summer and the festive season? Keep some speck in your fridge for the ultimate cheat’s dinner. Lightly fry cubed speck in a pan to render the fat, adding cooked pasta and olive oil for a dinner that’s truly ready in mere minutes. It’s also great in omelettes and frittatas thanks to its slightly higher fat content.

It’s the secret your nonna never told you about, but when it comes to cooking fast and fabulous Italian dishes without the hours usually required slaving away behind the stove, the solution is using passata. Processed and bottled when tomatoes are at their best, use the sauce as a base for rich tomato-based dishes like the classic spaghetti bolognese or pasta all’amatriciana. Try your hand using it in this delicious family favourite of spicy pepperoni and burrata flatbread. We prefer tomato passata, like Macro Tomato Passata, which is available from Woolworths stores nationally and online now.

When it comes to mayonnaise there’s only really one option – whole egg. Higher in protein and creamier than other low-fat or dairy-free substitute varieties available, use whole egg mayonnaise on sandwiches, burgers and as a cheat’s way to make aioli by adding crushed garlic to the sauce. We prefer organic whole egg mayonnaise, like Macro Organic Whole Egg Mayonnaise, which is available from Woolworths stores nationally and online now.

Keep a tub of mozzarella soaking in brine in the fridge as an easy way to make margherita pizza for the kids or as an easy salad to make on hot nights. Simply add torn to a bowl of sliced peaches, baby spinach and sliced prosciutto for a casual and relaxed dinner. Just add wine.

Rich in vit. E, sunflower seeds are a healthy and nutritious snack in their own right but are even better when added to savoury dishes. Full of protein and healthy fats, sunflower seeds are an easy addition to add some texture to midweek cooking. Try your hand at Matt Preston’s fast and fabulous sunflower seed risotto. We prefer sunflower seeds, like Macro Sunflower Seeds, which is available from Woolworths stores nationally and online now.

From stabilising pie crusts to cutting through fatty and heavy meals, apple cider vinegar is a must-have in any spring kitchen pantry. Use it in salads with olive oil for a light and refreshing dressing or in your favourite slaw. Try your hand at using apple cider vinegar in Warren Mendes’ treacle pork rolls with Brussels sprout slaw. We prefer apple cider vinegar, like Macro Apple Cider Vinegar, which is available from Woolworths stores nationally and online now.

High in good fats and minerals, it’s easy to see why pistachio kernels are a favourite in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking. Keep a packet of pistachio kernels (kernels without the shell) on hand for a quick and easy addition in both sweet and savoury dishes. Try using them in our favourite cherry, pistachio and marzipan cake that’s ideal for an afternoon spring garden party. We prefer pistachios, like Macro Pistachio Kernels, which is available from Woolworths stores nationally and online now.

All hail the leafy green! Take advantage of this leafy greens availability in spring for a healthy addition to Mediterranean-style dishes or as a side for a quick and nutritious way to increase your intake of greens. Try your hand at Matt Moran’s silverbeet, mint and parmesan salad for a quick and easy midweek meal.

From polenta fries to creamy desserts, the use of this Italian staple is endless. Store away a packet in the cupboard for those late night dinners after work or use in desserts to give a denser and creamier consistency than that of regular flour. Plus, it also has the added bonus of being naturally gluten-free. #winning Entertaining on the weekend? Don’t go past these fried polenta fries. The only trouble you’ll have with them is how quickly they go. We prefer polenta, like Macro Polenta, which is available from Woolworths stores nationally and online now.

Love toasted almonds? Then you’ll love tamari almonds, the Japanese-style roasted almonds coated in tamari sauce. Keep a few on hand for a light and healthy snack between meals or use interchangeably in recipes that call for toasted almonds. We prefer tamari almonds, like Macro Tamari Almonds, which is available from Woolworths stores nationally and online now.

Keep a bottle of this delicate and light blossom water in your store for an easy way to add a fresh and citrusy aroma as well as flavour to cakes, salads and desserts. Add to spring salads and sweet cakes like this Moroccan orange and cardamom yoghurt cake.