Pantry Staples
These are a few of the pantry staples that I like to keep our kitchen stocked with to make fresh and nutritious meals, snacks and desserts. While not all of these are essential, having the majority of them allows me to create an assortment of dishes, with a variety of flavor profiles, at any given time.
As a rule of thumb, we generally buy produce and dairy items on a weekly basis, and fish and meat just on the days we will be cooking it, then keep everything else on hand to use as needed. But, in times of emergency, we will stock up ahead of time as, thankfully, many of the things on this list either have a long shelf life, are hearty enough to last a while or can be stored in the freezer.
GRAINS
pasta
quinoa
rice
rice noodles
oats
cornmeal
bread crumbs {make your own with stale bread}
tortilla wraps {can be stored in the freezer + taken out as needed}
PROTEINS {*can be stored in the freezer + taken out when needed}
canned tuna
canned clams
whole chicken*
chicken thighs*
shrimp*
pork loin*
ground meat*
tofu
chickpeas
nut butters
chicken sausage*
bacon*
kielbasa*
SEEDS
nuts (walnuts, peanuts, almonds, cashews)
flax
pumpkin
PRODUCE {*can be cut up and frozen}
ginger
garlic
potatoes
sweet potatoes
carrots*
beets*
zucchini*
broccoli*
kale*
celery
red peppers*
oranges
lemons {for the times I canโt find fresh, I get a jar of lemon juice}
limes
DAIRY
parmesan cheese (lasts for a long time; great for a variety of uses)
mozzarella (freezes well; mild cheese so it works well for many things outside of pizza and pasta)
eggs
yogurt
milk
butter {can freeze}
heavy cream {can freeze into cubes, good for making sauces creamy}
cream cheese {last unopened, good for making creamy sauces}
ice-cream
CANNED GOODS
broth
crushed tomatoes
tomato paste
coconut milk
100% pure pumpkin puree
olives
artichoke hearts
BAKING
flour
almond flour
GF flour
baking powder
baking soda
cocoa powder
granulated sugar
brown sugar
coconut sugar
vanilla
chocolate chips
rapid rise yeast {can be store in the freezer}
brewerโs yeast
coconut (flakes, shredded)
SPICES
salt {sea salt + flakes}
black pepper
cinnamon
curry powder
chili powder
red pepper flakes
sesame seeds
everything but the bagel
dukkah
fresh herbs- cilantro, parsely, dill, basil, mint {pick up herb plants instead of just a bunch of herbs to ensure you always have fresh ones on hand + itโs more cost effective and less wasteful}
CONDIMENTS
mayonnaise
mustard
ketchup
oil (olive, garlic-infused, sesame, coconut)
vinegars (apple, red wine, rice)
soy sauce/coconut aminos/braggโs aminos
honey
maple syrup
lemon juice
ghee
jam
cooking spray
hot sauce
sriracha
FROZEN
corn
peas
green beans
berries
pineapple
bananas {buy fresh, then freeze}
zoodles
veggie burgers or Beyond Meat burgers
cookie dough {pre-make, then freeze into balls}
SNACKS
rice cakes
crackers
popcorn
chocolate bars
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS (aka things we usually only have on hand for emergencies)
salsa {good for making sauces, adding to soups}
Annieโs Mac and Cheese {a favorite guilty pleasure}
juice
seltzer water