One thing I’m passionate about while raising my children is teaching them the importance of cooking their own food. Today there are so many prepackaged, processed, preservative-laden convenience foods available, but I want my children to learn the benefits of eating real food. I’m talking made-from-scratch, grown-in-the-ground food, and one of the keys to doing that effectively and often is having a well-stocked pantry.
The beauty of convenience food is that all the work of measuring ingredients is done for you. There are no guessing games as to how much salt to use, how many teaspoons of basil to add because it’s all packed in there in a nice, neat little pouch. Plus, you don’t have to worry about having all of those ingredients on hand to make that meal kit. You only need the hamburger, water, usually a bit of milk and a pat or two or butter. Simple, right?
Unfortunately, along with salt and spices, those packets usually also contain more preservatives and additives and extra fat than you care count, are unpronounceable and are doing nothing for your overall health. One key to successful home cooking is to stock your pantry with items that you’ll use frequently. Toss the canned ravioli, the all-in-one meal kit.
Below you’ll find a list to get you started in stocking your pantry.
Dry Pastas (a few different shapes and sizes)
Grains (couscous, rice, barley, quinoa, oats)
Oils (olive oil, canola oil)
Vegetables (onions, potatoes, garlic)
Tomatoes (sauce, diced, stewed, paste)
Nut Butter
Honey
Maple Syrup
Vinegars (balsamic, white, red wine)
Soy Sauce
Nuts
Raisins
Dried or Canned Beans
Specialty Items (artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, olives)
Herbs and Spices (oregano, basil, cumin, parsley, dill)
For Baking:
Flours (unbleached white and wheat)
Sugars (brown, cane or beet, powdered)
Kosher Salt
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Cornstarch
Cream of Tartar
Cocoa Powder
Chocolate Chips or Chunks
Vanilla Extract
Cinnamon
While I tend to keep much more on hand, these are the things I try to keep around and stocked all the time so they are always available when I need to throw something together.
What do you have in your pantry?
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I agree – your list is great! I keep most of what you have on your list, plus some things like oatmeal, dried fruit, coconut oil, shredded coconut, etc. Wonderful reminder!
Great list! I keep an eye on the times of year that you can stockpile these staples for free/almost free using sales and coupons. Baking supplies are lowest just before Thanksgiving, for example. One of the myths I hear most often is that you can only get “junk food” with coupons, but it’s not true. I have plenty of canned beans and tomatoes, whole wheat pasta, and other healthy pantry staples in my pantry that I’ve gotten free/almost free with coupons.
I have found that if I keep my pantry well stocked, my trips to the grocery store and nights eating dinner out are greatly reduced. Great list!
Great post! You are right, having a well stocked pantry allows you to save time and money in providing your family healthy meals! Wonderful Resource.