We’ve all been there – you go to make a snack or a meal and you have nothing in your kitchen. Like, nothing – no rogue chicken tender, old yogurt. NOTHING. It’s the worst because it means you have to buy something that’s probably overpriced and bad for you. The way to avoid that is to keep a pantry stocked with healthy essentials at all times – that way there’s always something you can quickly throw together!
Every week when I’m placing my online grocery order, I take a quick inventory of pantry items that are running low and make sure to add those to the list. The proper way to keep track would be to have a white-board or notepad in the kitchen and write down every time you use the last of something – great in theory but I haven’t done it for some reason. On the list…
Here are my essentials – if you are new to cooking, a great way to start building up your pantry from scratch.
Staples:
Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper
Vinegars (I love red wine, but white wine or apple cider are great)
Mustard
Crushed Garlic
Soy Sauce (or Tamari)
Honey
Grains:
Brown Rice
Quinoa
Whole-Wheat Pasta
Oats
Cous Cous
Canned:
Black Beans
Chickpeas
Corn
Chicken Broth/Stock (or veggie, beef, etc.)
Tuna (or salmon, anchovies, sardines, etc.)
Tomatoes (diced, whole, etc.)
Coconut Milk
Almond Milk
Cashew Butter (any nut butter you love)
Tomato Paste
Spices:
Cinnamon
Turmeric
Oregano
Rosemary
Cumin
Chili Flakes
Bay Leaves
Vanilla
Thyme
Basil
Baking:
Almond Flour
Whole Wheat Flour (or Buckwheat, etc.)
Raisins
Chocolate Chips
Nuts
Applesauce
Maple Syrup
Dates
Of course, this is just a rough idea of where to start – let me know some of your favorites!
CHH