Have you ever come home from work full of intention and motivation to cook dinner at home, only to find an empty pantry and nothing to work with? Sometimes cooking at home sounds totally do-able, but making that extra stop at the grocery on the way home is where I lose steam. Making sure you have a few pantry staples can be that make-or-break factor between whipping up something homemade or grabbing your phone to order from Postmates, yet again.
Stock Your Kitchen: Pantry Staples
This list of pantry staples are the items that I like to keep on hand to help me whip up meals on the fly. They’re basic, versatile ingredients that are used frequently, are usually fairly inexpensive, and have a long shelf life (pantry, refrigerator, or freezer). Your personal list will take shape as you begin to cook regularly and develop favorite recipes or flavors. In the mean time, use this list as a guide for slowly building up your pantry over time. You don’t have to buy everything at once! Buy one or two items, as needed, but always check if you need to restock on these items before you do your weekly shop.
Need ideas for what to make with your pantry staples? Check out these 19 Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinners, designed specifically to use pantry staples and require little planning ahead!
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Dry Goods
Dry goods are usually the least expensive and most versatile ingredients in your kitchen. I like to buy these items from bulk bins, if possible, to cut down on packaging, and because I can buy any quantity needed. If you don’t have fancy containers to store your dry goods, don’t fret. A heavy duty zip top food storage bag will do the job. Just make sure they stay dry, cool, and away from sunlight because flavors and freshness don’t last forever.
- Flour: all-purpose, whole wheat
- Sugar: white, brown, confectioners (powdered)
- Rolled Oats
- Rice: long-grain white, brown, or jasmine rice
- Cornmeal
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Cornstarch
- Dry Beans: black, white (cannellini, navy), kidney, garbanzo
- Lentils
- Pasta
Oils, Vinegars, and Sauces
Oils, vinegars, and sauces are essential to giving life to your food. They add flavor, zing, and can be used to make a million different dressings and sauces that will liven up even the most boring meals. Again, these items are pretty basic and inexpensive, and most have an extremely long shelf life. Don’t worry yourself over buying top quality when you’re just starting out. Until you become more experienced in the kitchen and your taste develop, you may not be able to tell the difference between generic and high end. Stick to what you can afford and I promise you’ll still be able to make good food!
- Oils: vegetable or canola, extra virgin olive oil, toasted sesame oil, non-stick spray
- Vinegar: apple cider, red wine, rice, balsamic
- Soy Sauce*
- Worcestershire Sauce*
- Sriracha*
- Honey
- Mustard*: yellow, Dijon
- Mayonnaise*
- Hoisin Sauce*
- Peanut Butter*
*Refrigerate after opening
Herbs and Spices
Herbs and spices are my arsenal in the kitchen. They can turn boring, flavorless food into a drool-worthy creation. Spices have a fairly long shelf life, especially if kept in an air-tight container, away from heat and sunlight. There is no exact expiration date for herbs and spices, but a good way to determine their potency is to give them a sniff. If you can’t smell your spices, you won’t likely be able to taste them in your recipe, either. For super fresh and affordable spices, look for spices sold in bulk (this is becoming more popular in grocery stores) and check international grocery stores.
This list is highly personalized and will differ greatly depending on what kind of cuisine you like.
- Salt (fine sea salt and coarse kosher salt)
- Whole Peppercorns (with grinder – see photo above, far right)
- Basil
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Cumin
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cayenne Pepper
- Smoked Paprika
- Cinnamon
- Curry Powder
- Chili Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Cocoa Powder
- Vanilla Extract
- Turmeric
Refrigerated Items
Obviously these ingredients don’t have as long of a shelf life as dry goods, but it’s good to keep them on hand.
- Milk: dairy or non-dairy
- Eggs (large)
- Butter
- Plain Yogurt
- Grated Parmesan
- Mayonnaise, Mustard (also listed under sauces)
- Shredded Cheese (can be kept in the freezer for long term storage)
- Tortillas (almost anything can be made into a quesadilla for a quick meal!)
Frozen Items
In lieu of trying to keep a variety of fresh vegetables on hand (keep dreamin’, Beth) I like to keep a variety of frozen vegetables on hand. Frozen vegetables are the next best thing to fresh because they don’t have any extra salt or preservatives added (make sure you’re not getting the kind that come with a sauce). They’re always there ready and waiting to be tossed into a soup, casserole, pasta dish, or even tossed onto pizza, without worry that they’ll go limp and begin to stink up the fridge.
- Spinach
- Broccoli Florets
- Fruit: blueberries, strawberries, peaches
- Shelled Edamame
- Corn Kernels
I also like to make sure I have a little meat stashed in my fridge for quick meals. When I encounter meat sales, I stock up and stash the goods in my freezer for later.
Canned Goods
I don’t use canned goods often, but they’re extremely convenient and usually fairly inexpensive, so they can certainly be a life saver. I try to stick to canned goods with as little additives as possible.
- Tomatoes: paste, diced, sauce, crushed/puréed
- Beans: black, kidney, white, garbanzo
- Pumpkin Purée
- Pasta Sauce (for when there’s no time to make your own)
- Coconut Milk
- Soup Base: I used Better Than Bouillon, chicken, beef, and vegetable. Refrigerate after opening.
So there you have it—my most valuable pantry staples that I rely on to get me through busy days and last minute meal requests. What about you? What have I forgotten? What ingredient can you not live without having on hand at all times?
Share yours in the comments below!
Post originally published 11-19-14, updated 7-5-18.
I also find it useful to have a dedicated spice grinder which is really just a coffee grinder only for spices. I recently learned a new trick for cleaning out old spice residue more easily–tear up a bit of fresh bread and run it through briefly–the powder sticks to it. Whole spices keep longer and a lot of Indian recipes call for briefly toasting the whole spice and then grinding it. Makes a huge difference in flavor.
You can also make your own spice blends, such as chili powder, curry powder and so on. I find this useful but you can google recipes, they’re everywhere.
https://wellnessmama.com/4430/homemade-spice-blends/#
When you have more experience you can adjust to your own preference. This would be a good “quilting bee” type social experience–gather some friends and each bring a few different bulk spices and used cleaned jars and make some blends together. Maybe cook something with them too.
FYI butter freezes wonderfully and it’s still relatively easy to cut with a sharp knife when frozen. Frozen ginger is easily grated with a microplane zester. Bread freezes well if you pop it in the toaster to defrost it. If you defrost slowly by leaving it on the counter, not so much.
Pumpkin is a squash. If you think of it that way it has a lot more uses. I try yo keeo premade biscuits. You can buy them in bags in the freezer section. Thawed the can be pstted or rolled out as base for puzzas or sweet rolls, etc. As biscuits they di lots of things. Cut in quarters and use as dumolings. Lsi. I jeep canned potatoes and instant. They are stable and in casseroles or fried with eggs are pretty goid. Instant ootaties are good as thickeners. I keep canned meats, tuna, and slippy joe sauce. Again, in casseroles they are quick and tasty. If you have meat packed in salt or oil it helps to rinse it before use. Bulk cocoa mix is goid for cocia, flavoring coffees, making chocolate mlk,. Mixing in ice cteam, cookie and cakes, deepenng the flavor of things like chili (just a touch needed), etc. It’s one of my ‘secret ingredients’ but needs a very light touch. I have many other things but this is long already. Last tip. Regular sized cans of vegetables can be portion-sized and frozen. Good to add to soups or make pea salad, etc. There is a value from learning to cook from grandmothers who lived during the depression and/or on farms. They could use almist anything and threw away almost nothing. 👍
Peanut butter for sandwiches, Thai chix, etc.: jelly for sandwiches, yogurt, pastries, etc. Seasonal splurges for me to stockpile are cranberries and rhubarb because they freeze so well and I can jazz up crisps, muffins, and pies all year around. Also seltzer water to add to water and a slice of lemon or lime.
are canned beans healthy? because they usually contain a lot of sodium but dried beans take very long to cook?
Healthy is a very relative term. They are healthy compared to many things because they contain a lot of fiber, protein, and antioxidants. If you’re concerned about the salt, a lot of brands make low/no sodium canned beans now too. :)
Get a small colander and rinse your canned goods before you use them (with the exception of tomatoes of any kind). This helps, even with those with low sodium – because low sodium often means “added sugar”. Read your labels. Rinse your food liberally.
Onions
Garlic
Potatoes
They don’t last as long as canned or dried, but they can last a few weeks and are great to have on hand.
Also, apple sauce. Great for baking, oatmeal, or just a simple snack to get a fruit in. You can buy in bulk at Sam’s Club.
Thank you so much for the helpful tips Bethany! What would you suggest using the pumpkin purée for? Perhaps a fresh pumpkin, chicken and garbanzo soup, with a sprinkling of sriracha and topped off with some edamame beans? Thank you so much Beth, honestly helped me so much in my low cost budget xxx. P.S. do you not use bread? I find it can be a bit too full on with all the disgusting carcinogenic carbohydrates. Thanks again honey x.
Here is a link to all of my recipes that use pumpkin, so you can get some ideas. :) I generally don’t buy bread. I use tortillas for most things and if I do want actual bread, I usually make it. :)
Although I am not against using normal bread, due to medical reasons we cannot.
I either buy or make my own real sourdough, I make the starter, if you buy made, won’t have yeast listed if true sourdough, the yeast is wild from the air, I use only rye flour and time to make starter,
There should be less than 7 or 8 ingredients if you’re looking for premade,
Also, in frozen section a quality sprouted grain bread like Ezekiel bread, but I noticed less expensive brands with corn syrup,
I hope that helps,
Carbohydrates are not carcinogenic. They are literally the only nutrient substrate your brain uses as fuel. I have a degree in human physiology and it’s basic nutritional science you learn in first year.
Please don’t spread these silly conspiracy theories. All they do is make people make choices about their diet based on fear and misinformation which is incredibly damaging to public health.
Thank you.
Low sodium chicken broth
Assortment of citrus (lime, lemon, possibly orange)
Individual glass storage containers for my own freezer meals
Various rices (I cheat and buy Trader Joe’s frozen)
Seasoned salt
Wonderful blog, Beth! I have really enjoyed the addition of plant-based meals and comprehensive instruction.
Thank you!
Coconut milk
Yeast
Powdered milk
Popcorn
Dried onion soup, canned tomato, chicken noodle, mushroom & lentil soup (lentil soup fast base to build with additional veges, pasta…). Eggs and/or leftover rice are frugal vehicles for cleaning out crisper drawers w/fritatta, stir frys. Almond Milk. Frozen pastry & shelf stable whip cream. Frozen leeks, green onions. Velveta. Can salmon, sardines. Fish & Soy Sauce, ses oil, Thai curry paste, frozen nana/pita.
I just wanted to add that in my canned goods section I agree with (and have) all of what you listed. But I CANNOT make it without canned evaporated milk and lots of it! :p You see I have a husband and 2 teenage girls who can easily empty a fresh gallon in a mere 24hrs. :(
Also I add to my staples list a list called “seasonal” and it includes things like “mixed nuts
by the pound” which I get every year in the fall, veggies are listed in the available fresh season as well.
I also have a freezer list which includes lots of fish. Tilapia (5 lbs at a time) Wild salmon (rarely as it is expensive) and shrimp (salad shrimp in a big bag)
As well as egg roll wraps, phillo dough and other staples.
This was fun sharing and we have similar tastes mostly. Maybe it’s because i am a Beth too! ;)
Fresh ginger root cut in big pieces and stored in freezer. Easy to slice or grate whenever needed.
It’s always nice to have a well stock pantry. You don’t need box mixes as much. I would add chocolate chips and they can be frozen. Left whole or melted they work for desserts.
How long, what is the expected storage time for potatoes and onions?
It depends on the heat and humidity in your area. It can vary quite a bit.
Just remember to separate onions & potatoes…. they accelerate root growth in each other
I didn’t know that!!! Wow!! Good to know! I’ve been doing it wrong….
I tend to cook a lot more Italian, so my must-haves are:
Pasta (many types)
Dry beans
Peas
2-3 Cheeses (parmigiano, romano, mozzarella)
Olive Oil
Olives
Fish, Shrimp, Shellfish
Sausage
Pork
Tomatoes
Zucchini
Eggplant
Oregano
Thyme
Rosemary
Basil
Garlic
Onions
Various in-season fruits
Crusty Italian Bread (or flour, baking soda, etc. to make your own!)