Pantry Staples

Support your nutrition goals by stocking your pantry with ingredients that work with your plan. Stock your pantry with non-perishable food that you will actually eat. Many of these items are more affordable in bulk, and some have a shorter shelf life than others. It's not cheaper if you have to thrown half of it away because you didn't use it fast enough. Using air-tight containers for dry storage will keep insects and rodents out of your food, should they find their way into the house. Reusing old glass containers is a great idea as long as they don't have a strong smell (like old pickle jars). Daily deal sites like woot! and meh often sell storage canisters at steep discounts. Canning jars (mason jars) are a popular option to use for dry storage containers, but if you're not canning with them, they can be a little on the expensive side. We'll talk about home food preservation in a different article.

Pantry staples that I keep on hand include:

• canned tuna, canned salmon, canned chicken

• dry beans and/or canned beans (opt for no/low salt)

• dry lentils

• quinoa

• broth (reduced or no sodium)

• peanut butter

• popcorn (kernels for popping, not microwave)

• nuts,

• dry pasta

• tomato paste (I use it to make sauce)

• oatmeal (any type; quick, old-fashioned, and steel-cut are exactly the same from a nutrient standpoint),

• dried herbs, spices and spice blends that my family enjoys (I also mix a few of my own spice blends rather than buying them preblended)

• canned light coconut milk

• rice

• cooking oils and a few types of vinegar

• tea and coffee

• dried fruit (raisins, apricots, cranberries, mangos)

• baking supplies (flour, baking powder, corn meal, white and brown sugar, yeast, salt)

• hot and cold cereal options that the kids like, and some boxed mac/cheese in case they don't want whatever I'm eating.

Familiarize yourself with several stores in your area to find the best prices. In many cases it will be a chain store like Aldi or Walmart, but there are still 'health food' stores where you could buy some of these items less expensively or in smaller quantities than a full package, to try before you commit. Be mindful that dry goods that are higher in fat, like whole grains, nuts, and seeds, can go rancid if not used relatively quickly. Once you open them, consider storing them in the freezer rather than the pantry, if you think it will take you a while to get through them.

Your pantry staples will vary based on your tastes, cooking style, and where you get your food.