Last weekend I wasfighting astubborn head cold that resisted everything I threw at it. I evensuffered the indignities of the Neti Pot. AsI wasgetting ready for bed one night, I looked into the mirror to see a strangehobo looking back at me: bright orange hunting cap, college scarf, fleece sweatshirt, old sweats, and ratty socks. All topped off withthe strong scentof Unker’s. Needless to say, it wasn’t a good look.
Even though we slipped into survival mode for five days, we all came out alive. Meals made it to the table without a singleemergency run to the grocery store. Which got me thinking again about the importance of having a well stocked pantry for life’s little ups and downs. It might be surprise company or a late soccer game or just a normal Wednesday night, buthaving a good stock of basic foods makesa huge difference in staying within your grocery budget.
I am going to share a few basic staples that I try to keep on hand at all times in my refrigerator, freezer, and pantry to make last-minute meals or from-scratch cooking easier on everyone.
Basic food list to stock your fridge, freezer and pantry
REFRIGERATOR
My preference is a relatively empty-looking fridge. Only basic condiments. No salad dressings. Quick turnaround on leftovers. Lots of cheese butter fresh produce. As little waste as possible.
Sturdy vegetables– After wasting too much money and tossing too much slimy food, Ino longerbuy bagged lettuce or pre-cut vegetables. As much as possible, I try to major in whole, freshvegetables that have a longer shelf life likecabbage, potatoes, carrots, beets, etc. (for more, read How to Roast Vegetablesand make theLoaded Baked Potato Salad with Bacon, plus the best way to cook potatoes).
Maple Syrup
– We eat our fair share of waffles and pancakes in our home, both for breakfast and dinner. Maple syrup is also adelicious sweetenerin baked goods such as our Maple Cluster Granola.My family has cut out refined sugar and this is a fantastic replacement.
Corn tortillas – I love the long shelf life on these babies; they are perfect for enchiladas, tostadas, quesadillas, tacos. I love them in Chicken Tortilla Soup or just warmed with simple beans & rice. Mexican food is definitely my default mode. Learn how to cook and soak dried beans and make crockpot pinto beans.
Parmesan cheese – I buya big blockat Costco every 2 months or so. Because it is a sharp, hard cheeseit adds anice punch in small amounts and has a good shelf life.
Lemons – I use one lemon every time I make a juice, but they are also great for homemade marinades or dressings. If you are on a low-salt diet, lemon juice is anice alternative.
Trader Joe’s Goat Milk Plain Yogurt – My kids can’t do cow’s milk so we’ve had to get creative in the dairy department. Translation: It costs way more money to buy similar products. My favorite recent find is this yogurt. I like that it is low in sugar and contains active cultures, unlike the expensive coconut milk yogurt I had been buying. My kids happily eat this in place of standard yogurt or sour cream. Findout what else I like to buy at Trader Joe’s here.
FREEZER
My freezer is 99% free of processed food. It only took me nine years, but it’s a good place to start if you are looking to move your family toward eating more whole foods and less processed junk. Picking and freezing produce in season is one easy step, especially in the NW.
Quinoa – Cooking a double batch of grains and freezing half is a great way to stretch one planned meal into a secondlast-minute one. Just letit cool completely, spoon into a freezer bag, press it flat, and stick it in the freezer. It isperfect to have on hand to start a low-maintenance meal (like Quinoa Patties).
Ginger – Delicious in so many different dishes. Fighting a cold last week, Imadehoney, lemon and ginger tea. Good for what ails you. Especially good in Coconut Chicken Soup.
Beans – I hate to be bossy, but if you haven’t started cooking and freezing dried beans, START! I promise, the steps are easy and the results are fabulous. And I never say fabulous.
I was tired of buying cans of beans and running out of this cheap staple, so I just started regularly soaking, simmering, and freezingdifferent varieties of beans anytime I had a quiet morning at home. I am convinced that having a stash of cooked beans on hand for simple, inexpensive meals has done more to cut our grocery bill than any other small step.
Roasted Garlic – Roastseveral heads of garlic at once (learn how to roast garlic here); serve or store one in the fridge and keep the remaining cloves in the freezer to add to homemade Spicy Hummus, mashed potatoes, soup, stew, whateva. Don’t know what to make for dinner? Just start sauteing onions and garlic and something good willhappen.
Bacon – My family eats a vegetable-based diet, but we happily add in meat whenever the craving strikes. Bacon is my favorite meat in the freezer because it works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, rounding out a simple meal (pancakes and eggs) without a huge added expense. Also, a little bit stretches a long way. Cook and crumble it into potato chowder or butternut squash carbonara, and for a few extra bucks you’ve added a little protein and a lot of flavor.
Roasted Marinara Sauce – If this isn’t sitting in your freezer right now, make plans to stash some away next summer! Oh man, I’m getting bossy again. But in the time it takes to thaw the sauce and cook some spaghetti noodles, you can have a seriously delicious dinner on the table. It’s also great in lasagna or on pizza.
Applesauce– If canning just isn’t your jam (or you just haven’t had the chance to learn), making your own applesauce in big batches and freezing for later is a great option! Take advantage of apple season, pick them fresh at your favorite U-pick or find the best price from your local farmer’s market or apple orchard. Super easy to freeze and you can enjoy that delicious homemade flavor for months to come!
PANTRY
Every year I try to add new tools to my cooking belt, simple recipes to replace pre-packaged foods. This year, I am hoping to stop buying crackers (If I can finally find a recipe my kids will actually eat. Any ideas?) and cut out as muchprocessed foodas possible. My pantry is packed with basic cooking and baking ingredients, but here are a few extra items I always have on the shelves:
Old fashioned rolled oats – I rarely eat a bowl of warm glue oatmeal, but weburnthrough bags of rolled oats like they’re going out of style inMaple ClusterGranola, homemade granola bars, and veggie burgers. Yum. Find a great gluten-free option here on Amazon.
Honey – I can totally relate to poor Pooh Bear. I hate running out of honey. Costco has recently added some excellent raw and/or local options to their shelves.
Coconut Milk – This is one of the few store-bought canned products in my pantry. I like having it on hand foreverything from dinnerto dessert, especially the 2-ingredient coconut milk ice cream. A delicious, non-dairy treat!
Trader Joe’s Unsulphered, Unsweetened Dried Mango – Just mango. Just… kidding. No really, don’t get started on this stuff. You won’t be able. to. stop.
If you are into canning or would like to start, your pantry can also be absolutely chock full of seasonal goodness year round.
- How to can applesauce
- Canning tomatoes
- How to can pears
If you’d like to start canning but don’t know where to being, check out our awesomeCanning for Beginnerspost. Frequently asked questions, resources and supplies you will need to jump right in.
What are your go-to items to keep in the fridge, freezer or pantry?
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