Do you have a well stocked pantry full of pantry staples for quick meals?
I ask in an effort to be real here. Meal planning is something that can be a great help when feeding your family. But sometimes it doesn’t always happen.
Or maybe it did happen but you’re out of an ingredient you thought you had and can’t make what you’d planned.
Whatever the reason, getting meals together on the fly is another great skill to have when feeding your family.
And the number one thing that can help with that is having a well stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer. Today, we’re talking all about pantry staples for quick family meals. The fridge and freezer will come another day!
The List
While the types of meals that you enjoy will obviously influence this list some, it is a great place to start. By buying and stocking these items, you have a great shot at creating your own nutritious meal on the fly, or picking a recipe off of the internet to make without needing to go to the store first.
Dry Items
- Quinoa
- Brown Rice
- Red and Green Lentils
- Whole Wheat Pasta: Spaghetti, Fusilli, Penne
- High Protein Pasta: Banza, Lentil, etc
Baking
- Sugar
- Honey
- Brown Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Vanilla
- Chia
- Flax
- Rolled Oats
- Whole Wheat Flour
- White Flour
- Salt
Canned/Jarred
- Coconut Milk
- Salsa
- Beans: black, chickpeas, kidney, etc
- Peanut Butter
- Canned Tomatoes: e.g. crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, fire roasted, diced
- Stock or bouillon in a jar
Oils/Vinegars
- Olive Oil
- Grapeseed Oil
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Apple Cider Vinegar
Spices
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Cayenne Pepper
- Red Pepper
- Paprika
- Thyme
- Basil
- Oregano
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
- Pepper
- Bay Leaves
- Curry Powder
- Garam Masala
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
Miscellaneous
- Freeze Dried Fruit
- Sweet Potatoes
- Onions
- Crackers
- Popcorn
- Pretzels
- Chocolate
With these in your pantry, there are infinite meals you can make.
Think pasta with a pasta sauce made from crushed tomatoes, spices and olive oil. Throw some lentils into that to round out your meal and you’ve hit all your bases.
Make a sweet potato stew with stock, quinoa, coconut milk, and spices. Again all your bases are covered and it’s ready in less than 30 minutes from just your pantry.
Add these to some freezer staples, and you’ll really have a ton of different meals you can make without needing to plan too far in advance.
We’ll talk about the freezer and fridge staples next time!