Pantry Essentials – How To Build A Super Star Pantry.
Regardless of the way your kitchen is set up now, a well-organized, functional pantry stocked with the right ingredients makes it SO much easier to enjoy eating a balanced diet. Stock up on these key ingredients below so you can make delicious and nutritious meals every night of the week. A well stocked pantry is like an investment in your health, you are ensuring that you have everything you need to make a healthy dinner even when life gets busy.
If you are just starting out my here are a 5 tips to help you out:
Tip #1 – Start with the right jars or containers so you can easily organize your pantry. This allows you to easily see where things are, what’s running low & it is visually pleasing. I purchased cases of 500ml & 1 Litre (16 oz and 32 oz) glass jars.
Tip #2 – slowly build your pantry, it can feel overwhelming if you are just beginning. Each week add 1-2 items to your grocery list, this makes it more cost effective and less overwhelming.
Tip #3 – Buy in bulk when it makes sense. I love to stock up on things I use often like nuts, seeds, nut butter etc. You can save a lot of money purchasing in bulk at places like Costco or Whole Foods.
Tip #4 – Start buy purchasing ingredients that you would use most, first.
Tip #5 – Once your pantry is well-stocked get excited to look up & experiment with new super foods. With a well-stocked pantry you can easily whip up healthy snacks and better meals.
The Recipe
PrintHere Are My Pantry Favourites & a 10 Step Approach To Building A Super Pantry:
1. Nuts & Seeds – walnuts, almonds, pecans, pine nuts, cashews, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seed & shelled hemp seeds.
2. Nut Butters – almond butter, peanut butter, sun butter (sunflower seed butter), tahini, pumpkin seed butter.
3. Flours & Whole grains – almond flour, chickpea flour, whole wheat flour, gluten-free rolled oats & oat flour, buckwheat groats.
4. Beans & Legumes – black beans, kidney beans, 6 bean mix, chickpeas, lentils (red & brown), split green peas, edamame. You can buy them dry (uncooked) in bags which is more cost effective but takes more work or you can purchase in a can. Costco has organic beans that you can purchase by the case which saves you money.
5. Sweeteners – dates, dried cranberries, raisins, pure maple syrup, honey, brown rice vinegar, coconut sugar, sucanat sugar, lucuma powder, apple sauce & unsweetened coconut flakes.
6. Oils & Healthy Fats – Avocado oil, coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil, grape seed oil, sesame oil, omega 3 fish oil, flax oil, hemp oil, or MCT oil.
7. Spices – Tip – Store your spices in 500ml glass jars and write the name of the spice on the lid. This will help keep your spice cupboard organized and clean.
This is a list of my must have spices:
– turmeric, yellow curry powder, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, basil, parsley, Italian seasoning, cumin, coriander, garam masala, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, ginger, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, dill, salt, pepper and any of your favourite spice blends.
8. Vinegars – apple cider, balsamic, white and red wine vinegar, rice vinegar.
9. Baking – vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, dried fruit (dried cranberries, raisins, gogi berries, mangos etc.), cacao powder, cacao nibs, chocolate and vanilla protein powder.
10. Miscellaneous – nutritional yeast (this is an amazing super food if you are plant-based or vegan it gives your food a cheesy flavor and 100 % of your vitamin b12), spirulina or chlorella powder, arrowroot powder or tapioca starch, canned goods (crushed or diced tomatoes, tomato paste), pasta (lentil, black bean or chickpea), canned coconut milk and broth.
I know this might look like a lot, it is a lot but know that it doesn’t have to be built in one day and you can customize to your favourite items. Ultimately I wanted to give you a comprehensive list so that you could slowly pick up items that work for you and your pantry needs. Have fun with it and see how awesome an organized pantry and kitchen can make you feel.
If you know someone who would love this information or find it helpful I would be so grateful if you could share this free resource with them. If you have any other tips or feedback I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
Happy Meal Prep Sunday (or maybe kitchen organizing Sunday).
