Pantry Staples
Hi Friends,
Let’s chat pantry staples. When it comes to easy-peasy home cooking, having a well stocked pantry makes all the difference. For the sake of ease, assume when I say pantry I’m referring to the freezer, shelf stable items and long lasting produce.
The first thing my clients and I tackle is a pantry evaluation. We scan through for anything out of date, items purchased on a whim with no plan to prepare, and foods the client has no interest in actually making - like when you buy chia seeds for chia pudding, but quickly learn you hate chia pudding :) So, that’s your STEP ONE! Do your own evaluation, and jot down what you’ve already got on hand.
Once you’ve combed through what you have”in-stock” STEP 2 is to make a list of want you want/need! As you make your list, consider foods you and your family eat most often. For example, love a home-made Mexican food night? Be sure to add rice, canned beans and maybe some frozen bell peppers to your pantry staple list.
To keep it simple, you can break your list into categories like:
dried goods (grains, flours, pasta or legumes)
canned goods (beans, broths, sauces or nut milks)
frozen goods (fruits & veggies)
flavor boosters - items that have a long shelf life and add fresh flavors (olives, artichokes, or vinegars)
Now that you’ve made your list, STEP 3 is to take a moment to consider HOW & WHERE you want to shop. Can you grab all the items in one place? What’s the quickest way to get you in & out of the store? I like to zoom around the perimeter of a grocery starting on the right side and looping all the way left, where most freezer items are stored. If you make your shopping list digitally, you easily move items around in a shoppable order. It may seem silly to think about “mapping” out your grocery route, but you’d be surprised how many people feel overwhelmed with grocery runs. SO.MANY.OPTIONS. If you make a mental game-plan before you head out, you’re less likely to make impulse purchases or forget crucial items.
STEP FOUR - go to the store. Which, I’m personally procrastinating on at this very moment.
STEP FIVE - as you bring everything into your home, try to keep it relatively organized so you can quickly evaluate what you have available on busy nights. This keeps you from pacing around your kitchen wondering what to cook. See brown rice and frozen veggie melody? Do you have soy sauce? BOOM - asian stir-fry.
I hope you’ve found this helpful - reach out with questions! And in the meantime, you can download my client pantry staple list for a little inspo to get you started.