With a well-stocked pantry, planning and cooking meals is so much easier! Take the stress out of your mealtimes with a free printable list of pantry staples.
A Well-Stocked Pantry
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Now that you know what is in your pantry, it’s time to make use of it! With this list of pantry staples, you can put together a fast meal for any busy night!
What are Pantry Essentials?
What are some staples you should always have on hand in your pantry? Let’s take a look!
For baking, flour and sugar (of course), along with baking powder and baking soda. And some chocolate – in whatever form you like. It’s hard to make chocolate chip cookies without any chocolate chips!
Breakfast is easy with a small selection of cereals and oatmeal. Steel-cut oats are perfect for slow cooker oatmeal, and use a bulk package of instant oats to make your own flavored instant oatmeal packets. And, of course, coffee (or tea)!
Dried beans are an easy-to-store protein source. They keep for a long time and are very versatile. If you prefer canned beans, then stock those instead. A selection of your favorite pasta shapes and whichever rice you like best means you’ll always have a quick-cooking side dish ready for dinner.
Keeping a variety of canned tomatoes and vegetables means you can quickly and easily add a vegetable to any meal. Chicken or beef broth is great for adding flavor to many different recipes and jarred pasta sauce is inexpensive and faster than making your own.
Choose the spices, seasonings, and condiments you want to keep based on which ones your family uses. Some of the more common ones are listed in the graphic below (and in this free printable). We are never without cinnamon, garlic powder, paprika, and Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce.
Most fresh produce should be stored in the refrigerator, but potatoes, onions, and garlic should be stored in a cool, dark area – like your pantry.
And finally, snacks… crackers, popcorn (microwave or kernels), pretzels, and tortilla chips or tortillas are easy snacks to grab. Keep a small variety of the ones your family likes best for those sudden snack cravings!
How Should I Organize My Pantry?
The short answer is to organize your pantry the way that works best for you and your family.
To start off with, collect similar items in the same spot in your pantry (baking supplies in one section, canned goods on another shelf, and spices and seasonings in another area). Consider plastic baskets like these to corral smaller items and keep similar items together.
If you have young children at home, help them be more independent. Use small, brightly colored baskets like these on a shelf they can reach to hold their snacks. Color-code the baskets by child, or by contents (or not at all!) and let them help themselves.
Free Printable Pantry Staples List
Download and print your own free printable list of pantry staples by clicking here.
My Favorite Meal Planning Tools
Once you know what staples you’ll always have on hand, dinner planning, prep, and cooking become so much easier! Here are a few of my favorite meal planning tools:
- Magnetic Dry Erase Menu Planning Calendar
- Colorful Dry Erase Markers
- Meal Planner with Shopping List
- Rubbermaid TakeAlongs Meal Prep Containers
- Rubbermaid FreshWorks Storage Containers
Enjoy!
3 Ways to Take the Fear Out of Your Kitchen
- Fresh, Frozen, or Canned Vegetables?
- Brown, White, & Converted Rice
- What’s in My Pantry? – free printable pantry inventory!
3 Recipes to Try
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