Pantry Planning
Keeping your pantry stocked with a variety of delicious ingredients is key to preparing healthy meals with ease and incorporating wholesome ingredients into your diet. Having some of the basic ingredients that I’ve listed here on hand at all times, in addition to basic meal planning, are two things that help me prepare meals from scratch without stress during the week. Here are some basic tips for stocking a healthy pantry, as well as some of the basic ingredients that I try to have on hand at all times. It’s not crucial to have every grain, spice or legume in your pantry at all times, but it’s handy to have at least one item from each category to form the base of easy meals. I’ve included more comprehensive lists here so that you can pick and choose according to your tastes and budget.
Top Tips:
1. Buy in bulk:
Save money by purchasing non-perishable items like legumes, seeds, nuts, and grains in bulk. Although you’ll spend more money once-off, you’ll save in the long run.
2. Invest in airtight storage containers:
Being smart about storage is a great way of keeping items that you’ve purchased in bulk fresh. Glass jars with airtight lids are a great to use for storing seeds, grains, legumes, herbs, and spices in the pantry.
3. Look out for specials at the supermarket:
Supermarkets often have specials on things like tinned tomato, tinned tuna, and bulk rice. If you have enough storage space, take advantage of these specials and buy these non-perishable items for cheaper whilst you can.
4. Keep track of what you have, and what you need:
If you aren’t 100% sure about what you have in your pantry it can be easy to buy things at the shops that you don’t really need. Every once in a while, take a good look at what you have inside your pantry before grocery shopping. Use up items that have been sitting there for a while so that you can start from scratch. A pantry clean-up is a great thing to do every once in a while.
Printable Pantry Guide
I've shared a comprehensive list of pantry staples over on the original post here, but you can download my free pantry printable by clicking on this link (no sign-up needed).
What are some of your favourite staple pantry items?
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