Basic Pantry Ingredients to Keep on Hand

A list of basic pantry ingredients to keep on hand will greatly help if you are trying to meal plan. Keep these things stocked and part of your work is done!

Depending on how much cooking/eating at home you do, you may already have all or most of these on hand. These basic items can be used in multiple ways and will be super helpful. They’re also healthy, so that’s a big plus as well.

• Spices. Obviously, spices add flavor, but they also add nutritional value in a lot of cases. If you want to have bare minimum, my suggestions are: salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, ginger, basil and parsley.
• Oils. I try to always have olive oil, canola, peanut and sesame. I use peanut and sesame oil for a lot of Asian dishes that I make pretty often.
• Vinegars. I keep balsamic, apple cider and rice wine vinegar all the time. Again, the rice wine vinegar is because of a lot of Asian cooking that I do. But a splash of vinegar adds acidity to recipes and is often just the thing that you are missing.
• Stock/broth. I always have chicken and vegetable broth on hand. Broth has so many uses – sauces, soups, rice, etc. Look for the low or no sodium version.
• Canned Tomatoes. I always have some version of canned tomatoes. You can use whole tomatoes for salsa and some pasta sauces. I used diced tomatoes for dips, soups and curries.
• Canned or dried Beans. I could write an entire post about beans. They are so good for you. They are inexpensive, full of fiber, and rich in plant based protein. I keep canned and dried beans on hand. You can cook dried beans in your crockpot. They are better than canned and have less sodium. In fact, if you buy canned beans, look for the low sodium option. Some beans I use regularly are black, pinto, and cannellini.
• Grains. Rice, pasta, and quinoa are probably what I keep in stock the most.
• Onions, garlic and potatoes. I use garlic and onions in a majority of the things that I make for dinner. Potatoes are also great because there are just so many different ways to prepare them.
• Baking essentials. If you don’t do a lot of baking, these things might not be essential for you. But I feel like most people have flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
• Condiments. By this, I mean things like honey, maple syrup, soy and Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce.