Pantry and Refrigerator/Freezer Essentials

A friend asked me today for some tips on stocking the pantry so I decided to post a list of the food items I cannot live without. I have included some basics, but not all because I'm assuming most of you have sugar, flour, salt, pepper, etc?

PANTRY

olive oil

vegetable or canola oil

balsamic vinegar

red Wine vinegar

rice Wine vinegar

basic dried herbs and spices

brown sugar

brown rice

grain, like quinoa or couscous

Old Fashioned Oats (not quick cooking oatmeal)

whole wheat pasta (preferably Barilla Plus in various shapes)

canned beans (black, pinto or kidney, cannellini)

canned diced tomatoes

tomato paste

jar marinara sauce(whatever is on sale)

canned Rotel tomatoes or canned diced green chiles

canned chipotle chili peppers packed in Adobo sauce

lite coconut milk

soy sauce

barbecue sauce

low salt chicken broth

raisins and dried cranberries

peanut butter

honey

FREEZER

2 -3 different types of meat (usually ground beef and turkey, flank steaks, pork tenderloin)

tilapia

chicken nuggets

frozen pizzas

Amy's chicken sausages(sold in bulk at Costco, but any kind is fine)

whole wheat bread

Lite English Muffins and/or Arnold's Thinwiches

nuts (pine and pecans or almonds preferred)

jumbo bags of Veggies (organic sold in bulk at Costco)

sweet potato fries

tator tots or french fries

blueberries (Trader Joe's brand is always delicious)

Dorot's frozen herbs and garlic cubes (sold at Trader Joe's)

REFRIGERATOR

nonfat Greek yogurt (Trader Joe's brand most affordable)

light mayo

dijon mustard

mozzarella, blue, and feta cheeses

citrus and other fresh fruit(whatever is on sale)

cucumbers

carrots

mixed greens or baby spinach

salsa

Other Produce: onions, shallots, apples, bananas

Special Spices: smoked paprika, ground chipotle chili pepper, lemon pepper(Trader Joe's grinder), Old Bay Seasoning, herbes de provence

Of course we also have various snacks and some other kid friendly junk, but this should be enough to give you many different dinner options. These are the ingredients I pull from every day to cook healthy meals for our family and for the recipes I post on the blog. I buy all of my meat, fresh, at Costco, then freeze it when I get home. I'd rather have a freezer full of meat and veggies than go to the store twice a week. If you prefer fresh, go for it! Hopefully this list is helpful and feel free to share any great tips you have for stocking the pantry.