There are numerous essential ingredients needed to have a well-stocked pantry for plant-based cooking. But no worries. Once you have it set, you will only need to replenish the fully used items. You will find it makes life easier to pull together a meal "on the fly" if you have these essential ingredients. And as you get more proficient in the kitchen, you can easily select items to create a meal. Your weekly market shopping will also get easier as you can focus on choosing your fresh vegetables and refrigerated items.
What essential ingredients are needed for a Well-Stocked Pantry?
When stocking a pantry, you will need to devote some space for the storage of these items. There are ways to get creative with space, especially in city apartments. You can store pots & pans in ovens, pantry items in hall closets, or purchase portable rollaway carts for storage and meal prep. You can even use your dishwasher or microwave for storage if you rarely use it! The most important is to buy ingredients you like, knowing you will use them. Also, choose spaces that aren't in direct sunlight, and you have easy access to them while cooking.
- Grains - quinoa, oats, rice, millet, farro
- Legumes - lentils, chickpeas, beans
- Polenta - prepared & corn meal
- Broth - chicken &/or vegetable
- Nuts - walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, pistachios
- Dried Fruits - apricots, figs, prunes, dates, blueberries, cranberries
- Seeds - chia, pumpkin, flax, hemp
- Sweeteners - honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, molasses
- Oils - extra virgin olive oil, grape seed oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, spray canola oil
- Nut Butters - almond, peanut
- Tahini
- Sea Vegetables - Kombu, Wakame, Arame, ...
- Misc Asian Ingredients - Rice Paper, Gomasio
- Nutritional Yeast
- Bread Crumbs - Plain, Italian Seasoning & Panko
- Sauerkraut
- Vinegar - apple cider, mirin rice, balsamic
- Misc condiments - shoyu or tamari, ketchup, worcestershire, dijon mustard
- Coconut water & coconut milk
- Pasta, Noodles, Jar Tomato Sauce, Tomatoes
- Spices - sea salt, pepper, cinnamon, basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, dill, cumin, turmeric, ... * click here for more guidance on choosing spices
- Egg replacer
- Non-dairy milk - almond, oat, hemp, ...
- Baking ingredients - flours (all-purpose, almond, whole wheat pastry flour, ...) granulated sugar, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, vanilla
- Salsa, Hot Sauce
It's great to have a download of this list handy, so you can check off which items you have already and which ones you need to replenish.
How should I store healthy pantry staples?
It can be quite frustrating when you know you purchased an ingredient but you can't find it in your pantry. Map out a plan in your mind or phone notes, so you know what you have and where you placed it. It will save you time and headaches in the future. You can even mark off the expiration date in our printable list above so you make sure to use it beforehand.
Don't forget to check out
tmf tips
for more helpful resources!
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