Food Pantry Shopping List

Stocking your food pantry ensures that you'll always have the things you need on hand to prepare a great meal. While there are certainly some basics that should go on everyone's food pantry shopping list, the best thing to do is to customize your list to suit your family. Be sure to purchase more of the items that your family really likes and don't bother with items that you will never eat. Does this Spark an idea?

Grains

Grains should form the basis of your healthy diet. Be sure that you purchase some, if not all, of the grains as whole grains, which are the healthiest alternative. Stock up on rice and pasta. Different shapes of pasta offer variety and work well with different types of sauces. You should also consider some other grains, such as couscous or quinoa

Canned Goods

Canned goods last a long time, but some people prefer their produce to be fresh or frozen, so only purchase the items that you may need. You can use canned tomatoes in many types of recipes, so it's good to purchase several cans. You should also consider canned vegetables, canned fruits, canned beans and canned meats, such as tuna.

Beans and Legumes

Beans and legumes offer a low-cost, high-protein alternative to meat. Even if you aren't vegetarian, you can incorporate beans into your diet. Dried beans are cheaper, but most require more preparation time. Lentils have the highest amount of protein and don't require extra soaking, so they're good when you need a quick meal.

Baking Supplies

Purchase a good supply of the things that you'll need for baking, such as flour, sugar and shortening. You'll also probably need baking soda and baking powder. If you bake often, add cocoa and powdered sugar to your list.

Condiments

Purchase only the condiments your family will use. For example, you'll probably want salt and pepper, ketchup and mustard. Other possibilities include steak sauce or soy sauce.

Herbs and Spices

Garlic powder, basil and cinnamon are staples when you want to fill your pantry. However, you can also choose some additional spices, such as curry, rosemary and chili, especially if you plan on doing a lot of cooking.

References

• What's Cooking America: Stocking a Pantry