What Every Pantry Should Have
Today, it’s all about what every pantry should have. Here’s the deal: we all have our favorite items to stock. It could be salsa, green chilies, grains, nuts, olives, or cream of chicken soup. My top items may not be what you want in your pantry; I get it. It is important to stock items your family likes and will eat regardless of the situation.
This list includes some items I consider essentials that all pantries should stock. Many have a decent shelf life, but you need to track expiration dates and move some items to your refrigerator once they’re opened. Each family has what they think of as pantry staples, but most of us have a lot of similar items on our shelves.
But this is a list that almost everyone can use. Some of you have been cooking from scratch for years; maybe some are just learning. Everyone has skills, whether it be cooking, baking, sewing, gardening, or whatnot.
Seeing the grocery store shelves barely stocked when a wildfire hits or a hurricane is imminent has been quite a shock. Some shelves are empty, others are only one can deep. In Utah, I buy case lot sales of canned foods every fall. Before you say your family never eats anything out of a can, please take another look.
We all want fresh vegetables and fruits, but I still buy some canned items. In case you are wondering what canned foods I recommend, here is a post I have written about that issue. Canned Foods I Highly Recommend You Store
What Every Pantry Should Have
I’m going to break it out into sections. So, let’s get started. Some items may be in other sections; I’m just giving you the heads-up of overall suggestions. Once you organize your pantry, you should be able to cook just about any meal from scratch.
You don’t need fancy cookbooks; if you have your mom’s or grandma’s cookbooks, those are the best.
The next time you’re out and about, check out thrift stores or garage sales for old cookbooks. Do you LOVE the neighborhood cookbooks as much as I do?
If you have special dietary needs, you may need to add or subtract a few of these items I use all the time as ingredients in my meal prep. What I like the most is knowing what is in the meals I prepare at home.
When I eat out, which is rare, the food is delicious but has a lot more butter, salt, and sometimes spices that are not my favorite. I guess you could say I’m a simple chick that cooks from scratch at home!
Baking Items
Mark and I love grinding our wheat and making my No-Fail Whole Wheat Bread recipe. But I also like to make Cinnamon Rolls with cream cheese frosting.
Do you love the smell of something yummy baking in the oven? Life is so good when you have the skills to bake cookies, bread, or whatever you love to cook in the oven.
- Honey
- Sugar
- Bread Flour
- White Flour
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Vanilla
- Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Shredded Coconut
- Instant Milk
- Evaporated Milk
- Buttermilk (dry form)
- Nuts like almonds, walnuts, and pecans
The Spices I Use The Most
If you have organized spices in your pantry so you can find them quickly and you don’t need to run to the store, say for cinnamon, life is so much easier. Grab your measuring spoons, cups, and a bowl to start.
You can use a hand mixer, a spoon, a Danish Whisk, or a stand mixer to make a meal, a dessert, or a side dish.
- Chili Powder
- Sweet Basil
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Sage
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Salt – some like Kosher salt
- Pepper
- All Seasons Salt
- Cayenne Pepper
- Paprika
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Ginger
The Perfect Oils
These are my favorite oils; what about you?
- Olive Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Canola Oil
- Vegetable Oil
My Favorite Kinds of Vinegar – I Love These
Do you love bread dipped in vinegar and oil? I sure do!
- Balsamic
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Red Wine
Canned Meats
Sometimes, I need to fix a meal at the last minute, and those cans of meat come in handy. You can add a little mayo or Miracle Whip to make a sandwich. The dried beef makes the perfect Cream Chipped Beef on Toast, right?
- Chicken Breast
- Turkey
- Cooked Ground Beef
- Canned Pork
- Shredded Beef
- Dried Beef in Jars
- Tuna
Canned Foods
Let me know what canned food you would add to my list; I love knowing what others stock.
- Chicken Broth
- Vegetable Broth
- Beef Broth
- Better Than Bouillon
- Diced Tomatoes
- Tomato Paste
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Cream of Chicken Soup
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Cream of Tomato Soup
- Green Beans
- Other veggies like corn, peas, carrots
- Green Chilies
- Sliced and Whole Water Chestnuts
- 100% Pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie cans)
- Cake Mixes (not technically canned, but you get it)
- Instant Pudding
- Gelatin
- Fruit Cocktail
- Crushed Pineapple
- Pineapple Chunks
- Crackers
- Hot sauce
Best Condiments
I love pickles on sandwiches; my husband introduced that to me over 55 years ago. These are all my favorite condiments.
- Mayonnaise
- Miracle Whip
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Soy Sauce
- Vinegar
- Tartar Sauce
- BBQ Sauce
- Pickles
- Pickle Relish
- Ken’s Thousand Island Salad Dressing (it’s my favorite)
- Horse Radish
Pasta, Quinoa, Grains, and Rice
If you stock these items, you will never starve. Of course, you need water and a way to cook them, but these are my staples.
- White Rice (Jasmine is my favorite)
- Brown Rice (I stock very little brown rice because it goes rancid within 6 months.)
- Pasta
- Quinoa Red, White, or Black, or Mixed
- Lentils
- Potatoes (dehydrated or growing your own would be the best)
- Wheat
- Oats
Chocolate
The more, the merrier for me!
- M & M’s (don’t judge me-LOL)
- Dark Chocolate
- Dark Baking Cocoa
Healthy Snacks
I’m a snacker; these are just a few of my favorites.
- Granola Bars
- Peanuts
- Trail Mix
- Cashews
- Raisins
- Popcorn
- Dried Fruit
- Freeze-Dried Fruit
- Pretzels
- Peanut Butter and Jam
Pet Foods
We have two female Shih Tzu’s, Izzy and Bailey. I sleep better at night knowing I have at least six months of food for them.
- Dog or Cat Food
- Pet Treats
- Kitty Litter
- Puppy Pads
Final Word
I hope you enjoyed my post today about what every pantry should have. If you can cook from scratch, your children or grandkids will watch you cook and see the joy it brings you and your family.
Life is all about sharing skills and talents. Have fun and eat at home, you’ll love it! May God bless this world, Linda
Copyright Images: Crockery Utensils Deposit photos_123721424_s-2019
WooHoo! I have everything on the lists that we use. Don’t use mayonnaise. We don’t eat it. There are couple of others that we don’t eat as well. We do have extra food for our fur babies, and treats. We got some vitamins for them for treats. They love them. Oh, we have 4 total. 3 inside and 1 outside dogs. All are rescues. 1 is white, the others are black. (The rescue people told us that black dogs are hardest to get adopted.) Our first dog, I paid for her, was also black. I guess I’m the odd one, I like black dogs. Small ones. I’m scared of big dogs. Have been my whole life, due to having to have rabies shots when I was very young. (Less than 5 years old.)
Hi Deborah, I have a black Shih Tzu and a tri-color Shih Tzu (she’s only 9 months old and she is BUSY-LOL). I didn’t know black dogs are hard to get adopted, an interesting tidbit. Mine are both small, 10, and 12 pounds, not so small I trip on them. I can’t imagine having those rabies shots!! I’ve heard they hurt like crazy or something, I can’t remember. WOW, you were so young!!!! Stay safe, Linda
One every day for 28 days. In the stomach. I don’t remember it though. I was pretty young. Mother said they’d raise up about a quarter inch and be as big as a silver dollar. And they’d be hot to the touch. My sister and brother had them, too. They are 4 and 6 years older than I am. Well brother is gone. He died from lung cancer at 44 years of age. Sister still smokes. I did, but quit about a year after brother died. It’s been 25-26 years since I quit. One of the best thing I ever did! It wasn’t easy, but after spending $104 for a 30 day supply of the patches, I had to. I don’t regret it a bit, and don’t miss it. They stink to me!
Hi Deborah, oh my gosh, all your siblings and you got them, yikes!! OH MY GOSH!!! One every day for 28 days!!! Were you bitten by a dog? I can’t imagine what you all went through!! I grew up with parents that smoked. Looking back our doctor smoked in the office! Can you even imagine that???? LOL! We drove in a car with the windows up while my parents smoked. I swear that’s why I have bad lungs from second-hand smoke. I never liked smoking because of the smell of my parents. Life has changed, first, they stopped smoking at restaurants and airplanes, wow, thank goodness. It’s a bad habit to stop. I’m addicted to food, I wish I wasn’t or at least I would eat less. It’s a habit of cleaning your plate I can’t shake. But I must! Stay well, Linda
I don’t really know. I don’t remember the shots either. Just remember the stories.
We learned to clean our plates from our parents. “People in China are staving. Eat your food. Clean your plate.” I remember all of these. And you have to eat a bite of everything. I remember them making me eat carrots. I’d chew and gag, but I did get them down. And they stayed down. I didn’t like carrots until a few years ago. Now I do. I must admit when I cook just carrots, i put a little brown sugar in them. (Sugar substitute.) And I like them cooked in a roast. Haven’t tried sweet potatoes yet. I’m hoping to soon.
Hi Deborah, oh yeah, brown sugar on cooked carrots with a little butter, yummy! I love sweet potatoes, my husband will eat anything but those and summer squash, I love both of them! Linda
Linda, I realized this is an old comment, still want to say. many addictions one can totally live without… like smoking or alcohol, But one must have food- so those are the hardest based problems to stop because one can not simply stop eating ..ie. it is a requirement for life. Learning how our individual bodies handle certain foods is critical to cutting the food addiction. Avoid foods that cause cravings,and several additives produce cravings. Less processing allows for less additives…unless one gets into genetic modification which is happening now as companies spray our skies with aluminum and then make seeds produce in those conditions.
That is why some people that go back to plain eating of foods they prepare at home are better able to kick those food issues.MSG, is often mis labeled as spices in canned food-and is a trigger for me. Food companies only care about the bottom line, they do not value your health. One must do that for themselves.. MSG is in almost every chip corn or potato . There are other chemicals added to food to make them addictive. We need to be pushing for labeling every purchased food with an exact list of additives. some people are allergic to coconut, yet is being promoted as a coating for some protein snacks…( chicken nuggets), Food packaged as plain as possible. …ie A variety of good meat, string bean.. diced tomatoes, make for a meal base of low carb and dense protein that can be made into a variety of dishes- on the fly from whatever one has on hand.
Remember anyone can grow lettuces in a yogurt cup , with proper fertilizer, and a small pc of foam to float the plant on top of the water with roots in hydroponic solution. There is no need for us to have to purchase lettuce shipped in from xannadu
Hi Denise, oh my gosh, Inever thought about growing lettuce in yogurt cups, I bought 3 AeroGardens, and grow my lettuce. They closed down last year but are planning to reopen this year 2025. But, oh my gosh, the yogurt cups with the foam, GREAT IDEA! Thank you, Linda
spagetti o’s comfort food for kids can eat hot or cold. We are in the fires of Oregon. With and without electric. made a large pot of mac and cheese to eat hot or cold . With the ashes the solar things do not work well , cant use the grill, stove on and off. It has been hard. stores are closed because yo can not get there in ashes. Water is not good because of extra chemicals to keep it clean. This has been a challenge again. Been in hurricanes, tornados,earth quakes,tsunamis, flash floods, now fire and pandemic at the same time.
Hi Gail, I love Spaghettio’s!! Oh my goodness, the fires are so bad this year. Thanks for the update, people need to realize why we prepare for the unexpected. YOU have seen it all my friend, thank you for letting us all know about the stores, the water, and not being able to cook with solar or anything outside. This is the BEST comment to help all of us. Thank you for sharing. I will pray for you and your family and all the first responders, firefighters, etc. God bless this world, we need it. Linda
Thank you Linda . You are a wonderful person. I love your stuff. Gail
Hi Gail, you are so nice!!! Hugs from Utah, Linda
Gail, prayers for rain or for them to get the fires out. Hang in there. God will see you through this too.
God is up and down and all around is what I tell my Grand kids. Thanks
Don’t forget cat litter!
Hi Libby, thank you, adding it now!!! Linda
Gail, You are in our prayers, please stay safe and healthy.
Chris
Gratitude makes what we have enough
Your list gives me confidence. We have most of these things. Good to do a check, however.
Thank you for your columns.
Hi Diana, thank you for your kind words, they mean a lot to me. Every pantry is different, but any food stocked will keep us prepared. Stay safe, stay well. Linda
I don’t use quite a few especially the spices. We don’t like spicy because it upsets our stomach’s. One think you mentioned is Tarter sauce. I would rather keep a lot of Miracle whip and pickle relish on hand and make my own. Does not have the chemicals I am allergic to. What was funny my youngest son said he did not like Tarter sauce but he likes Miracle Whip and pickle relish on his sandwiches and he caught me putting my home made Tarter Sauce on his sandwich and he had a fit. I said try it. He did and said well that is just miracle whip and pickle relish and I told him That is homemade tarter sauce. What you don’t like is store bought Tarter Sauce.
Hi Jackie, I love this, and I LOVE Miracle Whip with relish! So many people don’t know how to make tartar sauce!! Thank you for sharing this great story! Linda
Jackie, sweet or sour (dill) relish? We like tartar sauce, but I’d love to make my own. We keep Miracle Whip all the time. Don’t use Mayonnaise.
Keeping y’all in my prayers! . I can only imagine how awful the air is. Sounds like you’re doing ok for now. God bless you and your family!
Hi Linda! This is a great list. I keep most of these things on hand except for pet food. Our dog was put down a couple of years ago and we haven’t gotten another one yet. I sure miss him!
I have a well stocked “pantry” but I am cutting out vegetable oil and just using olive, avocado and coconut oils. I am feeling pretty good about my pantry and my long term storage at this point.
Linda, I love summer squash, too. Fried or in a casserole. Or steamed with butter and onion, in the microwave. Yum. Oh, and I can’t not mention fried green tomatoes. If you’ve never had them, you are missing out. I slice mine, shake in cornmeal, dip in buttermilk or egg and milk wash, and dip in cornmeal again. Fry in hot oil, turning once When first side is done. Drain on paper towels. They are so good. Wish I had some.
Hi Deborah, oh yeah on the fried green tomatoes! I use buttermilk and flour, I will have to try cornmeal! Yummy!! Linda
I didn’t get any this year, but hopefully next year. We didn’t have a garden of any kind. Hubby can’t do the tilling, and the tiller is too big for me. I’ve tried and buried it. LOL I’m doing a container garden next Spring. I have the containers, just need some good soil to go in them. Tomatoes are on top of my list of things to grow.
Always something to look forward to. :^)
Hi Deborah, containers work great! Linda
I’m hoping so. I have 7 big containers that cattle mineral blocks came in that a friend gave me. She has some more that I want to get. All I’ll need to do is drill holes and fill with dirt. I also have 2 plastic half barrels that I can use. We got the seeds this year, for next year. If I planted everything I want to plant, we’d have to use almost the whole yard. We live on an acre with the house on it, and a shop and garage and a couple of out buildings. And still have a good sized yard to mow. The front is fenced in for the dogs. The rest is also fenced in, but separated from the front. Oh, and we have an electronic gate. We’ve been burgled before. Also security lights and cameras. Some record, some don’t.
I was happy that I nearly had everything on your list. I bought a danish whisk a few months ago. I had never heard of it until I heard about it on your site. It was a little spendy but well worth it. I love it
Hi Cindy, I learned about when I was teaching classes at a kitchen store. My friend, Melissa Richardson (The Art Of Baking With Natural Yeast) was teaching a class the same day I was. I bought 3 of those on the spot. I gave one to two of my daughters. The best idea ever! They work great with so many things. I use mine my sourdough starter the very most. I love lists to help us put our heads together to see what we need to cook from scratch! I love hearing that you are so prepared! Linda
Re: M&M’s…I loved them as a kid, can take or leave them now…but the new Fudge Brownie ones are surprisingly delicious.
Hi Karen, I need to check on the new Fidge Brownie ones!! Linda
I have M&Ms in my food storage as well, I empty them out of the bag and then vacuum seal the jar. I have the favorite chocolate candy for all of us saved. It’s probably the most often replaced item in our food storage.
I base my food storage on recipes. I have about 12 recipes that we have tried and liked and created baskets for our food storage area. I use plastic baskets/boxes to hold the ingredients for the recipe. I have the recipe printed on card stock and included in the basket. All seasonings and spices pre-measured and included in the basket. Each basket holds between 1 and 6 meals for that recipe. One of the first recipes I added was for 7 can soup https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a78065/seven-can-soup/ 7 can soup is one of our quickie meals, we mix the boxed cornbread and pop it in the oven. Then add everything for the soup and it is ready by the time the cornbread is baked.
From that recipe, I learned that there are lots of recipes that can use the beanless chili as the “meat” ingredient. I mix it with canned tomatoes and canned corn to make taco soup, or if I drain the tomatoes and corn and make a topping for nachoes. I use it as the meat in chili. and of course, during non-food storage times, we use it to make chili dogs. Once I learn to make tortillas, I want to come up with a recipe to make enchaliads with it.
In other words, the Hormel Beanless Chili has earned it’s place in my pantry storage.
Hi Topaz, I love Hormel Beanless chili! Life is good when we know how to cook from scratch. Linda
Wonderful list, thank you! Would you be able to remove the powdered buttermilk, since you already have powdered milk and vinegar? Trying to consolidate, lol!
Hi Jamie, yep, right on! Linda
Jamie/Linda, sour milk does work like buttermilk.
The gastric benefits are not the same. ..ie it gives the tartness without enzymes of buttermilk or sourdough. Those enzymes are important for proper digestion of many foods.
This is why sourdough bread purchased from factory is not the same benefit as home made sourdough from a home starter. a starter can be made with freshly ground whole wheat… there are you tube video’s for that. It does take time and patience.
HI Denise, great comment, yes you can make natural yeast using whole wheat flour and water. I helped my friend, Melissa Richardson, author :The Art Of Baking With Natural Yeast” teach people how to make it with whole wheat flour. Linda
Thanks for the list. We think alike on most of the items. It is nice to see them “verified.” With just 2 of us, I have started making most of our salad dressings (except Italian and Ranch) , tartar sauce …etc. We just didn’t use the bottled fast enough.
Diana, There is a powdered ranch, it does have things in it I can not use.it would store for a decade in a moisture proof bag in freezer, as long as you have the requirements to mix it… ie sour cream powder? etc..ie Could be used as a base for many other things.. the powder its self can be used to coat chicken / for home made chicken nuggets to give the grands a special treat… yes we too have found giant bottles of dressings take too much room for too long once opened, have tried training the DH to only rotate between two until one is completely gone.not fully successful, :>)
Hi Diana, I’m with you, we can’t eat the bottled dressing fast enough and fresh is best, so we make it. Linda
Linda, You are right every family is different.
with amounts needed by each family being different.. I would advise..example: If someone uses chili powder, or any other spice /seasoning sparingly, get 3 small containers.( when/not if, there is a long term emergency personal or regional , and you don’t need they can be safely shared with others…..) put them in the freezer in a ziplock, date ziplock leave for 2 months. remove for a week and put back in for 2 weeks.. remove and store in long term bucket.. knowing they will be protected from hatchlings. same for fresh leaf items. of all kinds. It is also important to know the proportions one uses spices and seasonings . If you use heavy cinnamon compared to nutmeg or cloves. store according. same for Onion powder vs Garlic powder. we use 2x onion powder to garlic… I only get powders vs salt. i have salt and prefer to buy the purest form seasonings. we use these to make all kinds of blends , as we need.plus a small amount plain salt.. Kosher salt comes in fine ground and coarse..be careful to use the correct grind for your shaker.( we keep iodine separate and take for heartbeat) and paprika to make our own meat rubs/seasonings.
Did you know common “fluid pills” are salt based? yes, fact. healthy kidneys regulate and require both potassium salt and sodium chloride to function properly. given in balance body fluids are regulated normally by functional kidneys.
OILS: we have eliminated all seed oils , they add to inflammation and arterial plaque, canola oil from rape seed was developed to make fat cows! it works with all mammals. Corn oil we have is from GMO’s. same issue plus many chemicals from processing. the healthy butter is on the menu to be modified by starting with shots for cow farts- who can not do that .methane is in the manure and power can be used from good manure-properly harvested. we use olive oil, coconut and avacado oil, butter, home made ghee (it is shelf stable for 4 years and,on counter after opened) pork fat from bacon and roasts and tallow from beef roast, also chicken fat from processing of chicken leg quarters for shelf rotation.
i use nothing sour. sweet relish for chicken salad.is easier and cheaper to purchase. dill relish goes bad in refrig. keep acv and white 5% vinegar, use for all kinds of things, cleaning etc. canned meats =as much variety as possible.
Remember if you fully cook and drain then wash ground beef it CAN be stored long term dehydrated in jars with oxygen absorbers and moisture absorbers, IT MUST BE very dry, if directions call for 150 degrees/cooked meat and 2 hours, need 3 minimum. you want a fine ground-rock texture in the jar. the finer the grind the better/quicker rehydration, works for casserole dishes, stews, soups.. i am going to make beef patties by adding egg, and a little flour to make it bind together… for an extendo burgers. why dehydrate? the meat reduces to approx 1/3 volume and requires one third storage space.instead of wet pack 2 lb /qt one might get 5-6 lbs in a quart.packed.
Personal issues happen to someone every day. When we are properly stocked we are ready for things that affect us and be ready to assist others with urgent needs.
Hi Denise, great comment, my friend! I wish others would view the need to stock food just like you. I’m with you on the spices, I just ordered a new jar of ground ginger and ground cloves. I use cinnamon more than any spice so I have several medium size jars of cinnamon. We take for granted we can just pick up the food we are getting today, but when something happens we may not be able to get the items we need. Or our health may change or an unforeseen disaster may hit our our neighborhood. Linda
Timely read, as I was just inventorying my pantry for a big top up. What with one thing and another I’ve run low on several pantry items at the same time. For many prepackaged non-perishables I like to have one in use, one in the pantry plus one for backup but I’m down to the one in use on several items. This allows me to take advantage of more sales since I can wait for things to go on sale. Living alone makes it hard to use up some things so I always make sure I can use something up before it’s best before date, or at least before the time it’s still good is up. There are several websites that tell you how long after the BB date something is safe to use. I write the expiry date on top of cans with a felt marker so it’s easier to read and make note of it on my inventory lists. Another thing I like to have in my pantry is a couple of jars of my sourdough starter that I dehydrate. I keep updating to the latest batch every now and then.
Hi Alice, I like you thinking. Yesterday, I was thinking about what I had in my dental stash, and I took an inventory and republished this post with more information to help others. Then last night I thought to myself, I have to have fresh yeast, I couldn’t see the dates on my packages in the freezer (they were at least 5-6 years old) which I think would be fine but I can’t chance it. So I ordered more yeast and it comes today. Better to have stocked and get it than not have it. Life is good when we have what we need in our pantry. Linda