Cooking from scratch can be overwhelming if you are new to the idea. It helps to have pantry staples for from scratch cooking that will help you to whip up a nutritious meal in no time.
When I first started cooking from scratch, I realized that half of the food I had in my pantry needed to go. I had lot’s of processed foods. They were no good for cooking from scratch. It’s taken several years, but I have learned what I need to have in my pantry on hand at all times to create delicious and healthy food for my family.
A well stocked pantry can save you money
A well stocked pantry is also a frugal pantry. When cooking from scratch, you are taking whole food ingredients to make up a recipe or meal. While grocery prices are rising, you can still lower your grocery budget by stocking up on staple ingredients and forgetting about all the convenient processed foods.
If you decide you want pizza, it’s way cheaper to make your own dough and marinara than going to a fast food chain and ordering. Or if you’re in a pinch, without much time, whipping up spaghetti instead of going to a restaurant.
Buying in bulk
If you have a small family, this won’t always work. But, there are many ingredients that can last a long time on the shelf, such as dried beans. Buying these ingredients in bulk can save a ton of money!
For example a 1 pound bag of pinto beans at Walmart costs $1.24., but an 8 pound bag is $6.88. That’s 0.86 cents a pound! While that may not seem like a huge difference, over time, those savings add up. Especially when you’re sticking to staple ingredients for the bulk of your groceries. Buying from places like Azure Standard can save you money because they carry much larger sizes of bulk foods. As the weight goes up, the price per ounce drops with most dry goods.
A well stocked pantry also gives security
We all remember 2020 when the food supply was disrupted and many grocery stores ran low on food. Today, many people shop for just enough food to get them through the next few days. This is a very new idea. In the past, before grocery stores, people stored food to get them through winter and hard times. In other words, people had enough food to last weeks and sometimes months.
I know that no matter what is happening in the world, our pantry is stocked with enough food to feed us for at least a couple of months. While I don’t consider myself a prepper, I do believe in being prepared. If something were to happen, would you have enough food to feed your family? God has blessed up with an abundance and we want to be good stewards of what we have been given. Being frugal by buying in bulk and cooking from our pantry is a part of that.
How to stock up on pantry staples
Not everyone’s budget allows for stocking their pantry all at once. However, you can begin by making a few swaps. Start by adding one or two items at a time. Maybe you grocery shop every week and instead of a box of cereal, you buy two bags of oats. Instead of a cup of coffee from Starbucks, buy a big bag of beans (and make coffee at home!).
Slowly making swaps and finding that wiggle room in your budget will keep you from getting overwhelmed. The same goes for learning to cook from scratch. Start small. If you’ve never made your own pancakes, give it a go! Maybe you have baking down, then roast a whole chicken and veggies for dinner one night.
It took me around three years before I got into a good routine of only buying whole food ingredients, keeping the pantry stocked, and knowing what I needed to do to get the next meal on the table.
Use your pantry staples
If you are going to stock your pantry with food, find recipes to use it up. If you have lots of flour, start making bread! Maybe you have a lot of rice that needs to be used, try fried rice or chicken soup. Going through the food you have will keep you from wasting anything.
Below, are a few of the basic pantry staples for from scratch cooking that I keep on hand. This is by no means a complete list, but it is a good start.
Dry Goods
Dry goods are things such as flour, rice and beans. They are generally shelf stable for several months, if not years.
- All purpose flour
- Oats
- Cornmeal
- Salt
- Sugar
- Basmati Rice
- Pinto Beans
- Navy Beans
- Pasta
Oils & Vinegars
Shelf stable fats are a must.
- Avocado oil
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
- White vinegar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
Baking Ingredients
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cocoa powder
- Vanilla Extract
- Cornstarch or Arrowroot powder
Spices
- Garlic Powder
- Onion powder
- Mustard Powder
- Chili Powder
- Italian Seasoning
- Paprika
- Cinnamon
Condiments
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Soy sauce OR Coconut aminos
Canned Food
- Tomato sauce
- Diced tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Green beans
- Corn
- Carrots
- Peas
- Canned chicken
- Canned salmon
Something to note is that I didn’t include fresh fruits and veggies or dairy on this list. Mostly because they aren’t shelf stable and prices can vary so much with those items. While I keep plenty of butter, cheese, and fresh produce from our garden on hand at all times, the fresh items you keep stocked will be up to you and your family.
The ingredients you stock in your pantry may look a little different than ours because every family is unique and so are their tastes. The size of your family is also a big factor in what your stocked pantry will look like. Do you have the space to store things in bulk? If not, that’s okay because you are still going to be saving money and eating healthier by cooking from scratch, regardless of the amount of food you have stocked up.
The important thing is to keep the ingredients you use most often on hand. The recipes you learn and use will greatly determine what items you keep stocked in your pantry.
If you want a recipe for a from scratch healthy snack, check out these no bake granola bars here!
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