Now, don’t get me wrong – the occasional pizza dinner is fine. But if you rely too heavily on takeout or on frozen meals, you end up paying too much for food that is often not very healthy, and sometimes not very tasty.

A pantry list is a great way to make sure you always have the basic staples in the house – those that would enable you to quickly put together a homemade, healthy meal.

If you need help creating your pantry list, take a look at mine. Of course, yours will differ than mine – it all depends on what you and your family like to eat – but the basics are there. 

DRIED GOODS

Coffee, tea
Cornmeal, cornstarch
Dry cereals
All purpose flour, bread flour, cake flour
Granulated Sugar, powdered sugar
Jellies, jams and preserves
Peanut butter
Rice
Pasta
Popcorn
Nuts and seeds

CANNED  GOODS

Low sodium chicken broth
Canned fruit (pineapple, peaches, fruit cocktail, applesauce)
Tomatoes: diced, paste, sauce
Tuna, salmon
Canned vegetables (especially peas and corn)
Canned beans
Spaghetti Sauce
Olives and pickles

BASIC BAKING SUPPLIES

Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Oatmeal
Chocolate Chips
Dark chocolate
Brown sugar
Vanilla Extract
Honey
Raisins

BASIC SPICES

Salt
Black pepper
Chili Powder
Cinnamon
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Oregano
Basil
Paprika
Parsley
Chicken bouillon cubes

CONDIMENTS

Ketchup
Soy sauce
Barbecue sauce
Vegetable oil
Olive oil
Vinegar
Cooking spray
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Maple syrup
Salad dressing

PERISHABLE ITEMS

Bread (including bagels, buns and English muffins), pretzels and crackers
Dairy - milk, eggs, butter, cheese, yogurt.
Fresh fruit and vegetables
Onions and garlic
Meat, Fish and Poultry

This is a very basic pantry list – there are many more items you can add, according to your taste and preferences. To make sure everything runs smoothly, do remember to replace items as they run out. We do it by having a shopping list posted on the fridge – whenever we notice that we are about to run out of an item, we immediately add it to the list.