This post is going to be a bit of a brain dump. It’s impossible for me to say that these are the items I ALWAYS have on hand but from the response to the podcast how i’m saving money on food shopping with today’s inflation and expensive prices, I wanted to share the types of versatile ingredients that are on my list.

staples

I swear by having staples – they should change seasonally as new items fall in and out of season, but the point is to buy ingredients that are flexible and versatile so nothing goes to waste.

For example, I pick up spinach almost every trip because it starts in the fridge and ends up in the freezer. In the fridge it can be thrown into any recipe like eggs, salads, or even sautéed as a side.

From the freezer, it can still be used in recipes as well as my daily green smoothie so I know it won’t be a waste.

Trust me, I have been a part of the wet lettuce club for many years. I’d buy the biggest tub of greens with the best intentions to only later find it at the end of the week wet and soupy in the back of the fridge.

YOUR staples list will be different than mine – but here are some ideas!

For context: I shop for 2 people weekly and we eat most of our meals at home. I buy organic when I can, but main stick to the dirty dozen. I buy typically what’s on sale, and stick to a loose method of 2-3 proteins, 2 fruits, 2 veggies each trip.

high in protein

• plant based protein powder
• chicken thighs
• rotisserie chicken
• firm tofu
• ground beef
• ground turkey
• ground pork
• pork chops/tenderloins/shoulder/butt
• eggs / egg whites
• canned beans
• cottage cheese
• plain greek yogurt
• lentils
• nuts

pantry

• Rao’s or Victoria’s marinara sauces
• brown rice pasta
• old fashioned oats
• quinoa
• rice
  • jasmine
  • brown
  • basmati
  • arborio
  • white
  • sushi
• polenta
• couscous
• nuts
  • almonds
  • cashews
• seeds
  • pumpkin seeds
  • sunflower seeds
  • hemp seeds
  • chia seeds
• beans
  • garbanzo
  • cannellini
  • fava
  • kidney
  • lentils
• peanut butter
• tahini
• honey
• canned tomatoes
  • 28 oz tomatoes are the perfect size for a homemade quick sauce
• tomato paste
• tomato sauce
• canned artichokes
• capers
• all purpose flour
• baking soda
• active dry yeast
  • i use flour and yeast to make my own doughs for bread and pizza
• coconut sugar
• organic cane sugar

more pantry

• extra virgin olive oil
• avocado oil
• vinegars
  • red wine
  • balsamic
  • white wine
  • champagne
  • apple cider
  • rice wine
• red wine
• white wine
• coconut aminos
• chili oil
• sesame oil
• spices
  • kosher salt
  • maldon flaky salt
  • pepper
  • cumin
  • bay leaves
  • crushed red pepper
  • curry powder
  • ginger
  • paprika
  • turmeric
  • za’atar
  • cinnamon
  • cloves
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • dried herbs
    • parsley
    • basil
    • oregano
    • thyme
    • dill
    • rosemary
    • sage

in the fridge

• butter – unsalted and salted
• sauces/condiments
  • dijon mustard
  • sriracha
  • sambal
• cheese
  • feta
  • parmesan
  • parmesean reggiano
  • mozzarella
  • provolone
• almond milk
• coconut milk

fresh

• avocados
• garlic
• onions
• potatoes
• sweet potatoes
• bananas (whatever I don’t use I freeze or make banana bread)
• fruit
  • 2 kinds each weekly trip – blueberries and strawberries, etc
• vegetables

freezer

• frozen veggies
• frozen fruit
• ice cream !