Ever wondered how to stock a healthy pantry? Consider this your ultimate guide to stocking your pantry with real foods that you can easily turn into quick weeknight meals.
Having a well-stocked pantry is one of the best ways you can set yourself up for success in the kitchen. Not only does keeping healthy ingredients on hand makes for easy, weeknight meals, but it also reduces stress around “what’s for dinner”. You’ll also save you time and money!
But I get it! It can be overwhelming to know how to start, what to keep on hand and how to use it. I hope this post helps you feel confident about how to stock your kitchen with pantry staples. This list will give you a foundation for creating healthy, balanced meals. From there, you can add fresh produce and proteins into your weekly rotation.
How to Stock a Healthy Pantry
Pantry-staples can mean different things to different people. For me, this includes foods you can store in the pantry, fridge, freezer that will stay fresh of at least two weeks. Think plant-based proteins like beans and lentils, nuts, seeds, and longer-lasting produce. This ensures that you have a variety of foods and can create a balanced meal that includes protein, healthy fats, fiber-rich carbohydrates, and vegetables. Think of the pantry staples as the main components of your meals. From there you can add in fresh produce or proteins, as needed.
Pantry Purge
Before you set out to stock your pantry, you need to clean it out. Go through your pantry, fridge and freezer items and toss anything that’s expired or you just don’t use. Now is the time to also clean up your options. Toss or donate any highly processed food with long ingredient lists and/or ingredients you don’t recognize. Think of your pantry purge as a clean slate. Getting rid of these ultra-processed foods makes room for healthy, real food.
Take Inventory
Now it’s time to take an inventory. Once you’ve cleaned out the highly-processed foods and the things you don’t use, you have a better understanding of what you need to start fresh with a well-stocked pantry. Use the list in this post or download a printable version here. You can use this as a grocery list next time you go to the store or order your groceries. Put a checkmark next to the things you already have. From there, decide which items you’re going to add to your grocery list.
Purchase your Pantry Staples
Take your list and hit the grocery store (or online store!). You can purchase all the items now, or build up your pantry inventory over time. While you can find most pantry items at any well-stocked grocery store, some are cheaper and easier to purchase online. My favorite only grocery stores are Amazon and Thrive Market.
Healthy Pantry Staples
Here’s the list of healthy pantry staples! That being said, don’t feel like you need to stock your pantry with everything on this list or buy everything at once. Use this as a guide. Pick your favorites or adjust the list to your taste preferences. Start building up your pantry inventory over the next month, and restock certain items when you run out or get low. If you’d prefer a downloadable, printable version, click here.
Dry Goods
- Rolled oats
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Beans (chickpeas, black, cannellini, etc)
- Lentils
- Pasta (I like Jovial brown rice, Banza, or lentil pasta)
- Pasta sauce
- Tomatoes (diced, roasted, paste)
- Tomato sauce
- Vegetable stock or broth
- Salmon & tuna (wild-caught, canned)
- Salsa
- Nutritional yeast
- Canned coconut milk
- Coffee
- Matcha
- Herbal tea
- Collagen peptides
- Plant-based protein powder
Cooking Oils
- Avocado oil
- Avocado oil spray
- Coconut oil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Ghee
Nut and Seeds
- Peanut butter
- Nut butter (almond butter, cashew, pecan, mixed nut, etc)
- Nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios, etc)
- Seeds (flax, chia, hemp, pumpkin, etc)
- Tahini
Basic Herbs & Spices
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Basil
- Bay leaves
- Cayenne Pepper
- Chili powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Cumin
- Curry powder
- Garlic powder
- Ground ginger
- Nutmeg
- Paprika/Smoked paprika
- Turmeric
- Oregano
Snacks
- Crackers (Simple Mills, Mary’s Gone Crackers, rice crackers)
- Bars (RawRev, Go Macro, Rx, Kind)
- Dried fruit
- Granola (Chickpea, Kitchfix, Purely Elizabeth, Seven Sunday’s)
- Popcorn
- Tortilla chips
Baking
- Coconut sugar
- Dates
- Honey
- Maple syrup
- Vanilla extract
- Almond flour
- Coconut flour
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour
- Oat flour
- Spelt flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cacao powder
- Chocolate chips
Fridge Staples
- Eggs
- Plant-based or regular Greek Yogurt
- Tofu
- Tempeh
- Tortillas
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Capers
- Dijon mustard
- Hot sauce
- Liquid aminos or coconut aminos
- Low-sodium tamari
- Longer-lasting produce (carrots, beets, citrus, apples, etc.) *see below
- Minced garlic
- Miso
- Fermented veggies or sauerkraut
Freezer Staples
- Bread (keeps your bread fresh longer!)
- Cauliflower rice (Trader Joe’s)
- Cauliflower gnocchi (Trader Joe’s)
- Fruit (blueberries, raspberries, bananas, etc)
- Vegetables
- Veggie Burgers (Sunfoods, Amy’s or Hillary’s)
- Shrimp
- Salmon
Longer-Lasting Produce
- Acorn squash
- Apples
- Beets
- Butternut squash
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Citrus
- Garlic
- Onions
- Parsnips
- Pomegranates
- Potatoes
- Spaghetti squash
- Sweet potatoes
TIME TO Stock your PANTRY
I hope this post inspires you to keep a well-stocked pantry in your own home. It’ll save you time, money, reduce stress and ensure that you can always throw together a healthy meal. If you’d like to print out this list and use it to grocery shop, download my free pantry staples guide.
If you give your pantry a makeover and stock it with healthy pantry staples, be sure to tag me on Instagram @nourishedbynutrition so I can share your pantry with the community!
