PART 1; PANTRY PLAN

PART 1:  HOW TO PLAN A PANTRY – INTRODUCTION

A well stocked pantry is one of the most important parts of easy meal planning.  One thing you need to realize is that what is in my well stocked pantry, may not be in yours.  There are basic items that everyone needs.  Things like rice, pasta, flour, sugar, spices and condiments.  The other things are what YOU use in YOUR recipes.  As I said before, I use black beans often, so black beans are a staple in my pantry.  I also keep canned corn, diced tomatoes, black and green olives, tomato paste and tomato sauce because these are all items I use often. 

Another reason to have a well stocked pantry is that it saves money.  I know that if I am out of something and run to the store for one or two things, I come out with a whole basketful.  I try to only stock up when there are sales and when I have coupons, and I do buy things in bulk at Sam’s Club. I have a seal-a-meal which is a vacuum food sealer, so I can buy in bulk, package into smaller packages and freeze.

The best way to start a well stocked pantry is to go through your recipes.  Chose those you know your family loves.  List ALL the ingredients, and then separate your list into perishable and non perishable.  Start watching for sales, gather coupons and then begin to stock up on those items.  I like to keep at least three or four of each non perishable ingredient on hand.  Things like rice, pasta and canned goods.  About every six weeks or so, I make a trip to Sam’s and stock up on bulk items.  I have two cabinets in my garage for my extras and a second refrigerator.  If you don’t have room for a stockpile, get what you do have room for.  Even if you plan a week at a time and shop and stock up for that week, you will be ahead of the game.

You may also notice that I buy almost no prepared items.  There are several reasons for this.  Many pre-packaged and prepared meals and side dishes are very high in sodium and other chemicals I cannot pronounce. I don’t want these things in my body. They are also much more expensive, so I would rather just make them from scratch.  Cooking from scratch is also better for the environment-less packaging, lots of vegetable scraps for the compost heap.  Once I started preparing from scratch, I discovered that I can notice the difference in taste.  I can taste the artificial flavors and don’t like them.  I know you may be thinking, “But I don’t have the time!”  Once you start cooking once a week, you will be amazed how much more time you have.  Less prep time during the week, even less clean up!  All of this gives us more time to spend with our families.  Isn’t that what life is really all about--spending time with the people we love?

Parts 2 and 3 will cover basic lists of non-perishable and fridge and freezer items.

Of course all of these are just suggestions.  Take from here what you need and make it work for you.  And have fun doing it!

Happy Cooking,

Carol