Pantry Must-Haves

pantry MUST-HAVES

As much as I love to spend time in the kitchen, it can get a bit overwhelming when there are too many or too little items to pick from. I am a creature of structure and like to know what I have, where, and how much. To make things simple, I have managed to narrow down my pantry needs to a list of must-haves. This means, every Wednesday, I check to make sure I have a minimum of all these items available in my kitchen for the next week - especially the vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, and spices. This helps reduce meal prep planning time and I am able to get to business ASAP while also reducing the amount of waste because let’s get real - we have all overstocked our pantry at some point and have had to toss away expired or rotten items because either we did not know we had them or we did not have time to consume them. Check out my list below - in addition to these I might add a new vegetable or fruit every week and the type varies depending on the Meal Prep Plan.

Dried herbs

  • Bay leaves

  • Oregano

  • Rosemary

  • Thyme

  • Marjoram

  • Sage

  • Italian seasoning

  • Herbs de Provence

DAIRY

  • Whole Milk

  • Plain Yogurt

  • Parmesan Cheese

  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese

  • Cream Cheese 

Fruits

  • Banana

  • Apple/Pear

  • Orange

  • Grapes/Cherries

  • Raisins/Dehydrated fruits

  • Dates

Fresh herbs (plants)

  • Sweet Basil

  • Rosemary

  • Oregano

  • Thyme

  • Thai Basil

  • Cilantro

  • Chives

  • Mint

  • Curry Leaves

  • Aloe Vera

Meats

  • Chicken - Whole and Ground

  • Shrimp

  • Bacon

Grains

  • Quinoa

  • Rice - White or Brown

  • Whole Oats

  • Angel hair pasta

Readymade jarred items

  • Patak’s Hot Curry Paste

  • Tahini

  • Chocolate syrup

  • Indian Pickles - Mango, Bittergaurd, Shrimp

  • Pasta sauces

  • Non-dairy Creamer

Nuts

  • Almonds

  • Pistachio

  • Pumpkin seeds

  • Peanuts

Vegetables

  • Mixed greens - Spinach, Kale, Mizuna, Chard

  • Tomato

  • Ginger

  • Garlic

  • Onion - Yellow and Red

  • Sweet potato

  • Red Bell Peppers

  • Jalapeno Peppers

  • Zucchini

  • Thai Chili - Frozen

  • Broccoli - Frozen

  • Carrots & Peas - Frozen

Spices

  • Sea salt

  • Turmeric

  • Cinnamon

  • Cardamom

  • Cumin

  • Coriander

  • Clove

  • Fenugreek

  • Black pepper

  • Cayenne pepper

  • Ancho chile

  • Chipotle chile

  • Mustard seeds

  • Nutmeg

The kitchen is kind of a sacred place if you think about it. We receive our primary sources of energy from this very area of our home. And somehow, a lot of us lack orderliness here.

I made it a priority over the last couple years to figure out a kitchen routine. Although it’s continually evolving, I think I’ve got the basics down. At this time, I am sharing my own personal tips and tricks on how I make healthy eating habits happen for us. The way I structure my kitchen life may be helpful for professionals, students, and parents who not only want to eat for nourishment, but also love their food their way.

My recipes compliment my kitchen life.