So far, I’ve covered items always in my fridge and freezer, and today I’m finally sharing the last part of this series–items I almost always have in my cupboards to snack on and add to recipes.
It’s really neat to think about way back in the day when they didn’t have refrigerators. How the heck did they keep their food fresh? There was definitely a lot of canning and fermenting, which I’m a huge fan of, and they probably enjoyed smaller portions of food (instead of giant meals leaving leftovers in the fridge for days).
This also makes me think of my time studying abroad in Italy. Instead of going to the grocery store and stocking up for the week, people would get only a day or two’s worth of food, and many went to the market for fresh, local items. I loved it. Sometimes I just walked around the market to experience the culture and check out all the produce and other goodies (SO much biscotti–I sure miss it).
While I try to not have an overabundance of things in my cupboard, I definitely don’t go to the store everyday, so it’s nice to have things handy when making meals. Here’s what I almost always have in my cupboards:
Grains
I like to keep a variety of grains in our house, including oats, rice (usually brown, wild, and jasmine), quinoa, barley, couscous, and pastas (sometimes lentil pasta). Typically, I’ll make a big batch of grains in my Instant Pot over the weekend to add to meals throughout the week.
Legumes
I’ve been trying to use mostly dried beans instead of canned, and we usually have black, white northern, and pinto beans, as well as lentils. Same as the grains–I’ll make a lot at a time, so I have it ready for meals.
Nuts & Seeds
I recently learned that most nuts and seeds should be kept in the fridge or freezer because the oils in them can turn rancid. Who knew? I had all of them in my cupboard previously, but moved most of them to the fridge. Right now I have some flax seeds, chia seeds, and sunflower seeds still in the cupboard.
Nut butters
Just like nuts and seeds, I recently moved my peanut and almond butters to the fridge. This actually keeps them from separating, too, so you don’t have a pool of oil at the top of the jar. I still have some coconut butter in the cupboard.
Oils & Ghee
My favorite oils to cook with are olive, coconut, and avocado oils. I mostly use extra virgin olive oil on salads, and sometimes I make homemade mayo (like in this ranch recipe) with light olive oil. Not only is coconut oil good for your skin, but I use it quite a bit when baking. Avocado oil has a super high smoke point, so I’ve been using it a lot when roasting veggies. And when I want the flavor of butter, I choose ghee.
Canned Vegetables
I eat fresh veggies as much as possible, but sometimes it’s easier to get them frozen or canned. A few cans of mushroom slices, beets, tomato products (diced, crushed, and sauce), and black olives are almost always in my cupboard. Besides store-bought canned goods, we have quite a few homemade canned items, too (most of them from my mom), including sauerkraut and salsa.
Coconut Milk
I’ve seen “coconut milk” next to other milk in the refrigerated section in the store, but the best coconut milk comes in a can. It has good fats and is super creamy, great for adding to smoothies and coffee. If you store the can in the fridge, it will separate and get super thick on top, which you can whip into a homemade coconut whipped cream. So good!
Canned Tuna
I haven’t been eating a ton of meat and I prefer fresh and local when I do, but it’s nice to have a few cans of tuna in the cupboard for a last minute meal. I usually mix it with homemade mayo or Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo (which I get from Thrive Market).
Snacks
I’ve been trying to eat meals that make me satisfied and snack less, but some of my favorite snacks are tortilla chips, popcorn, and RxBars (especially if I need a snack on the go).
Spices
Just recently I found a spice rack for $4 at the thrift store and I’m pretty pumped about it. It was missing two jars and I found one at the thrift store another day, so now I’m on a search for the last one. My most used spices are probably just salt and pepper, but I like to have a variety available so I have options for different meals. I’m also a huge fun of spiced blends, like a fajita seasoning I got from Penzeys in the Strip District and the Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute and Everything but the Bagel seasonings.
Baking supplies
Someday I hope to have a well-organized pantry, but for now all my baking supplies are shoved into one cupboard. These include flours (almond, coconut, whole wheat, white, rye, bread), sugars (coconut, light brown, cane, and powdered), corn meal, arrowroot, cacao, and pancake mix.
Tea & Coffee
We’ve got quite a collection of teas and coffees. I’ve been trying to use what we have before we buy more, but I probably have at least 25 different types of tea, along with three kinds of coffee beans and two kinds of ground coffee. I prefer fresh coffee beans (usually local, like from Bossa Nova, Allegheny Coffee & Tea Exchange, or Little Amps), but Zack likes his already ground, which I usually just buy at Aldi. Along with tea and coffee in our one cupboard, we have protein powder, honey, and natural calm (a magnesium drink).
Well, that’s a summary of what’s always in my cupboards! I’ve been getting more glass containers for dried goods, like legumes and grains, to keep it organized, and I’ve been bringing my own jars to the store to use bulk bins and reduce my waste. It’s not fancy or complicated, but it’s nice to keep the cupboards stocked with these items to make things easy in the kitchen.
Your turn: What items do you always have in your cupboards?
You can check out items I always have in my fridge here and items I always have in my freezer here.
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