Frugal Friday: Stocking Your Pantry - What to Include

One way that I save money every month on groceries is by keeping my pantry well-stocked. But it's important to stock it with the right kinds of foods if you're looking to save money. Most pre-packaged, ready-made food is not only expensive, it's generally unhealthy and has a relatively short shelf life. So today I'm going to give you an idea of the types of food that I keep in my pantry on a regular basis to help me save money. If you're worried about the food going bad, here's a great site where you can plug in a food type and find out about how long it will store. Another way I save money is by storing dry food in containers that I already have. I love old peanut butter and mayonnaise jars! We also store food in empty ice-cream buckets, popcorn tins and #10 cans. 

Grains

Grains are the staff of life, as the saying goes. Most are healthy, relatively cheap, easy to store, and have a long shelf life. I like to keep a large variety of grains in my pantry so it's easy to use them in my cooking. I have an electric grain mill which makes it really easy to include these grains in our diet on a regular basis. If you don't have a grain mill, you can cook these grains and add them in many dishes as well.

Some examples of grains that I keep on hand:

Brown Rice (short-term)

Wheat

White Rice (we generally do not eat white rice but it's nice to store in your pantry because it keeps longer than brown rice)

Oats

Spelt

Barley

Popcorn 

Red Quinoa

White Quinoa

Millet

Legumes

Beans are relatively inexpensive and easy to store for long term. I like to keep a variety in my pantry. I usually store dry beans because I have a pressure cooker and beans are easy to cook in a pressure cooker. I have also canned my own beans in a pressure canner, which makes it really nice for quick meals.

Some examples of beans that I store are:

Pinto Beans

Kidney Beans

Garbanzo Beans (or Chickpeas)

Black Beans

White Beans (Navy, Great Northern)

Soy Beans

Black-eyed Peas

Lentils

Seeds & Nuts

Most seeds and nuts are short-term storage due to the high oil content in them, generally speaking. To keep them longer you can store them in a cool place - like a refrigerator or freezer.

Some examples of seeds and nuts that I store are:

Flax Seeds (short-term)

Almonds (short-term)

Walnuts (short-term)

Raw Sunflower Seeds (short-term)

Raw Peanuts (short-term)

Raw Cashews (short-term)

Pumpkin Seeds (short-term)

Chia Seed

Sprouting Seeds

Fruits

We keep a variety of dried, canned, and frozen fruits on hand. In general, dried fruits keep longer than canned or frozen. Canned or frozen fruits will keep for a least a year (usually longer, but mine rarely last that long before they get eaten). Fresh apples are also something we always keep on hand because they store for quite a while.

Some examples of fruits that I store:

Banana Chips

Raisins

Dried Cranberries

Dried Apples (home dried)

Dried Pears (home dried)

Dried Pineapple

Canned Pears (home canned)

Canned Peaches (home canned)

Canned Apples (home canned)

Canned Applesauce (home canned)

Jams & Jellies (peach, pear, apricot, plum, etc., home canned)

Frozen Bananas (I freeze the ones that turn brown)

Frozen berries

Frozen peaches

Canned Pineapple

Canned Mandarin Oranges

Fresh Apples (3 or 4 months)

Vegetables

Although fresh vegetables are my favorite, it's nice to have canned or frozen vegetables in your pantry for when you don't have the ability to go to the grocery store. Winter squash is a great vegetable to have because you can store it fresh for about 6 months. We also keep fresh potatoes and fresh onions in our short-term storage and they last three or four months if you store them correctly. Most frozen or canned vegetables can be stored for at least a year. Here are some examples of vegetables that I keep around:

Tomato Powder (home dried)

Canned Tomatoes (home canned)

Dried Bell Peppers (home dried)

Dried Zucchini (home dried)

Dried Yellow Squash (home dried)

Frozen Corn, Peas, Green Beans, Spinach, Broccoli, Cauliflower, etc

Canned Corn, Green Beans

Frozen Avocados (I buy them when the go on sale and freeze them myself)

Salsa (home canned)

Relish (home canned)

Olives (canned)

Tomato Sauce (canned or frozen)

Fresh Winter Squash (Hubbard, Butternut, Spaghetti, Pumpkin, Sunshine - short-term, 6 months)

Fresh Potatoes (short-term, 3-4 months)

Fresh Onions (short-term, 3-4 months)

Fresh Garlic (short-term)

Baking Ingredients

It's nice to be able to bake at home without worrying about running out of ingredients. Some baking ingredients have a longer shelf life than others so make sure you check before you store a lot. Here are some examples of baking ingredients that I keep extra of in my pantry:

Flours:

White Flour

Gluten Flour

Wheat Flour (if you don't have a wheat grinder)

Wheat Bran (short-term)

Corn Starch

Leavening:

Baking Powder (short-term)

Baking Soda

Yeast (frozen when opened, short-term)

Sour Dough starter (perpetual, in refrigerator)

Sweetening:

Molasses

Honey

Xagave

Corn Syrup

Brown Sugar

White Sugar

Powdered Sugar

Fats:

Shortening (short-term)

Olive Oil

Canola Oil

Coconut Oil

Vinegars:

White Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar

Red Wine Vinegar

Balsamic Vinegar

Flavorings:

Vanilla Extract

Almond Extract

Cocoa Powder

Other:

Chocolate Chips

Unsweetened Coconut

Herbs & Spices

Spices are good to have on hand because with them you can make plain food taste wonderful. I always make sure I keep extra of the spices that I use the most. Fresh spices are always better than old spices so make sure you rotate them well! Here's a list of some of my favorite spices I keep in my pantry:

Salt

Pepper

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Cloves

Basil

Oregano

Parsley

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Italian Seasoning

Chicken Bouillon

Beef Bouillon

Dried Onions

Chili Powder

Cumin Powder

Paprika

Rosemary

Thyme

Drinks

We drink mostly water, as a rule, but it's nice to have a few little extra drink mixes around for when company comes or a special occasion. I also keep milk flavorings in case I have to use powdered milk, then it's easier for the kids to drink it if it has a little flavor.

Chocolate Milk Flavoring

Dry Lemonade Mix

Orange Drink Mix

Strawberry Milk Flavoring

Grape Juice (home canned, bottled or frozen concentrate)

Apple Juice (home canned, bottled or frozen concentrate)

Orange Juice (frozen concentrate)

Meat & Dairy

I buy meat when it goes on sale and freeze it in serving sizes. Some meats I cook before freezing, but mostly I freeze it uncooked because of time. I also look for sales on eggs, butter and cheese and buy a lot because we use them a lot and they store well in the refrigerator, short term. I also make yogurt and buttermilk a lot and keep it perpetually in the refrigerator, using the starter from the last batch to make a new batch. 

Chicken (frozen, canned)

Beef (frozen)

Pork (frozen)

Fish (frozen, canned)

Cheese (short term, refrigerated or frozen. Block cheese stores longer than shredded)

Butter (short-term, refrigerated or frozen)

Eggs (short-term, refrigerated)

Powdered Milk

Powdered Eggs

Plain Yogurt (perpetual)

Buttermilk (perpetual)

Other

Here's a few other things that I store for convenience sake:

Mayonnaise (short-term)

Peanut Butter (short-term)

Worcestershire Sauce

Soy Sauce

Pasta (all kinds that I use - I don't make my own...yet)

Sprinkles (fun for kids...)

Food coloring (ditto...)

Having your pantry stocked with whole foods is a great way to get started in creating a healthier family. I hope this list helps you get a head start. Good luck!

Linked to: Frugal Friday, Thrifty Thursday