How to Stock an Enviable Pantry

Whether you're preparing for winter, a quarantine, a natural disaster — or simply when you can’t shop — there are some things no pantry should be without.

Having a well-stocked pantry is a confidence builder. You know you can always put together a meal when you can’t get to the store.

You’ll be prepared if your refrigerator dies, or you’re facing down an ice or snow storm. What happens if there’s a hurricane, an earthquake, or another natural disaster? What happens if someone is ill and you’re all in quarantine? Sometimes food delivery services aren’t available, either.

It’s reassuring to know that you can always feed your family if you’re stuck at home.

Note: Being prepared is not the same as panic shopping. Aim to have enough food and supplies (including medications) to last two weeks. Don’t start hoarding toilet paper and other essentials. Hoarding can accelerate into an anxiety problem.

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Take an inventory before the unpredictable weather hits

Depending on where you live, you know when things might start getting dicey. Check whether you have all you need in advance. Simply taking action can relieve anxiety.

Make good use of your space

If you’re fortunate enough to have a large pantry or space in your basement, consider buying in bulk, which saves money and provides more reserves of food. You can also watch for things to go on sale and stock up when prices are lower.

Of course, you need to consider how many people you are feeding and tailor your pantry to your family’s tastes. Store your goods in screw-top glass jars or other tight-sealing containers and keep them in a cool, dark place. Write dates on the containers.

A word about expiration dates

Many non-perishables do not last indefinitely. Although you can eat many foods beyond the expiration date, it’s good to notice them. Make sure you eat the oldest items first.

Here are some basics that will help you feed your family well without newly bought items. This is also a guide to healthy eating, which can be more economical as well.

Beans

Beans and legumes provide protein and fiber and can stay on your shelf a long time. Fill your cart with black beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans, all of which retain nutritional value canned. Dried beans will take your even further. They last in airtight containers in a cool, dry pantry for up to a year. Lentils are a nutritional powerhouse.

Rice and whole grains

Combining rice and beans is a time-honored way to keep people fed, providing a complete protein and dietary fiber. Brown rice is best if your family will enjoy it.

Also consider quinoa, millet, and oats.

Stored rice and grains last for up to 6 months in a cool, dry pantry or the freezer for up to a year. Ground whole grains deteriorate more quickly, lasting for 1 to 3 months in a pantry or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Frozen and root vegetables

Frozen vegetables are more nutritious than you may guess, and far better than no vegetables at all. Keep a stock of your family’s favorites. Also consider root vegetables like onions, sweet potatoes, winter squash, cabbage, celery, and Brussels sprouts, storing them in a cool dry pantry.

Canned vegetables

Canned tomatoes, especially, are versatile and stay nutritious. Your family is less likely to feel deprived if you can make them a pasta sauce, which is easy with tomatoes and anchovies as a base. Keep a favorite bottled pasta sauce on hand, too.

Frozen fruit

As with vegetables, frozen fruit may retain more of its nutrition than fruit you buy fresh, which typically travels a long way to your grocery store. Stock up on frozen blueberries, often cited as a “superfood,” as well as family favorites.

Canned fish

Consider keeping tuna, salmon, anchovies, clams, mussels — any fish that your family will eat. Americans eat less than half the amount of fish nutritionists recommend, and canned fish lasts in your pantry.

Nuts

Nuts are packed with protein and fiber, and don’t take up much space. Store some in the refrigerator and freezer if you can. Nut butters last in your pantry unopened or in your refrigerator.  

Baking basics to keep on hand

• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Breadcrumbs: Italian and panko
• Chocolate: unsweetened cocoa powder, chips, baking bars
• Flour
• Honey or sugar
• Maple syrup
• Salt
• Vanilla

Oils, seasonings, and flavorings

• Basil
• Bay leaves
• Celery salt
• Chili powder
• Cinnamon
• Curry powder
• Fennel or dill seed
• Garlic powder
• Ground cloves
• Ground cumin
• Ground ginger
• Oil: olive, vegetable, sesame
• Oregano
• Paprika: sweet and smoked
• Peppers: black peppercorns, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Vinegars: apple cider, balsamic, red wine, rice

Treats

• Chocolate
• Dried fruit (these last about six months)
• Popcorn (fun for a snowstorm)

Condiments

These items can stay in your pantry until opened:

• Jams and jellies
• Ketchup
• Mayonnaise
• Mustard: Dijon, whole grain
• Horseradish
• Hot sauce: Tabasco, Sriracha, sambal
• Worcestershire sauce
• Soy sauce or tamari

You can add many other things to this list. These items will supplement fresh fruits and vegetables and things you have in your freezer on nights when you want to use what you already have to get dinner on the table.

In an emergency

For emergency preparedness, there are different recommendations for how long you should stock your food supply to last. A minimum is three days, but the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) and the Red Cross recommend two weeks. (It’s an even better idea to have up to a month’s worth of food for each person in your family on hand.)

Your medicine cabinet

Try to keep a two-week supply of any medications or supplements you take regularly and essentials for children like diapers, formula, and sickness remedies that provide liquid protein and electrolytes.

Additional considerations

Don’t forget a manual can opener. In an emergency or power outage, you want to be sure you can open those cans of food. If you don’t have a means to cook, you can eat these foods right out of the can.

Keep water on hand. If your motivation is emergency planning, store a gallon a day for each person. This doesn’t include what you might need for cooking. Depending on the contents of your pantry, you may need more to prepare things like rice and split peas.

Whether for an emergency or just making a large batch of food, consider storage containers. If you’re making daily lunches or freezing small batches, you’ll need storage options. If you bake, you may want to invest in zippered storage bags or air-tight containers.

Vacuum-sealed storage bags work for most of the dry goods you may keep in your pantry.

Keep in mind you don’t have to get everything all at once. With a little planning and a few dollars each week, you can prepare yourself to put together a last-minute family meal or wait out the latest snowstorm.

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