All about staples. The food kind, not the office supply.
A couple weeks ago, I had a conversation with my friend Christian after he Googled “standard groceries” and “well-stocked kitchen” and came up empty-handed. I suggested “pantry staples” and did some searching on my own as to what a well-supplied pantry should have.
And when I saw Rachel of Food Maven had posted what she keeps her kitchen stocked with, I decided to do the same — because, again, I just love lists.
Not counting standard condiments and spices, we always have:
- coffee pods
- evaporated milk
- juice
- sugar (white and dark brown)
- unbleached white flour
- honey
- teas
- milk
- sandwich bread
- peanut butter
- Marshmallow Fluff
- carrots
- salted and unsalted butter
- garlic
- onions
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 or 3 other cheeses
- seasonal fruits/vegetables (apples, potatoes, and winter squash, currently)
- cat food
- cereal and/or oatmeal
- medium-grain rice
- baking powder and baking soda
- olive and canola oils
- vinegars (usually balsamic, red wine, cider, and rice)
- canned beans
- canned tomatoes
- eggs
- peanuts and/or almonds
- some sort of meat
- tomato paste
- red wine
We usually have:
- Stella D’Oro breakfast treats
- cocoa powder and/or chocolate chips
- shallots
- sour cream
- brown rice
- guava paste
- Jarritos soda
- canned chiles
- jam/preserves
- dried pasta
- canned tuna
- lemons/limes
- kid-sized yogurts
- fritessaus
- bottled water
- lunch meat
- crackers
- bananas
- popsicles
- olives, pickles, cornichons, and/or capers
- candy
We sometimes have:
- tortilla chips, Kettle chips, or Pirate’s Booty
- frozen bagels
- whipped cream in a can
- ice cream
We rarely, if ever, have:
- fresh fruit/vegetables out of season (except bananas)
- frozen food/vegetables
- canned food/soup/vegetables
- pasta sauce in a jar
- salad dressing
- whole wheat flour
- soy “meats”
- anything with hydrogenated fat
- anything with high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweetener
We definitely never have:
- anything with red dye in it
- a reduced-fat or fat-free version of a regular food
- turnips
I really hope more people post this on their own blogs — it’s like an authorized snoop into your friends’ cabinets.
13 Comments
Kristen
Sure! It’s evidently more common than you’d initially think — it also totally sucks. It renders almost all American candy off-limits, except green, and really, what kid picks green?
Nicola
I have always bought canned tomatoes (sometimes by the case, if they were on sale, Ethan would relate)…then only a couple of months ago I saw a can that said in big letters, no salt added…which got me frowning…so I picked up a regular can right next to it, looked at the label and nearly dropped it on the floor – the can was holding 40% of my daily recommended allowance of sodium…wow…so now I check them all carefully…it’s the only thing in a can I think (other than tomato paste) that’s in my cupboard, and is my emergency dinner supply – instant pasta sauce…
I’ll have a go at list building, I’m not very good at it…I’m a wing-er…as in wing it…I know, I know…I don’t know how I’ve made it this far.
Colleen
What a great idea! I copied it in my blog. I’m a sucker for lists too.