How to Stock a Pantry for a Year: Healthy tips & Pantry Staples
Our guide will help you organize and how to stock a pantry for a year. Be sure to grab your free pantry staples checklist printable at the end of this post!
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First of all, I’m happy to share a guide to stocking your cabinet full of nutritious food items to have stocked in a pantry for a year.
Folks let’s just say it, it’s all about the ingredients when it comes to pantry food items!
Does that mean the food in your pantry staples counts too? Absolutely!
how to stock a pantry for a year: Table of Contents
I don’t know about you, but my family always uses pantry items to make almost every meal.
Above all, I learned how to shop better and actually started to make pantry items myself. But yes, trying to eat healthily is overwhelming!
…I can totally relate to this!
As I researched, I didn’t know what to believe or who to trust.
It’s better to give people the opportunity to see what works for them by giving them reliable resources. We all come in different shapes, sizes and some actually deal with problematic health issues.
Everyone needs to know to always go to their doctor, or nutritionist to find out what types of food really work for their body.
How to stock a pantry for a year: Healthy Resources
Personally, reading books have made a difference in how I see food. Here are just a few I have read, that you might see as helpful to you.
The books below are great if you want to learn more about food pantry items and how to make some of them yourself!
Using these resources and tips will teach you how to stock a pantry for a year. Ultimately you will end up with a pantry full of nutrient-dense foods …and that you will never look back! I didn’t!
So, let go ahead and start.
HOW TO SHOP FOR HEALTHY PANTRY STAPLES
First of all, you need to know what you are actually buying. So you need to start reading the ingredients on anything you grab to purchase.
Overall, learning to identify common food additives is the most important thing to know when you’re trying to re-stock your pantry with healthier items.
According to lluniversity.com, food that contains harmful additives can cause chronic inflammation in the body, insulin resistance, obesity, and decreases the immune system.
Friends, knowledge is power!
Below are some of the most common food additives you will find in all types of food. Please feel free to click the amazing science base links.
Food Additives pt .1
- Maltodextrin: White starch from GMO corn that Increases blood sugar more than table sugar, decreases good gut bacteria, has no nutritional value.
- Carrageenan- Red Seaweed that increases inflammation/G. Also, it’s a human carcinogen and has no nutritional value.
- Polysorbate 80- Molecules to emulsify, whichss can cause liver/kidney disease and birth defects, is also known as a carcinogen.
- High-Fructose Corn Syrup-Artificial sugar made from corn syrup that can cause insulin resistance and various serious diseases like liver diseases & diabetes.
- Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)-Cause weight gain and metabolic disorder cause weight gain and metabolic disorders.s. White crystalline powder Cause weight gain and metabolic disorders
Food Additives pt .2
- Natural Flavors- Synthetic chemicals used in plants/animal sources to create taste/smell that uses various chemicals that aren’t required to be disclosed, who knows what long-term harm it can cause.
- Sodium nitrate– Clear, colorless, odorless transparent crystals that are linked to causing cancer.
- Sodium benzoate– A chemical agent that is a crystalline powder. that can cause heart disease and can be carcinogenic (can cause cancer).
- Color dyes: Yellow 5 & 6, Red 40, Blue 1, etc.– Pigments in plant/mineral or chemical reactions that can damage nerve tissue and can be a carcinogen.
These are some out of a lot of other additives, and I know…it’s a lot of information.
So, if you are good at remembering those additives, then great!
How to Stock a Pantry Video
How to stock a pantry for a year depends on these tips below.
How to stock a pantry for a year: Shopping Tips
Tip #1
First of all, If you cannot pronounce an ingredient, I would place it back down.
Tip #2
Secondly, It’s probably not a good idea to get food items if they have more than 5-6 ingredients.
Tip #3
Additionally, If there is a number next to the word Added Sugars, back on the shelf it goes!
Tip #4
By the way, If you see the word Starch, Corn/Modified, or Sugar multiple times, think twice about getting it.
Tip #5
When looking at the oil ingredient, if it isn’t the name Olive oil, Coconut oil, or Avocado oil, back on the shelf it goes!
Keep in mind your options might be limited: picking an item with an oil that has the word, “Expeller-pressed” in front of it might be your best bet. This means the oil is physically squeezed from the seed, rather than using chemicals to release oil.
Tip #6
Lastly, be sure to buy organic as much as you can, especially if you’re buying oats or grains.
According to Know your Environment Protect your Health (Ewg.org), glyphosate- the active ingredient in Round-Up was found in 95% of oat-based foods, found in all 12 wheat-based products a level ranging from 60-150 parts per billion.
How to Stock a Pantry for a Year: Organization
Cleaning up your pantry is the next step!
Start making some progress on getting healthy pantry staples for your pantry.
- First: go into your pantry and filter out all the items that don’t follow the above criteria and check for expiration dates.
- Second: Place all the items that don’t make the cut into a box to give away to a food bank near you. It’s unfortunate that not all food is created equal and that the food industry has created this mess. That to say, throwing away food seems like food waste to me. It will probably be better off giving it to a food bank especially because of food shortages some people don’t have any food at all. Certainly, giving away food or not is totally up to you!
Foods Bank Resources:
- Third: Get rid of all the boxes and packaging you get with some pantry items, and fill up your container to get organized!
Airtight Containers
Must-haves! They are great for keeping pantry items fresh, organized, and easy to identify. Keep all your dry pantry items, pasta, noodle, rice, quinoa, and baking goods stored in these airtight containers.
Clear Organizer Bins
Bins are great because just like the airtight container, they are clear, and you don’t have to guess what it is. Personally, from my homestead pantry I use glass storage containers in my home to organize.
They are easy to label, clean, and will last for a long time!
Baskets
Baskets are like clear containers, but they will hold a little bit more items depending on the shape. To give your pantry a nicer look no matter what style, you can count on these baskets to always have used around your home.
Multi-purpose baskets are just the best, aren’t they!
Lazy Susan’s & Misc.
Ultimately, all these products can help you keep your pantry organized! Lazy Susan’s are great for 360 views of items, an expandable tray to help you elevate pantry items is a game-changer too. Below are some other great organization items you can get to make your pantry look good!
How to Stock a Pantry for a Year: Take Inventory
Have you bought something and then right after realized you didn’t really need it? I’m guilty of this, and I’m sure others are too.
An inventory list will help you know how to stock a pantry for a yearfrom over, buying, and maybe help you save some money too.
Now that you have created a new canvas to work with, it’s time to see what you actually have on hand before going to the grocery store, buying online, or preserving food.
1.) Go down, one shelf at a time, and make a list of everything that you have in your pantry. Inventorying your pantry will give you a baseline to work with and will keep you organized along the way.
2.) When you have your list done, take the list to the store and start shopping for your new pantry items
How to Stock a Pantry for a Year: Pantry Recipes
Nothing is better than homemade food…don’t you agree!
Healthy pantry items don’t always have to be bought at the grocery store. Not only will you save some money doing this, but you might just prefer certain items to be homemade over store-bought.
Recipes for canning, freeze-drying, regular freezing, and dehydrating are all ways to stock up your pantry naturally.
Below I linked some easy homemade pantry recipes from other great websites.
- Tomato Sauce or paste
- Broths & stocks
- Nut butter/Peanut butter
- Various Spices
- Granola
- Pancake mix
Where to get pantry food?
Your local grocery store might be the most convenient place, but there are other shops that can be as easy and quick. Besides, these days the world’s food supply is not the best and we might have to find out other ways to get a fully stocked pantry.
- Your garden, or livestock you raise- Harvesting and preserving food you grew or raised is a great way to stock up your pantry for the whole year. You can grow your own herbs and your own produce to the point where you don’t need to go to food stores.
- Local grocery stores- You can physically go into a store but try their online grocery pick-up option if they have one
- Amazon- Getting baking goods and other pantry staples can be found here. Try the Amazon Pantry option, I always find good deals all there all the time!
- Vitacost is- Great healthy online store that provides healthy food options, I just love shopping on their site.
- Thrive Market- Another great online food site
- Walmart-Online or in-store, Walmart can always deliver at great prices.
- Azura Standard- An amazing online shop where you can get bulk natural and organic foods. They have many basic pantry items in bulk that can save you a lot of money and cut your grocery budget giving you peace of mind.
- Farmers Markets- This is a great place to buy dairy products, fresh meat, and fresh fruits not to mention you also support our local farmers!
Pantry Staples List
Pantry Canned Goods
- All types of canned fruit– Canned fruit is a great way to have backup fruit for smoothies, snacks, and other recipes.
- Green Beans, Black beans, Kidney beans, Pinto beans
- Chickpeas- Canned chickpeas are a great source of protein, and it is also used in many vegan dishes to substitute meat.
Pantry Nuts, seeds
- Organic Peanut butter– Kirkland’s Organic peanut butter is a great brand. No messy ingredients, peanut butter should only have peanuts & salt.
- Jelly– I prefer making it myself since the selection is very limited when it comes to ingredients.
- Nut butter-The Nuttzo brand is one of the best nut butter out there.
- Raw almonds
- Raw Cashews
- Raw Hazelnuts
- Raw peanuts
- Raw pecans
- Chia seeds
- Flax seeds
Pantry Baking staples
- Organic all-purpose flour
- Almond flour-I love getting this Anthony’s Almond flour in bulk, Amazon is my go-to shop for all flour.
- Coconut flour– Healthworks coconut flour from Amazon has a great deal.
- Organic/gluten-free all-purpose flour-I stock up on Namaste Gluten Free Organic flour blend. This flour is a blend of organic flours and is close to regular all-purpose flour texture when baking.
- Baking powder, Baking soda
- Coconut Sugar– BetterBody Foods coconut sugar is priced well on Amazon.
- Chocolate chips– Lily’s Chocolate chips are sugar-free, you can also try Cacao Nibs from Navitas that are also great for making yummy chocolate treats.
Pantry Condiments & Cooking oils
- Avocado Oil-Buying the Chosen Foods Oil 67.6 Fl Oz or BetterBody Food Oil 16.9 Fl Oz will save you money in the long run.
- Coconut Aminos–Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos is a brand with high-quality ingredients and is used as a great alternative to soy sauce.
- Bragg’s Apple cider Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, White Vinegar
- Ketchup- Primal Kitchen Ketchup has the best ingredients of any ketchup in the market and it is sugar-free. Anything made from Primal Kitchen is high quality, but their products can be a bit pricey.
- Mustard & Dijon Mustard
- Avocado mayonnaise– I love making this from scratch, but BetterBody Foods Avocado oil mayo is a great deal if you’re buying it.
Pantry Soups/broths
Soups/broths
- Beef stock
- Chicken stock & broth– You can count on Kettle & Fire line of chicken stocks and bone broth to have high ingredients.
Pantry Dry Goods, Pasta, Grains, Oats
- Tomato Sauce– Organic tomato that has no added sugar is the healthiest option.
- Alfredo sauce- You guessed it, Primal Kitchen No dairy Alfredo sauce is a great healthy option.
- Organic & whole wheat pasta– Buying organic and whole wheat is the best way to get more nutritional value and fewer chemicals in your pasta.
- Organic & whole wheat spaghetti, and penne pasta
- Chickpea pasta– Banza pasta brand is a great alternative to wheat pasta and is more nutritionally dense.
- Organic Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Organic Oats– If your local supermarket has the brand Organics, their Old fashion oats are a great deal. Bob’s Red Mill Steel Organic Oats and Steel Cut oats is another great healthy option.
Pantry Basic Herbs & Spices
- Himalayan pink salt or Sea salt– A great quality salt is Redmond Real Salt, it is recommended by healthcare providers and has over 60 natural minerals. Kirkland Signature 5 lb Himalayan pink salt is an amazing deal!
- Pepper, Oregano, Parsley
- Garlic powder, Chili powder, Paprika
- Ground cinnamon
- Bay leaves Ground, Turmeric, Dried basil
- Ground cumin, Rosemary
Pantry Snacks
- Organic popcorn- LesserEvil popcorn is so yummy and has the best class ingredients!
- Protein Bars– Epic’s protein bars are made with 100% grass-fed meat and created with the best ingredients of any protein bar out there.
- Sweet treats– You can’t go wrong with HU Chocolate snacks and Yes Bar- Dark chocolate ships cookie ( they are vegan, low sugar, & paleo)
- Tea– Organic Green tea and all other herbal teas like Chamomile, Ginger, and peppermint have so many good health benefits.
- Protein powder– This is great to have on hand since you can add protein powder to anything you make, Garden of Life Raw protein powder that has no natural flavors with high-class ingredients.
- Collagen peptides– Vital proteins Collagen peptides are grass-fed and can be found at a great price.
Healthy Pantry Conclusion
Overall, Slowly incorporate some of these tips over time to replace all the unhealthy items with healthy pantry staples. Don’t forget to eliminate anything that is expired.
Keep all these to help you learn how to stock a pantry for a year in your back pocket when you go food shopping!
Pantry Staples list is Free below!
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