Pantry Staples are an essential part of feeding a family on a small budget, plus it’s nice knowing that there is always something at home to cook.
A well stocked pantry is something that our grandmothers swore by. They knew that with a full pantry they could fill their families bellies with good food, for next to nothing. This knowledge is quickly becoming a lost art with all of the quick, processed (expensive) foods that are filling our grocery stores.
Listed below are items that you should fill your pantry with. With these items you’ll be able to create a number of different meals, as well as some delicious desserts.
Baking Items
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Brown Sugar
Chocolate Chips
Cocoa Powder
Cooking Spray
Cornmeal
Cornstarch
Corn Syrup
Dried Fruit (coconut, cranberries, raisins)
Dry Milk
Flour (All-Purpose)
Flour (Self-Rising)
Food Coloring
Lard
Nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts)
Powdered (Confectioners) Sugar
Sugar
Vanilla Extract
Vegetable Shortening
Yeast
Canned Items
Beans (baked, black, kidney, pinto, refried)
Broth/Stock (beef, chicken, vegetable)
Cream Soup (celery, chicken, mushroom)
Juice (lemon, lime)
Meat (chicken, salmon, tuna)
Olive Oil
Tomatoes (diced, paste, sauce, whole)
Vegetables (corn, green beans)
Vegetable Oil
Vinegar (apple cider, balsamic, red wine)
Condiments
BBQ Sauce
Horseradish
Honey
Hot Sauce/Salsa
Jam/Jelly
Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Mustard (brown, Dijon, yellow)
Parmesan Cheese
Peanut Butter
Salad Dressing
Soy Sauce
Steak Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce
Dry Goods
Bouillon (beef, chicken)
Breading (bread crumbs, panko)
Dry Beans (black, lentils, navy, pinto)
Grains (barley, oats, quinoa, rice)
Pasta (egg noodles, elbow, spaghetti, penne)
Tea
Freezer
Chicken (breast, legs, thighs, wings, whole)
Ground Beef
Sausage (breakfast, kielbasa, Italian)
Vegetables (Brussels sprouts, corn, green beans, broccoli)
Produce
Carrots
Celery
Garlic
Onions
Potatoes
Refrigerated
Butter (stick, tub)
Cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, cream)
Eggs
Heavy Cream
Milk
Sour Cream
Seasoning (Herbs & Spices)
Basil
Bay Leaves
Black Pepper
Cajun Seasoning
Cayenne Pepper
Chili Powder
Cinnamon
Cloves
Cream of Tartar
Cumin
Garlic Powder
Ginger
Italian Seasoning
Minced Onion
Nutmeg
Onion Powder
Oregano
Paprika
Red Pepper Flakes
Rosemary
Salt
Seasoning Packets (beef gravy, onion soup, taco)
Sesame Seeds
Turmeric
Thyme
Download and Print Your Pantry Staples List
Tips
✔ When creating your weekly grocery list, be sure to add pantry items that need to be replenished.
✔ Be sure to store pantry items, especially ones that aren’t used often, in air tight containers.
✔ When stocking your pantry, purchase items in bulk when they are on sale.
✔ Use coupons, when available, to lower the cost of stocking your pantry.
✔ Follow our weekly Budget Friendly Meal Plan to help utilize your pantry items.
Is there something that you always have in your pantry that I forgot to list?
We’d love to see your stocked pantry. Snap a pic & tag it on Instagram with @FlusterBuster
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I love this and sharing on the weekend edit on my rebranded blog, Everyday Edits (formerly not a trophy wife).
laura
Thank you Laura, I’ll be sure to stop by and check it out! Good Luck with the rebranding, I love the name!
Great information! I use and stock almost every item on your list. One other tip: When adding new items to your pantry, add them to the back and bring items with more recent expiration dates forward.
Great tip, thank you!
I do need to add more herbs to my pantry. I try to grow some every year and I don’t really do a good job at it so I end up buying fresh basil, rosemary, and oregano. Thanks for linking this post with us at #OMHGWW and hope to see you next week.
Love this! Such a useful list. We just completed a 60-day no-spend pantry challenge and spring clean – and you are right. Having a well-stocked pantry is a real moneysaver when you’re working with a small budget. Found you on the Homestead Blog Hop!
We just did a no-spend 30-day pantry challenge so that I could spring clean my freezers and pantry.
Great tips! I love the printout.
#homemakinglinky
Thank you! I laminated my printout so that I could use a grease pen to mark items that I need.
Great information! I really need to organize my pantry, lol.
This is a great idea for a new homemaker to have a list of what to have on hand. It can be overwhelming to know what to stock.
Happy Spring,
Kippi #kippiathome
You’re right, it is perfect for new homemakers.
Quinoa and stevia. Tea bags too – did you mention?
I always have quinoa and tea bags on hand, I don’t know why I didn’t include them. Thank you for the reminder, I will add them to the list.
The canned items are usually what I am low on since I tend to buy for the week unless something is on super sale. But I have started getting better at buying ahead!
Chez Mireille
Robin, helpful to have a list. Having a well-stocked pantry can often mean the difference between being able to come up with an easy meal or having to get takeout! Didn’t see nuts on the list; that’s something I always keep an assortment of on hand. #PrettyPintastic
You’re right, I forgot the nuts! I’ll make sure to add them.
Yes to all of these! Great article!
Thank you Ariana!
This is a GREAT list! One of my New Year’s resolutions was to make a menu and start making more homemade meals. This would really help making it easier! Pinned!
Asides from the advice on never running out of stock of these items, the tips on how to use and appropriately store them are well appreciated. Thanks for drawing our attention to this all-time relevant subject