Many of my clients and patients tell me that they want to cook at home more in the new year both for their good health and their bank accounts.
I will then ask them what is in their pantry and refrigerator and explain how a well-stocked kitchen full of the items in the list below is a must for any home cook.
To go to the grocery store right now and buy all the items on this list may be cost-prohibitive. So I encourage each aspiring home cook to but one or two of the items on the list at a time.
Check out my list below and let me know if you have any in your kitchen that are not included here.
LIST OF KITCHEN STAPLES
Fresh Vegetables
Onions
Green/red/yellow peppers
Garlic
Tomatoes
Salad greens/spinach
Cucumbers
Potatoes/Carrots/Radishes and other roots
Fresh Fruits
Buy what’s in season and affordable.
Buy what you will eat.
Keep it out on the counter. Only fruits are allowed space on the countertop.
Try a new fruit. Experiment. Choose a variety of color.
Refrigerated
Milk: dairy or non-dairy or powdered
Eggs (most recipes call for large)
Butter
Plain Yogurt or Sour Cream
Shredded Cheese (can be kept in the freezer for long term storage)
Pantry
Flour: all-purpose, whole wheat
Sugar: white, brown, confectioners (powdered)
Rolled Oats
Cereal- dry or cooked
Rice: long-grain white, brown, basmati or jasmine
Cornmeal – to line pans or for cornbread
Baking Powder and Baking Soda
Cornstarch - thickener
Cocoa Powder
Dry Beans: black, white, cannellini, navy, kidney, garbanzo
Pasta – flour or rice noodles (long shapes, small shapes, couscous)
Peanut Butter
Breadcrumbs
Bread/rolls
Cooking
Oils: vegetable or canola, extra virgin olive oil, toasted sesame oil, non-stick spray
Vinegar: apple cider, red wine, rice
Soy Sauce
Ketchup
Worcestershire Sauce
Honey
Mustard: yellow, Dijon
Mayonnaise
Stocks/Broths
Herbs/spices
Salt – kosher or iodized
Whole Peppercorns (with grinder) or ground
Basil
Oregano
Thyme
Cumin
Crushed Red Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Smoked Paprika
Cinnamon
Curry Powder or Paste
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Vanilla Extract
Frozen
Spinach
Broccoli Florets
Peas
Mixed vegetables (carrots, peas)
Cauliflower
Fruit: blueberries, strawberries, peaches
Canned
Tomatoes (paste, diced, sauce/pureed, whole)
Tomato sauce (omit if on low sodium diet)
Pineapple
Coconut Milk (if curry is in your rotation)
Raisins
Peanuts and other snacking nuts
Tuna fish
Beans – black, garbanzo, pinto
Meats
Chicken and Turkey – Bone in/Out, legs, thigh, breast, whole
Pork – Chops, loin, roast, sausages
Beef – ground (85/15), steaks, roasts
Fish- salmon, local Gulf on sale, tuna steak
Shellfish- shrimp, crab, scallops, clams