Maintaining a well-stocked pantry and freezer may reduce the cost of your grocery shop and can make meal planning quick and easy. It ensues you always have pantry and freezer essentials on hand. Whether you’re working from home or looking for quick dinners for busy school nights, keeping your essentials topped up makes meal prep efficient.

Key tips from our Dietitians on keeping your pantry and freezer essentials stocked

Starting your pantry and freezer essentials can be daunting. Adding a lot of additional purchases to your usual shop can bump your food bill right up – even if you save in the long run! That’s why we recommend beginning by adding a few extra items to each shop. Start with the familiar items you already use on regular rotation, then branch out. Pick a new recipe to try each week, and add the extra essentials to your shopping list.

Once you have a well-stocked pantry and freezer, keep an ongoing shopping list on the fridge. As soon as you run out of a staple, add it to the list immediately! It’s easy to forget especially when we’re busy.

Keep your pantry clean and organised, so you can see and use what you have available. This is especially important for small homes: you don’t want your pantry to be so jam-packed you can’t find anything. Be cautious of over-buying. Pantry and freezer food still has a use-by date. To reduce waste, check the dates periodically and plan meals for products that are getting close to expiry.

So let’s get into the essentials! These are the healthy, useful food products you are likely to use time and time again to make nutritious meals for your family.

Grains for your pantry essentials

Grains are a key part of a nutritious diet, and there are a lot of options that keep very well in your pantry. These are the essential grains that we recommend you have on hand.

• Rice: long-grain, brown, arborio
• Pasta: high fibre, lasagne sheets
• Pearl cous-cous
• Quinoa
• Flour: corn, self-raising, plain, wholemeal
• For your freezer: Birds eye pearl cous-cous, brown rice and veggie mix

Having a variety of grains adds variety and different nutrients to your diet, so keep your grain stocks nicely topped up for easy meal prep.

Essential fruit and veggies for your pantry and freezer

Fruit and vegetables are wonderful when fresh, but that doesn’t mean that tinned and frozen varieties should be ignored. Many frozen vegetables are now flash-frozen, locking in nutrients.

• Tinned vegetables: tomatoes, corn, beetroot (choose varieties with no added salt)
• Tinned fruit: peaches, pineapple (in natural juices)
• Dried fruit: dates, raisins, sultanas
• Frozen fruit: mango, banana (for use in smoothies)
• Frozen veggies: broccoli, peas, corn, carrots, cauliflower, beans, Brussel sprouts

Having these fruits and vegetables on hand will make sure you always have something tasty and healthy to add to breakfasts, baking, pasta sauces, soups, and more.

Meat and other protein sources for the freezer and pantry

There are a wide variety of protein sources you can keep on hand to have plenty of options for meals. Buying in bulk is a great option to save money for protein sources you can freeze.

• Tinned fish: tuna, salmon, sardines
• Baked beans (choose varieties with no added salt)
• Tinned or dried legumes/pulses: chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans
• Peanut butter/nut spreads
• Nuts: walnuts, almonds, cashews (unsalted)
• Seeds: chia, pumpkin, sesame
• Frozen fish: salmon
• Frozen meat: buy bigger packs for better value, and repackage into portions suitable for your family before freezing

With a well-stocked freezer, mid-week meals will be quick and easy!

Essential dairy and dairy substitutes for the pantry

Dairy should not be left off your pantry and freezer essentials checklist: there are a few key items we recommend having on hand to make sure you never run out at a key cooking moment.

• Long-life milk
• Evaporated (powdered) milk
• Coconut milk and coconut cream

Milk alternatives like soy milk and almond milk also store well in the pantry.

Herbs and spices for every pantry

Herbs and spices are a cook’s best friend! Having a wide variety in your pantry gives you plenty of options to spice up your meals – literally. These are the key herbs and spices for your well-stocked pantry.

• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Coriander
• Turmeric
• Sweet and smoked paprika
• Mixed herbs
• Basil
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Chives
• Ginger
• Cumin
• Cinnamon
• Curry powder
• Chilli
• Pepper

As you try different recipes, you’ll find more herbs and spices to add to your repertoire. Fresh herbs are always wonderful, when available, but having these pantry options on hand will keep you sorted.

Essential sauces and flavourings for your stocked pantry

Like herbs and spices, having plenty of options for sauces and flavourings will keep your meal prep quick and easy.

• Soy sauce (salt reduced)
• Tomato sauce (salt and sugar reduced)
• Pasta sauce
• Tomato pasta (salt reduced)
• Liquid Stock: vegetable, chicken, beef (salt reduced)
• Vanilla essence
• Honey
• Maple syrup
• Worcestershire sauce
• Curry paste
• Mustard
• Shredded coconut
• Oyster/fish sauce
• Balsamic vinegar
• White vinegar

Having these on hand will keep your meals flavourful and satisfying.

Oils for meal preparation and dressings

Last but not least, let’s not forget the oils. Whether they’re for cooking or to use as flavouring and dressings, oils are a key part of every kitchen.

• Extra virgin olive oil: liquid, spray
• Spray vegetable oil
• Canola oil
• Peanut oil

Oils can replace butter or margarine in recipes and baking, making it easy to cook even if you run out.

Meal planning and preparation is made easier when you have a well-stocked pantry and freezer

With these pantry and freezer essentials on hand, you can rest assured that your kitchen is up to the task of cooking a wide variety of healthy meals. Getting into the routine of adding these to your regular shop will go a long way to help streamline your meal planning.

Need help with meal planning and preparation tips? Reach out to one of our Dietitians near you, and we will work with you to create a plan that meets your needs. Book a Dietitian appointment online today.