Culinary yoU: Stocking Your Pantry (Phase 1: The Minimalist Pantry)

If you have been following any of our blog posts here, you know that our primary goal is to teach you how to stretch your food dollars so that you can prepare nutritious and delicious meals without breaking the bank. As I have shown and will continue to demonstrate, the most economical way to feed both yourself and your family is to prepare meals at home. Preparing meals at home and or making them from scratch requires both time and an assortment of ingredients. Stocking your pantry with all the products necessary to feed your family can be quite costly if you tried to purchase all the ingredients you would need at one time. For anyone living paycheck to paycheck (I have been there) keeping a well stocked pantry may seem like a daunting task, but I assure you it is not.

The goal of this article is to list some of the items in my pantry that I use most often to make meals for myself and my family that are listed on this blog. I like to call this my minimalist pantry or phase 1 because these are the most basic and versatile items you will need to provide proper nutrition for you and your family. You will note that this article does not cover refrigerated items as refrigerated items are not part of your pantry. I

Dry Goods (Total Cost $9.86)

Dry goods are those items that tend to be the building blocks of many recipes. As the term implies, these items are shelf stable and do not require refrigeration. That means they typically have expiration dates that last months or even possibly years which makes them good items to stock up on when they are on sale at your local supermarket.

Flour – Buy all-purpose (AP) flour, it is as the name implies the work horse of all flours. It can be used as a thickener for soups and casseroles, in addition, it works well for baking a wide variety of breads, cakes and cookies. In the minimalist pantry, this is the only flour you need. If a recipe calls for self rising flour, you can make your own by adding 1 ¼ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt to one cup of all-purpose flour. (Great Value AP flour 5lbs $1.72)

Corn Meal – More of a staple here in the south, however if you want to make corn bread or corn muffins it is a necessity. Corn meal can also be used to add texture to pizza crusts and as a dusting agent on baking sheets to keep fresh hearth breads from sticking to the pan. (Great Value corn meal 5lbs $2.36)

Baking Powder – If you want your cakes and certain breads (especially corn bread) to rise you will need this. Buy the store brand, it is generally the least expensive, and they are all the same. You will also need this if you have a recipe that calls for self-rising flour. (Great Value baking powder 8.2oz $1.28)

Sugar – There are a wide variety of sugars, but the only one you need is granulated sugar (you know the white stuff). You can substitute equal amounts of white sugar for brown in all recipes. When baking cookies with white sugar, they may be more crispy, and the flavor profile is sightly different than brown sugar, as brown sugar is simply white sugar with molasses added in for flavor. (Great Value granulated sugar 4lbs $1.48)

Iodized Salt – Forget kosher, sea salt, and other fancy salts. When money constraints only allow one, iodized salt (table salt) is the only one you need. Kosher and sea salt, are larger grained, therefore, if a recipe calls for kosher salt substitute about ½ as much iodized salt, and about ¾ as much for sea salt. Remember, you can always add more salt during your final tasting before serving, but you cannot remove it if you add to much. When using substitutions, error on the side of caution. (Great Value iodized salt 26oz $0.54)

Old Fashioned Oats – Good old oatmeal. It is so cheap it should be in everyone's pantry. If money gets tight you may get tired of eating it, but if you have sugar, salt and milk you can have a filing breakfast anytime. It also makes great cookies. (Great Value Old Fashioned Oats 42oz $2.48)

Grains & Pasta (Total Cost $5.47)

When meat is in limited supply, grains and pastas help to stretch your food dollar significantly. These low cost carbohydrates when combined with a minimal amount of meat (protein) can provide a satisfying meal for you and your family. In some countries, grains and pastas contribute to the majority of the nations food consumption.

Long Grain Rice – Rice is a staple in our house and we generally keep at least 10lbs on hand at all times. You do not need that much when you are first starting your pantry, but whenever you can get it on sale buy what you can afford. Rice is one of the most versatile staples you will find in your pantry. You can eat it for breakfast, as a side dish, as a one dish meal (Homemade Rice-A-Roni or Homemade Hamburger Helper), fried rice, or even as a dessert. There are many different variates of rice, but long grain is the only one you need. (Great Value Long Grain Rice 5lbs $2.50)

Elbow Macaroni – Dried pasta's are cheap, but if you can only buy one, elbow macaroni is the most versatile. You can use it in cold pasta salads, make homemade hamburger helper and macaroni and cheese. Bake it in a casserole or serve it with spaghetti sauce and chili. If you have children or grandchildren around the house, do not underestimate the lowly elbow macaroni. (Great Value Elbow Macaroni 2lbs $1.97)

Thin Spaghetti – If there is enough room in your budget, thin spaghetti is another extremely versatile dried pasta. Most often served with spaghetti sauce, it can be used in place of a number of dried pasta's such as vermicelli, angel hair, and even linguine. (Great Value Thin Spaghetti 1lbs $1.00)

Spices and Herbs (Total Cost $6.64, $4.40 without chili powder)

Spices help turn your food from the ordinary into the extraordinary. Over the centuries, empires have been created and destroyed due to the spice trade. Previously in this article I listed salt and sugar in the dry good section, but they are also considered spices. Although the old proverb states "variety is the spice of life", we are going to keep our variety of spices to a minimum. Shop smart and save. Many of these can be found in your local dollar store for, you guessed it $1.00, sometimes however they are cheaper at your local supermarket.

Black Pepper – Pepper and salt are the two most commonly used spices in just about every cuisine in the world. While whole pepper corns are more versatile if you have a pepper mill, for the minimalist pantry you should buy already ground black pepper. (5^th Season Black Pepper 1.5oz $0.88)

Red Pepper Flakes – This one is almost optional, but if you like a little heat or kick with your meals, then you will need to have some on hand. (5^th Season Red Pepper Flakes 1.75oz $0.88)

Onion and Garlic Powder – I list these because I use them in almost all of my recipes to give depth to soups, stews and marinades. (5^th Season Onion and Garlic Powder 3.25oz $0.88)

Chili Powder – This is a must have for me, as I prepare a lot of Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes. If you live in the south then chili powder is a defiantly part of the minimalist pantry. (Great Value Chili Powder 2.5oz $2.24)

Italian Seasoning Blend – I generally like to make my own, but that means you need 4 or 5 different herbs and spices. Because of the low cost, buy one to keep in your pantry to make spaghetti or home made pizza sauce in addition to flavoring soups and casseroles. (5^th Season Italian Seasoning 0.97oz $0.88)

Look closely at the labels (weight or amount of seasoning), sometimes paying $0.50 to a $1.00 more will get you twice the amount of seasoning. Over time you will begin to expand the number and amount of spices in your pantry generally one or two at a time. When you begin to do so explore shopping at your local ethnic supermarkets to stretch your food dollar by up to 80% (see link below).

Bean and Legumes (Total Cost $4.38)

The protein of the poor. That statement really sounds depressing, but dried beans have been a protein staple of the impoverished for thousands of years for a multiple of reasons. They are shelf stable, portable, easy to cook, relatively healthy, and best of all inexpensive. In fact, more than 100 years ago before America became a country beef eaters, beans were one of the primary foods that fueled the expansion of the America. Personally, I love beans and legumes and I do not think you have to many in your pantry.

Dried Pinto Beans – The most commonly eaten bean in the United States, it was in fact the bean that helped win the West. I like to keep at least 10lbs in pantry at all times, but for the minimalist pantry 2lbs will do. I use beans to double the volume of my chili, and there are few meals better than pinto beans and cornbread. If you can buy them in bulk at your local Hispanic market you will reap significant savings. (Great Value Dried Pinto Beans 1lb $0.82, 2lbs = $1.64)

Dried Red or Kidney Beans – A little more expensive than pinto beans, they are my second favorite. They can be used interchangeably with pinto beans in most recipes, however if you are going to make 'Red Beans and Rice' you need red beans. (Great Value Dried Pinto Beans 1lb $1.22)

Dried Black Eyed Peas – More of a southern pantry staple, my family enjoys these with corn bread in place of pinto beans. Can be served as a side dish or as a filler in soups. You could do without but for the price add them. (Great Value Dried Pinto Beans 1lb $1.52)

Oils and Vinegars (Total Cost $3.54)

Canola Oil – You need one good oil, at my Walmart Canola and Vegetable oil cost the same. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends using canola oil as opposed to vegetable oil as it has half the saturated fat of vegetable oil. Other oils might be better for you, but canola is the best choice for the minimalist pantry. (Great Value Canola Oil 48oz $2.32)

White Distilled Vinegar – It is the all-purpose vinegar. Used in marinades, salad dressings, sauces, and pickling vegetables as well as a cleaning agent. White vinegar can be used in place of apple cider, and sherry vinegars, and best of all, it is cheap. (Great Value Distilled Vinegar 32oz $1.22)

The items listed under the optional category in the above graphic are just that. They are not included in the $30.00 phase 1 budget, but if you have the additional money to purchase these items they are quite useful to have in your pantry.

Conclusion (Total Cost Minimalist Pantry $29.89, or $27.65 w/o chili powder)

For about $30.00 you can begin to create a pantry that will allow you to provide nutritious and delicious meals for you and your family. As I mentioned earlier in the article, this is a minimalist pantry, it is just a start. Many of the dry good items you will only need to buy once or twice month, as for the herbs and spices they should last one or two months. Each month, or each time you get paid restock your minimums, and maybe add one or two additional items. These are my personal recommendations, if you have additional money and wish to purchase a few additional spices or dry good that's fine. The purpose of this article to to show you the bare minimums you need to get started.

The plan for this subject is to break it down into three articles (Phase 1, 2, and 3) each with my recommendations for stocking your pantry to maximize your food dollar. Fast food restaurants are convenient but they destroy your food budget. For almost the cost of a meal for 4 or 5 people at a fast food restaurant, you could begin to stock your pantry with the items you need to cook homemade meals from scratch. In our next article (The Minimalist Pantry Phase 2), I will focus on some of the more versatile canned goods that you should keep in your pantry, as well as some additional items.

If you are looking to find additional ways to stretch your food dollars, be sure and check out some of my other articles on the subject on our blog. And as always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us on friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.

The Culinary You Pantry

We have a whole room 12'x14' dedicated as our pantry that has shelves on all four walls, The inventory in our pantry was built up over the last few years as we desired to become more self-sufficient after a family illness reduced our income by 35%. We attempt to keep 1 to 3 months of dry and canned goods in our pantry in case I was to lose my job or was hurt and was off work for a limited time. You can see just some of the scope of canning we do from the vegetable garden.