Every great cook has his/her essentials sitting in the pantry ready to use at a moments notice. Have you ever returned from the grocery store with all the main ingredients you need to prepare a meal and realize you dont have simple stock items? It can get aggravating. 

Here is an idea of what I keep on inventory.

Baking Goods

• All-purpose flour and whole wheat flour

• Panko Bread crumbs

• Baking powder

• Baking soda

• Quick-rising yeast

• Cornstarch

• Brown sugar

• Granulated sugar 

• Honey

• Splenda or Stevia (if you’re into artificial sweeteners, these are the best)

​Oils-Vinegars & Condiments

• Extra-virgin olive oil (Not for cooking but perfect for salad dressing and has tons of healthy fats and antioxidants)

• Virgin Olive Oil or canola oil for cooking

• Sesame Oil

• Ghee- Clarified butter

• Balsamic and cider Vinegar

• Dijon mustard

• Ketchup 

• Barbecue sauce 

• Reduced-fat / fat-free mayonnaise 

• Low sodium soy sauce

• Prepared pesto (This item I always buy without pine nuts as my son has an allergy)

• Salsa 

• Hot sauce

• Fat free salad dressings

• Real maple syrup (Be sure to avoid the sugary syrups like Mrs. Butterworth’s “syrup” that you can find at your local grocery store – those don’t provide any of the antioxidant health benefits that real maple syrup has, and they are often super high in sugar & HFCS)

• Jelly and Jam

 Seasonings

• Black pepper (Freshly ground is my favorite)

• Salt (Sea salt is better than regular salt because it’s less refined and has more minerls)

• Lipton Onion Soup Mix- Great as seasoning for many beef based menu items. ( Meatloaf, pot roast, stews )

• Dried herbs and spices: Hungarian paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, crushed red pepper, rosemary, thyme leaves, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, ground cinnamon, adobo seasoning, fennel seed and bay leaves

• Vanilla extract

Canned and Bottled Items

• Tomato Paste

• Chicken and Beef Stock ( Get stock, not broth- Broth has no taste in comparison) 

• Canned beans: cannellini, kidney, chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

• Low calorie canned soups

• Solid white tuna in water

• Worcestershire sauce

• San Marzano Tomatoes

Grains 

• Whole wheat pastas

• Brown and minute rice

• Quinoa – so easy to make and the only complete protein on the list! You can substitute it for anything you’d use rice for.

• Cereal, cereal and more cereal. It looks like Jerry Seinfelds cabinet

• Stacey's pita chips ( Hummus in the fridge )

• Rolled oats – steel cut oats are also great.