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Perishables: You can't stock up on perishable foods like fresh produce and dairy. (In assertion, this article is meant to assist you fritter away those fresh items so you waste less of them.)
If you google "recipes using chicken breast and red bell pepper," you get more than 16 million results. So you should have no trouble finding something you and your family will enjoy.
This is easy. If you have pantry staples accessible, you will always be able to make a nutritious, easy meal with what you have in your fridge.
Dried mushrooms and dried chiles: I group these together only because they're both dried vegetables. They are tremendous flavor enhancers and deal with very well.
Summary
I know that sounds contradictory, but it's not, and here's why. If you stock up on pantry and freezer staples, you will always have the ingredients accessible to fritter away your fresh food.
Frozen fruit (primarily for smoothies)
Bread: We don't eat it often, so I deal with it in the freezer for our occasional sandwiches and toast. I also deal with take-n-bake French loaves for quick crostini and to eat with soups and stews.
I hate wasting food. I've gotten better over the years, but with just two of us, it's always a challenge. Here's one thing I've learned: If you need to avoid wasting money, waste less food, and nonetheless eat delicious, nutritious meals, you have to stock up.
Lemons and limes (limes for Mexican and Thai dishes, lemon for everything else)
Stock Up On the Right Stuff
Pasta: long, short, flat, round, lasagna, whole grain and regular, egg noodles. I also like to have Asian noodles such as soba and rice noodles. And ramen, too--you can doctor it up into an outstanding flavorful soup if you like that kind of thing.
Canned parmesan cheese:Keeps for a long time and is delicious on just about anything savory.
Nut butters: peanut, almond, cashew, tahini, no matter what you like. (As far as peanut butter, try not to purchase conventional as it is stuffed with horrible trans fat (yes, Skippy, I'm looking at you). Costco now makes a shelf-steady organic product with nothing but peanuts and salt in it. Once opened, though, all real nut butters have to go in the fridge.)
Seasonings: salt, pepper, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt. Everyone's seasoning list will be different (and you don't need to overdo it because spices lose freshness quickly once they're opened) but here are a few of my favorites: Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, thyme (prefer fresh but always deal with dried around, too), cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, mustard powder. HINT: If you purchase spices in whole form and grind them as you use them, they'll stay fresh a lot longer.
Having said that, there are some items that will work for just about everybody, even if they have to be adapted for uncommon diets. For example, stock is a base for many, many dishes. If you are a vegetarian, you need to use vegetable stock--but you'll nonetheless use stock. Same with pasta-- if you're gluten free, you need to use rice flour pasta, and if you're paleo, then those sad little spiralized vegetables.
Condiments: ketchup, yellow mustard, brown mustard, horseradish, taco sauce, chili sauce, fish sauce, etc. (Notice I don't list mayonnaise--that's because I make my own. Most bottled mayo has unhealthy fat--and the ones that don't cost a fortune--so I make my own with olive or avocado oil. If you don't need to do this, by all means deal with some mayo and/or salad dressing in your pantry.)
Condiments: See above for pantry items, but once opened, most condiments needs to be stored in the refrigerator.
It can be tricky knowing what you'll use and what you won't. As far as the canned milk example above, I actually do use it because we don't have milk drinkers in the house, and fresh milk usually goes bad before we will use it. However, even though I need milk every so often for baking, soups, sauces, and the like, I have to be careful not to overstock on it. I've had canned milk go past its freshness date because it simply is not an item I use countless. The moral? Know your habits. Even canned goods won't last forever. (And in this example, deal with a box of powdered milk accessible just in case.)
In figuring out what you'll use and what you won't, think about what meals are in your regular rotation: soups? spaghetti? tacos? meatloaf? stew? Then plan accordingly.
Also think about items for those nights that you simply just don't feel like cooking. It's not a crime to address a few boxes of macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, and frozen pizzas accessible. I am not a fan of this type of processed food, but once in awhile, it can really save the day. (Hey, it's a lot healthier than takeout and a lot cheaper than going out to eat. And everything in moderation, right?)
If you enjoy cooking and trying new recipes, factor this into the equation as well. I often try new recipes based on what I have in the fridge. But sometimes, I just splurge on ingredients to try something completely new. If you enjoy cooking, then it's not a waste---and you can always find tactics to use things up.
Don't forget about snacks and desserts! It's always a wise idea to have some baking ingredients in your pantry, canned and frozen fruit, and maybe a pie crust or two in the freezer. This is also great in case unforeseen company drops in.
Keep an inventory of your pantry and freezer so you always know what you have, what you need, what you use, and what you don't use. I do this right on my grocery list so I always know what I need when I go to the store.
When you observe that you simply're getting low on something, put it on your list immediately. That method you will not ever run out.
I realize you probably already know that. But have you taken the time to systematically stock your pantry, freezer, and fridge with basics that allow you to fritter away fresh food instead of throwing it out? There's a real talent to doing this well--if there weren't, we wouldn't waste as much food as we do.
Say you have some red bell peppers and a few chicken breasts in your fridge. What can you make with those ingredients?
Well, if you have a well-stocked pantry and freezer, about 500 different dishes, including:
Onions, garlic, and potatoes: Onions and garlic are the foundation of most meals all over the world, so they're a necessity in any well-stocked kitchen. They don't have a long shelf life, but you have to have them nevertheless. Potatoes are a highly versatile food, so unless you are a low-carber, you should deal with them around. HINTS: 1) Do not store potatoes or onions in the refrigerator (green onions/scallions are the exception). 2) Store onions and garlic in a paper bag (like a grocery bag) to prolong freshness. 3) Do not store onions and potatoes in the same drawer or cupboard. The onions give off a gas that makes the potatoes go bad faster.
Stock: chicken, beef, vegetable, and seafood/fish. Homemade if possible (this is a freezer item unless you have a strain canner). Also bouillon cubes. I deal with both homemade frozen stock and canned stock because I use so much of it.
Because you probably waste more food than you think.
With a little bit of effort, you can put together a well-stocked pantry that meets your needs and keeps your family happy. Once you have this, you'll be able to plan meals without difficulty, fritter away your perishables, and waste less food.
Junk food: Yes, I like to address a few shortcut meals accessible for nights I don't need to cook dinner, or am sick, or haven't had a chance to plan a meal, or am just feeling lazy. I shield every chef's right to do that! But I don't like to resort to junk food or really have it around at all. A little once in awhile is okay--everything in moderation, even junk food. But you will likely regret buying that Costco box of Pop Tarts or potato chips, or all that soda just because it's a dollar a bottle. Resist the urge. These purchases don't make life less difficult, they don't help you fritter away your fresh food, and they certainly don't make you feel wise.
Pantry Staples
Celery and carrots (along with onions and garlic, serve as the basis of hundreds of dishes. Both will deal with for at least a few weeks, so purchase accordingly.)
Why Worry About Wasting Food?
Freezer basics are less difficult, largely because you have less space to work with. I deal with mine stocked with meat and seafood, but also deal with space for other important items.
Vinegars: white, cider, white wine, red wine, balsamic, sherry, and no matter what other flavors you like. Vinegar not ever goes bad, it's wise for you, and you need to use it in SO many things, from cleaning to salad dressings.
Cooking oils: olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, sesame oil--no matter what oils you use and will rotate regularly. Keep in brain that most cooking oils have about a year shelf life. They could go rancid after that, but they will certainly not be at peak flavor even if they don't, so stock up accordingly.
This is just a start. If you look through your cupboards and at your meal plans, I'm sure you'll come up with a lot more items. The great thing is, pantry staples are just that--staples. They last for a long time, so if you overbuy, or don't use them up as fast as you'd like, it's okay because you have years before they go bad.
So, What Should I Stock Up On?
How Does Stocking Up Help You Waste Less Food?
Sweeteners: sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, palm sugar, stevia, jams and jellies, etc.
Canned tomatoes: sauce, crushed, diced, paste. Seasoned and unseasoned.
Throwing away too much food is a wise issue to have. We live in a country abundant with food, and that's something to be pleased about. And yet our "throw away" society has perhaps made us okay with the concept of wasting food. But along with that food, we also waste money and assets. Nobody wants to do that!
If you need more information on wise shopping and how to waste less food, see these articles on my website, The Rational Kitchen:
I deal with a running grocery list in Google Docs that I can access from anywhere to read and modify "in real time," so I am as up-to-date as possible on my grocery needs. As soon as I see I'm low on something or have run out, I add it to my list. This is particularly important for stock-up items, because you often don't think of them until you need them. What a disgrace to have to run to the store for chicken stock so you can fritter away the aging meat and produce in your fridge!
In general, they're the foundations of food prep that can be used in many alternative meals. In particular, they're basics that you simply and your family will like and eat on a regular basis.
Meat and seafood (easy meals like bags of shrimp and chicken breast as well as steaks, roasts, salmon, tuna steaks, hamburger, chicken wings, and breakfast meats like bacon and sausage). Remember to season it first for easy prep later on!
Canned tuna, salmon, sardines, crab, and maybe even chicken: All are great, quick sources of protein and you need to use them in salads, sandwiches, and casseroles. I also deal with anchovies and/or anchovy paste around for Caesar salad dressing.
Canned vegetables: throw them into soups, casseroles, and stews, or in a pinch serve them as a side.
Rice: white, brown, long grain, short grain, Jasmine, basmati, wild, etc. Keep two or three of your favorite varieties accessible, and you'll always have an easy meal (extra easy if you have a rice cooker).
Because everybody's tastes are unique, so will everybody's well-stocked pantry be unique, as well. With so many folks having uncommon diets these days, from paleo to vegetarian to gluten-free, it's laborious to provide a list of pantry items that will work for everybody. (This is why I encouraged you to figure out your own likes, dislikes and eating patterns in the last section.)
Yogurt, sour cream, mayo: no matter what you prefer and use most often for toppings, sauces, and making salad dressings.
Eggs (can be used in hundreds of tactics, in any meal and in baking, plus they deal with for a completely long time)
This means that if you spend about $4500 a year on groceries--which is right around the national average for a family of four--that's countless money down the garbage disposal. So even if you dont care about all that wasted food ending up in landfills (pound for pound the greatest item in American landfills), you probably care about wasting money.
Maybe a few cake mixes and pie fillings, dependent on your tastes and eating habits.
Rotisserie chicken: I purchase several at a time, bag and freeze the meat, and make a big batch of stock out of the bones. The meat is great to have accessible for soup, salads, pot pies, casseroles, tacos and enchiladas, pasta dishes, and so much more.
Keep an Inventory
A few prepared dinners (mac and cheese, cans of soup, chili, spaghetti, etc.), if you think you'll ever be glad you have them around.
Meals and leftovers (I make extra and freeze a meal or two, and I freeze leftovers so we're not banished to eating the same thing two or three times in a week)
Lunchmeats if you like sandwiches.
These are the items I always have in my pantry:
How to Make a Grocery List
Don't purchase stuff you don't like just because it's on sale or you have a great coupon for it. If you don't like it now, you won't like it when you get it house, no matter how great a deal you got on it.
Stock up on basics you will eat regularly and make an effort to rotate your pantry and freezer items on a regular basis. A huge sale on canned milk might be a great thing, but the shelf life of most canned milk is only a few years--will you use it?
For example, I could not have written down "butter" on my shopping list, but when I see it on my pantry staples, I remember that I'm getting low and I pick up a few packages. (I freeze butter so I always have it accessible because it's one among the things I hate to run out of.)
You don't have to do it this method, but the point is to address on top of it, nevertheless that works best for you. Some folks like a more regimented list (there are a ton of templates you can download), and separate documents for different needs, which can also work very well.
Sometimes when stocking up or buying in bulk, it can get a little crazy. What do I need? What will I use?? How do I know what to purchase???
Paper and cleaning products: don't forget your paper products, soaps, cleaners, cleansers, sponges, microfiber cleaning towels, aluminum foil, storage baggies, saran wrap, wax paper, parchment paper, and throwable aluminum baking pans (which I don't use often, but they're great for potlucks, parties, and picnics).
Items you've not ever tried: Sometimes coupons get us to try new products, and that's fine. It's a great method to experiment with new foods cheaply. But don't stock up on things you've not ever tried. Buy a small amount to look if you like it first, then decide if you need to commit pantry space to it.
It can take a little trial and error before you get expert at keeping a well-stocked pantry. If you know what you and your family like, know what you eat regularly, and have an "emergency" stash for quick and easy meals and desserts, you'll have gone a wise distance towards knowing what to stock up on.
What are pantry staples?
Frozen vegetables (peas, corn, spinach, combined veggies. Frozen potatoes (tots, fries, browns, etc.) are convenient, but I usually have fresh potatoes that need to be eaten, plus they take up countless freezer space, so deal with them if you'll use them.
The Secret Shelf Life of Food: What Food Freshness Labels and Expiration Dates Really Mean
Canned soups: cream of mushroom, etc. (I don't use these often, but they're nice when I don't feel lime making a bechamel.)
This can be as loose or as detailed as you like, but the more detailed it is, the better you'll be at both budgeting and at wasting less food.
I tried keeping a running tally of what I had in my freezers and pantry at all times. After just a few weeks, the list was a mess of crossed out items and question marks where I couldn't remember if I'd updated it or not. Now, I just clean out my freezers regularly (about every 4-6 months) and deal with them well arranged, and I struggle through my pantry about once a month to look what I'm low on (if anything).
This has worked out pretty well. I've found that I've gotten a feel for what I use often and have developed a kind of intuition for when I need to purchase. Paying attention is half the battle.
Pie crusts and puff pastry:these are GREAT for quick, easy meals and desserts!
Keep a List
Here are a few tricks to assist you avoid the panic that can sometimes happen when planning your pantry:
If you find yourself overstocked on particular perishables, don't despair: you'd be amazed at the things you can freeze! Cheese, milk, fruit juice (squeeze that citrus into ice cube trays), bread, and produce...almost anything can be frozen, or cooked into a meal that can be frozen!
Canned and dry beans: black, pinto, chili, garbanzo, etc. Dried beans are cheaper, but canned beans are more convenient. I deal with some of both.
Baking offers: flour, sugar, brown sugar, chocolate chips, raisins, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, yeast, corn meal, etc. Even if you don't bake you'll need to address many of these items accessible because they're used in so many applications, e.g., flour for breading meat, canned milk for tuna casserole, and baking soda for a dozen different family applications. (Note: Flour, yeast, and corn meal deal with longer in the freezer.)
Nuts (Keep your nuts in the freezer! They go rancid quickly if not frozen!)
This process is infinitely less difficult with a well-stocked freezer and pantry.
You can add to (or subtract from) these lists based on how you cook dinner, what your family likes, your dietary needs, and any other personal considerations. But they should get you started.
What Should I Not Stock Up On?
Oatmeal: Versatile and healthy, oatmeal makes an tremendous pantry staple. You can have it for breakfast, use it as filler in meatloaves and meatballs, and grind it into flour for use in baking and breading. It keeps for a long time, particularly if you transfer it to airtight containers, but it will go stale, so be careful not to purchase more than you'll use in a few months' time.
Dried fruit: Raisins, dates, prunes, coconut, cherries. Good in salads, some ethnic recipes, baked goods, or stewed in a syrup and served over ice cream for a quick dessert. (And it keeps almost forever.)
Great sales on bad food: You also don't need to stock up on foods you don't like or that your family won't eat. If it won't get eaten, it's not a wise deal no matter how little you pay. So if your family hates split pea soup, forego the BOGO uncommon on dried peas. You will not be going to use them.
Cheese
I actually have several lists in the same doc: one for the grocery store, one for Costco, one for food I need to fritter away, one for recipes I need to make, and a list of staples arranged by fridge, freezer, dry goods, spices, and more. This method, I always have my list with me and I always know what I need, whichever store I'm at. And, if I forgot to write something down, I can consult my list of staples to jog my memory.
Coconut milk: If you like to make Asian and Indian food.
Refrigerator Staples
Flatbreads for quick weeknight pizzas (which you can make with just about any food + cheese)
So with those caveats, you need to use these lists (one for the pantry, one for the freezer, one for the fridge) as insurance rules:
Homemade stock (mostly chicken, but also sometimes beef, vegetable, and seafood, dependent on what I have accessible that I need to fritter away)
Freezer Staples
Stir fry (with frozen broccoli, onions, soy sauce, etc.)
Baked chicken breasts with Italian vegetables (with canned tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese)
Hungarian-style chicken casserole (with canned tomatoes, onions, garlic, paprika, and pasta)
Grilled chicken salad with red peppers, onions, no matter what other veg you have in the fridge/freezer, and Italian dressing
Chicken and black bean soup
Sheet pan chicken and roasted vegetables (red peppers plus no matter what you have in your freezer).
Crackers: Nice to have accessible for company and the like, but don't deal with too many around because they can get stale pretty quickly (more than 6 months might be too long).
Statistics are all over the place, but one thing is particular: Americans waste countless food. Some sites say that Americans throw away around 80 billion pounds of food every year; others say that amount is well over a hundred billion pounds. Another number: about 25-forty% of all food grown in the United States is not ever consumed.
