How to Stock Your Pantry

If you’re scrambling with how to stock your pantry during this emergency, here are the foods I keep on hand. Your list will vary with your dietary needs and how you feed your family but it’s a place to start. Stay calm, breathe deep, and remember we will all get through this together with some good lessons learned. Faith over fear! While we may find empty shelves intermittently, America’s food supply and distribution system are strong. There is plenty of food in this country so don’t panic. Dedicated people behind the scenes are working overtime to get our stores stocked. And before you shop, here’s a reminder on how to read food labels.

How to Stock Your Pantry for an Emergency

Even though we live in earthquake and wildfire-prone California, I’m terrible about stocking my pantry for an emergency until now. The CDC site advises having at least a two week’s supply of food in your home, as well as prescriptions, over the counter medications and other essentials. Here is what I purchased for both my dry pantry and freezer pantry. We eat gluten-free and I buy all of the organic I can. I also don’t buy stuff like processed cereals or frozen junk food which explains why they are not listed. Do what works for your family and your kitchen space.

Dry Pantry Supplies

Canned, jarred and dry goods usually have long shelf lives but check the expiration date before purchasing. Here’s my basic list:

Aromatics

• Onions, garlic, shallots

Canned Goods

• Tomatoes – diced, paste, puree, whole, crushed, sun-dried
• Pumpkin puree
• Coconut milk
• Olives
• Artichoke hearts
• Canned wild salmon
• Canned beans (garbanzo beans, Cannellini, pinto, small white and black)

Grains

• Brown rice (I buy this one), black rice, quinoa, millet, oatmeal
• Oats

Oil

• Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil. Never vegetable oil!

Condiments

• Vinegar – white, Balsamic (and a few naturally flavored fruit ones, optional)
• Mustard – Dijon in my favorite flavors
• Ketchup

Chocolate

• Dark 70% or higher

Nuts and seeds

• Almonds, cashews, walnuts, macadamias (optional)
• Hemp, chia, pumpkin

Nut and seed butters

• Cashew, almond and tahini

Sweeteners

• Maple syrup, raw honey, liquid flavored stevia drops, monk fruit blend, coconut sugar

Dry goods

• Brown rice pasta
• Dried beans (packaged)
• Lentils
• Potatoes (sweet, regular, red)

Basic herbs and spices

• Sea salt, ground black pepper and peppercorns, granulated garlic
• Cumin, coriander, cinnamon, smoked paprika, ancho chili, red chili flakes, saffron, chipotle powder, turmeric, ginger
• Thyme, oregano, Italian blend, Herbs de Provence

Miscellaneous

• Low sugar snack and energy bars
• Protein powder for smoothies

What’s not on my pantry list? Canned soups because of the high sodium and often unhealthy ingredients. I’ve also listed bone broth under my freezer pantry as most boxed brands are high in sodium (and I make homemade), and no canned tuna because of mercury. If you must buy canned or boxed soup or broth, be sure to read labels like a hawk. 

For easy to make and freeze soups try my black bean and pumpkin, healthy homemade tomato, or Instant Pot Vegetable Lentil. Want to save money? Order pantry staples from ThriveMarket.com

Freezer Pantry Supplies

If you have a big family you might need an extra freezer. If you need to freeze milk, here’s a great article on how to. Cheese freezes too.

Frozen fruit

• Berries
• Bananas (chop them or peel whole bananas and freeze on a rimmed baking sheet. When frozen, store in a zip bag or glass container.)
• Cherries

Protein

• Ground turkey (and you might add beef)
• Poultry
  • Chicken and turkey, ground and various cuts
• Wild shrimp
• Pre-cooked chicken sausage

Broth

• Homemade or store bought frozen

Frozen vegetables

• If you cannot get fresh

Refrigerator Pantry List

These are refrigerated items I always keep on hand but might need a backup of during an emergency. If you enjoy dairy include foods like plain Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, hard whole-milk cheese and goat cheese.

A Few Words on Fresh Produce

It’s challenging keeping fresh produce in the house for very long. Washed properly and stored it will last a week. Some things last longer, like root vegetables including carrots and beets. Cabbage is another healthy and versatile vegetable that lasts a long time. Add apples, celery, Brussels Sprouts, peppers and citrus to the list. Wash and prep produce when you get home so it’s ready to go.

Wash Produce Right and Extend the Life

To make fresh produce last longer, wash it with Eat Cleaner produce wash. I love this product and it works. It comes in powdered or liquid concentrate as well as wipes. Eat Cleaner reduces the risk of food-borne illness removing wax and agricultural residue. It’s more effective than water or vinegar and it extends the life of your precious produce up to five times longer. That my friends reduces food waste and makes your shopping dollars go farther. And not to worry about what’s in it. Eat Cleaner is patented and lab-proven to be safe, natural and effective with no taste or residue. Read more on their website, here.

One more thing I stay stocked on is basic essential oils. Here’s a few basics I keep to fight colds and to help us sleep.  Lavender, peppermint, frankincense, tea tree (melaleuca) and eucalyptus are on this list but I stock others too. Here’s a great book to refer to for many health needs.