How to Stock Your Pantry

Are you scrambling to figure out how to stock your pantry during this emergency? Here are the foods I stocked up on.  I hope my list will help you not only now but in the future. 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.

How to Stock Your Pantry for an Emergency

Even though we live in earthquake and wildfire-prone California, I’ve 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.

Dry Pantry Supplies

Canned, jarred and dry goods usually have long shelf lives but check the expiration date before purchasing. My 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
• Grains
  • Brown rice (I buy this one), black rice, quinoa, millet, oatmeal
• 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
• Chocolate
  • Dark 70% or higher
• Nuts
  • Almonds, cashews, walnuts, macadamias (optional)
• Seeds
  • Hemp, chia, pumpkin
• Nut and seed butters
  • Cashew, almond and tahini
• Popcorn
  • Organic only
• Sweeteners
  • Maple syrup, raw honey, flavored stevia, monk fruit blend
• Pasta
  • Brown rice pasta
• Potatoes
  • Sweet, regular, red
• Beans and legumes
  • Canned and dried
  • Lentils, garbanzo beans, Cannellini, pinto, small white and black
• Basic dried herbs and spices
  • In larger quantity, sea salt, ground black pepper, granulated garlic
  • In smaller quantity, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, etc.
• Miscellaneous items
  • 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 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 berries
  • Smoothies and pureeing for yogurt and oatmeal
•  Bananas
  • Chopped or whole for smoothies and nice cream
• Meat
  • Ground especially and whole cuts
• Poultry
  • Chicken and turkey, ground and various cuts
• Bone broth
  • Homemade or store bought frozen
• Seafood
  • Wild shrimp and fish
• Frozen vegetables
  • If you cannot get fresh
• Other
  • Bacon, already-cooked chicken sausage

Banana tip: chop them or peel whole bananas and freeze on a rimmed baking sheet. When frozen, store in a zip bag or glass container.

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. I also put bananas in my refrigerator to slow the ripening.

A Few Words on Fresh Produce

It’s challenging keeping fresh produce in the house. Washed and stored it will last a week or longer. 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 foodborne 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.