A pantry is a cupboard or room where food items, beverages, linen, household cleaning materials, cooking utensils, crockery, and also food can be kept. Your pantry can be a reflection of the kind of meals churned out in your kitchen and a reflection of your overall well-being. For walk-in pantries, there are shelves and compartments installed to make storage easier. Most times, how well the items in your pantry are organized can ease searching for items in need.
What are those meals that are consequently going to reflect your lifestyle? Here, we are going to point you in the right direction.
Condiments, Oils, and Vinegar
This is every pantry’s staple. It is almost like the spine of any meal you prepare at home. They save you from the excess sodium, sugar, or toxins that can be found in most eat-outs. These are necessary for making sauces, salad dressings, a base for other cooking recipes, and marinades. Oils like extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, flavorful nuts, and seed oils are healthier options for your cooking and should be in your pantry. Oils like olive oils have low burn points, which means they are preferable for dressings. If you are looking to add some edge to your meals, try the flavorful nuts and seed oils. For Seasonings, these are the go-to healthy seasonings to have in your pantry like Fresh garlic, ginger, bay leaves, dried oregano, ground cumin, curry powder, etc. Some may need to go to the refrigerator for them to last for longer, while the others can be in the pantry without perishing. Only avoid leaving them there for too long so that they do not lose their flavors.
Fruits, Nuts, and Seeds
These food items are nutrient-packed and can do more than just snacks, trails, or side meals. They can be used to create delicious and healthy meals and smoothies. If you are a creative cook, then you should be able to wing this. Nuts and seeds should be preserved in the fridge to prevent them from turning rancid. These nuts, fruits, and seeds are walnuts, dry roasted unsalted peanuts, pecans, almonds, homemade peanut butter, hazelnuts, pine nuts, sesame seeds, cranberries, dates, almond butter, figs, raisins, prunes, apricots, dried fruits, etc. These can be used voraciously: cooking, baking, dips, and so on. You can also subscribe to a great smoothie delivery service if you can’t make yours. There are ready-to-drink options and there are also smoothie kits that you can easily prepare whenever you want one.
Canned and Bottled Goods
Although tagged unhealthy, there are some canned foods that you cannot exactly cut out completely. They are a need and, if used judiciously, do not pose a threat to our health goals. For example, dried beans can take a while to cook, but it is much easier to use for that quick meal with canned beans. Also, canned tomatoes can be used in soups and stews. Other canned food items are coconut milk, baked beans, tomato paste or soup, red kidney beans, chickpeas, green peas, sweet corn, canned tuna and salmon, cannellini beans, reduced-sodium chicken broth, etc.
Grains and Legumes
These tend to make up at least one-third of any meal they are included in. They are filling, nutritious, and every pantry staple. They include whole-grain rice, lentils, beans, whole grains, and they can be used for various meals. Grains and legumes are very filling and are mostly used for main dishes. Plus, they store for longer and can be bought in bulk. Some food items that fall under this category are rolled oats, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, whole wheat breadcrumbs, all-purpose flour, bulgur, whole-wheat couscous, quick-cooking barley, dried beans, dried lentils, etc.
Eggs
These are protein-rich foods that are a prerequisite for every healthy home’s pantry. Eggs can be used in very different ways: to bake, make breakfast meals, boiled, scrambled, fried, omelets, sauce, etc. and they are a great source of protein, vitamins A, D, B12, and other vital nutrients. Eggs should be taken at least once a day. By this, you aren’t at risk of developing any coronary heart disease.
Managing a work and life balance can be time-consuming. Nonetheless, your health should not have to suffer from this. A pantry, as described above, can help you maintain that healthy lifestyle nonetheless. As a health and wellness enthusiast, what are the foods that you want in your pantry? We hope these meals outlined above puts in perspective what your body requires to stay healthy and strong.
