Economical food staples -
Cheap doesn't mean flavorless or flavor-free. No, this list of budget-friendly pantry essentials is designed to pack plenty of flavor and nutrition into everything it helps make. Cutting your grocery budget doesn't mean cutting the quality of food you buy, and it certainly doesn't mean making your food less enjoyable in the name of a few pennies.
Stocking these wallet-friendly essentials will save you money, and it will also help you be a more agile cook, one that's ready to adapt at a moment's notice instead of going out for expensive takeout.
Check out our list of must-have, budget-friendly pantry items and how you can use them in everyday meals. Brown rice is a whole grain and has more nutritional value than white rice. Stock up on brown rice, or other grains such as quinoa, and add it to your meals for a fiber boost. Use the brown rice in grain bowls with black beans or other proteins, side salads, and puddings.
Of course, you can also use brown rice to make fried rice or stir fry. For quicker meal prep, cook up a big batch of rice and freeze it for later, or look for pre-cooked rice that only needs a few seconds in the microwave to be plate-ready.
Beans are a great way to add protein to any meal — and they're cheap. While dried beans are a few cents cheaper, canned beans are more convenient because they're ready to use in an instant. Either is worth stocking, depending on the time you have.
Any beans — like black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, or white beans — can be used to replace meat in your meals, like in a black bean burger.
Beans are also a great addition to soups , stews , and chilis. They can be cooked with ground beef or other meats to stretch a pound to feed five or six instead of three or four. Traditional pasta sauce isn't only for spaghetti — although that's a quick and easy weeknight meal.
You can use leftover marinara sauce to make stuffed peppers , chicken Parmesan , meatloaf , pizza, and so much more. Next time you're at the store grab the multipack of sauce; it will save you extra money and provide you with multiple meals for the month.
Canned meat, like chicken, salmon, and tuna, is a great alternative for fresh meats. And it's a non-perishable item that will last significantly longer than fresh meat would, even in your freezer.
Canned tuna can be used to make sandwiches, salads, and casseroles. While canned chicken can be used for soups, salads, and, of course, dips. Combine with a bit of breading, spices, and egg for fast and flavorful cakes or patties.
Stock is a common ingredient in soups, sauces, and casseroles. You can also use chicken stock to flavor your rice or other grains and sautéed vegetables. And a bit of stock can help you stretch soups and sauces if you need a bit more for a full meal.
Peanut butter is an inexpensive and versatile ingredient because it can be used in every meal of the day. From smoothies to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to peanut butter noodles , and tons of peanut butter desserts, the jar in your pantry will certainly not go to waste. And if you have a peanut allergy, you can substitute other nut butters, like almond butter , in many recipes.
So many recipes start with oil, and for typical cooking applications, a standard olive oil is all you'll need. But buying a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil is important if you plan to make no-cook dishes, salad dressings, and sauces.
Why's that? Cheap olive oils taste like bad olives. Good oils have a bright, floral flavor that shines through what you're eating. While a higher quality oil may be a bit pricey, remember you're using teaspoons or tablespoons at a time, which stretches the cost out over dozens and dozens of meals.
Have you ever wondered why so many recipes call for garlic? It's because garlic is an aromatic ingredient it has a distinctive smell, and smell is an important factor for taste , and it's an easy way to add a ton of flavor to your meal.
There are so many ways you can add garlic to your dish based on preference and even budget — you can use fresh garlic cloves, store-bought minced garlic, or garlic powder. Fresh garlic is usually preferred, but any garlic will work to pack in the flavor.
Curry powder is a popular, all-purpose Indian staple. It can be used to make soups, stews or to enhance meat, and vegetables. I love Kraft.
A delicious BBQ sauce can rescue many protein-laden dishes that call for tang and flavor. Canned tuna is versatile and can be eaten straight from the can or made into tuna salad instantly.
Best bang for your buck is a carton of jumbo eggs. Eggs may expire but it will take up to 30 days in the fridge which makes them great protein staples. Freshly ground meat is also the easiest to cook and can be frozen for later.
Make chili, tacos, rice bowls, hamburger patties, meatballs etc. I love the thought of fresh but not everyone can make consistent grocery runs. Frozen corn and broccoli make quick and healthy sides. The shelf life of whole garlic bulbs lasts up to 6 months! Unpeeled cloves will last up to 10 days.
Garlic is expensive and adds a lot of flavors, a lot of recipes calls for garlic. Garlic powder can be purchased as a lazy substitute.
Onion has a month shelf life if left in a cool, dark and dry place. They also pack a lot of flavor to each dish.
It is the queen bee in our kitchen, along with garlic cloves. We have 2 spice carousels, one was a gift and the other one we bought second hand from a garage sale. The best place to buy spices is Dollar Tree.
Rosler makes hauling back groceries less back-breaking. Soapy will be reading this so feel free to leave comments on your own favorite pantry items for a frugal pantry stock!
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We eat LOTS of pork in various forms in our family. When I was little, my parents used to make pork bone soup with potatoes and carrots a lot. Great list! Canned beans are fine, but dry is definitely better and healthier.
With canned goods you run the risk of BPA exposure. Dried oats, quinoa, and other whole grains should be staples too. As well as ground flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and raw unsalted nuts. Whole food, plant-based diets are generally not expensive.
It can be somewhat expensive if you always buy produce that are organic and out of season. But all things considered, plant based diets are significantly less expensive than meat based diets when you compare food of the same quality.
You have to compare apples to apples 😉. For example… organic, pasteurized, hormone-free meat and dairy is very expensive especially compared to organic vegetable produce. We did this by…. Cooking plant based meals is fun, creative, and A LOT cleaner 5 We planned meals and meal-prepped really well so that no food would be wasted.
But I love the list! We eat chicken mainly at our house. Tofu is also great to have fried with broccoli , soya sauce and garlic , it is good for you and not very expensive.
Costco in Canada sells it cheap. I never had used italian seasoning before…ever! Is that the powder stuff you get in packets? Is it salad dressing or a spice?
Add a little olive oil and garlic:. Load up on those veggies! I always have potatoes, onions, bananas, berries, and lettuce on hand. I hate making pantry-based meals with just shelf-stable foods; produce really elevates a dish. For example, I freeze old bananas and use them in smoothies.
Picky Pincher. I like the way you think. Loading up on the veggies is the way to go.
by Kati Stalles 10, Sample rewards program SavingsFoood Thrifty beverage specials 0 comments. Flour for fopd Sample campaign promotions own bread, canned home-grown tomatoes Thrifty beverage specials saving cood Thrifty beverage specials lard Ataples frying foods instead of Sample and review websites are just some ecpnomical the things economiical grandmother Free Mini Perfume Samples her staple pantry staplee. Keeping your pantry well stocked satples the basic ingredients will not only help you save money on economical food staples overall grocery bill but also allow you to make quick and easy meals at home. While your family will need to stock the pantry staples that you use most often, I thought that putting together a list of my own cheap pantry staples would also help you. These best pantry staples are great to have on hand so there are no last minute trips to the store because you forgot a few staple pantry items to make a meal. Plus, these pantry staples for recipes are so convenient to have on hand when you can make quick and easy meals out of them. And, having healthy pantry staples for families on hand will help you stay out of the drive thru!
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