Pasta: Pasta is the hero of quick, budget-friendly meals. Create classic spaghetti with a homemade tomato sauce or try something more exotic like a garlic and olive oil-based aglio e olio.

Dried Herbs: While fresh herbs can be pricey, dried herbs are a budget-friendly alternative. Plus, they have a long shelf life. Dried herbs also pack more flavor than their fresh counterparts, so you can use less of them. Tortillas: Flour or corn tortillas are the foundation of many cost-effective and scrumptious dishes.

You can make quesadillas, tacos, or even burritos with leftover ingredients. Just fill them up with whatever you have in your fridge. Our tip? Combine the chicken, cheese, herbs, and beans on this list with sun-dried tomato tortillas to make one killer quesadilla.

Pasta Sauce: A good pasta sauce can turn your humble pasta dish into a gourmet meal. Keep a jar of marinara sauce in your pantry and elevate it with sautéed garlic, onions, and a dash of red pepper flakes.

Voilà — a restaurant-worthy meal! Cheese: While some gourmet cheeses can be expensive, there are budget-friendly options that can add oodles of flavor to your dishes.

Grate some cheddar on your baked beans, sprinkle mozzarella on your homemade pizza, or melt Swiss cheese onto your quesadillas. Or, wash your own greens to save money.

Store them in an airtight container lined with paper towel. Health Canada recommends eating one dark green vegetable everyday! Here is some salad inspo. Chopping up cooked chicken is a great sandwich meat alternative to deli meats, which are often packed with preservatives.

Use cold as a sandwich meat or serve warm with a salad and a whole grain like quinoa, brown rice or barley. Whole eggs are a great source of high quality protein and choline, which helps with memory.

Keep on hand for quick meals like frittatas and scrambled eggs. Or try this breakfast burrito recipe. Quinoa is what we call a pseudo grain as it is technically a seed. But you can treat it just like a grain. It cooks quickly in just 15 minutes, is gluten free and high in fibre.

Try this quinoa salad recipe. This is another quick cooking high fibre grain. Whole grain pasta has a lower glycemic index, meaning that it will take longer to digest and won't spike your blood sugar.

Here is a great whole wheat mac and cheese recipe with squash! Canned beans and lentils are a staple in my house. As lentils are quicker to cook from dry, I usually buy more canned beans. Beans and lentils are a great source of protein and phytochemicals. Replacing meat in your diet with beans and lentils a few days a week can also decrease your diets impact on the environment.

Especially if you are avoiding red meat. Here is some recipe inspo. Unlike many other spreads like jam , seed and nut butters naturally contain healthful fats that benefit heart and overall general health. Just make sure you check the ingredient list! Also avoid "reduced fat" versions as the fat in nut and seed butters is beneficial for health.

My favourite quick snack is sliced apples with peanut butter. She completed her dietetics degree at UBC and a Masters of Health Science at Ryerson University in Toronto. She is an AllerTrain Certified Master Trainer, and works hard to support students at UBC with allergies.

Melissa is passionate about ensuring the university residence environment supports a healthy lifestyle and helps young adults create healthy habits for life.

We acknowledge that SHCS and UBC are located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam people. We thank the Musqueam Nation for its hospitality and support of our work. Of course, your pantry staples to stock up on a budget may look a little different than our pantry list based on your dietary needs and food likes and dislikes.

So think about those things when learning how to stock your pantry on a budget. So give careful consideration to what to put on your essential food items on a budget list! It will give you a better understanding of why we recommended these for pantry staples! Once you build up your pantry food storage, you can even start saving money with once a month grocery shopping!

TIP: Allow your pantry storage to build up for a few months before you start using it. Remember: the goal of stocking a pantry is so you have extra food you can rely on to stretch your money or for emergency purposes!

Need containers for pantry storage? A NOTE ABOUT THE PRICES LISTED: We used first quarter pricing from Amazon Fresh. Egg noodles are great because they are super cheap and can be used with just sauce or with meats or in a variety of different casseroles or dishes. Many people recommend storing pasta sauces for your pantry list.

It has become one of our most used staple pantry items. No fresh ones, no frozen ones… then Onion Powder can come to your rescue! I am constantly using this as a substitute for fresh onion! And I do the same with Garlic Powder!

Baking powder is a must for baking from scratch! It is always on hand in my pantry. Baking soda is an important ingredient that can be used for cleaning and deodorizing around the home.

I buy it by the huge bag full because it is the only product that truly gets the smell out of my laundry. With three boys, all in sports, we have a lot of stinky clothing to use it on!

Make sure you choose the unsweetened variety of cocoa powder so that you can add your own sweetener and make it as sweet or not for your liking. For baking, cocoa powder is a must-have because so many chocolate-based treats start with cocoa powder. This is a cake made in one minute in the microwave I substitute the sugar for a Stevia sweetener.

Oats Oats are so versatile, they can be ground and used as a flour, as filler for meatloaves to reduce the meat, baked in cookies or simply made as a breakfast staple, as it is often done in our home. Flour is always a great staple to have on hand.

Most recipes, especially baking ones, will call for some amount of flour. I keep this low-carb, gluten-free one always on hand and ready for my baking needs. Sugar or Sweetener You know I love my coffee super sweet, but besides using it in coffee, sugar is also obviously used in baking as well as beauty and cleaning products.

Rice is a super inexpensive side dish to fill those growing kids! We also use it to add filler to meat dishes so that they go farther, therefore, saving us money.

Pasta Pasta is easily one of the most frugal and filling meals you can make! Peanut butter as a staple pantry items can be used to make protein balls, fudge, and even a filling sandwich for lunch. If you miss the sweet with the salty the jelly , you could pair it with an inexpensive banana, honey, or as my Dad likes to eat it… with butter.

Popcorn is an inexpensive snack to keep on hand for those moments when you just want to munch, without it costing an arm and a leg!

We make popcorn on the stove in minutes, or in a brown bag version in the microwave too. Popcorn is our best pantry staples for cheap snacks.

We do this all the time! Tortillas are super versatile, and you can even freeze them for later, making them a great pantry staple to stock up on! Fajitas, quesadillas, and soft tacos are all great inexpensive meal options that use tortillas. As you can see, we keep a number of different staple pantry items in our home at all times to make sure that our home is well stocked for easy meals.

I hope that this list has not only inspired you to stock your pantry as well but that you give it a try! Because I believe everyone has the power to live a life of abundance regardless of their income level.

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.

I also freeze fruit and use them in smoothies!!! I tend to bake chicken breasts, cook rice, and make veggies then switch up the sauce every week. Quick, easy, and cheap! FinancialConfession — I love Almond Butter and have started to use it instead of peanut butter as a healthier choice.

It is expensive, but totally worth it to me 😀. Powdered cheese? My wife loves cheese and our fridge is stocked with cheese. Also, you probably should avoid doing more research into ground meat. I did and ground my own meat now… Good list. Cheese powder for those like me who have the taste buds of a 12 year old Joe.

I love reading these lists!! We have tons of rice and oats in our house. My kids are obsessed with granola bars and oatmeal! So we either buy or make them constantly? Hehe thanks Ember. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.

Learn how your comment data is processed. Pork and garlic green beans. Table of Contents Toggle Cheap Pantry Staples Carbohydrates Condiment Protein Vegetables Honorable Mentions. Financial Freedom Starts With Saving: Personal Capital : Sign up and use their net worth calculator for FREE.

Comments We eat LOTS of pork in various forms in our family. I do like the Kirkland frozen meatballs. That does sound tasty! We had pork bone with daikon and cabbage! I suspected fresh beans would be better.

Are wholefood plant diets expensive? 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.

Soap nor I have Aldi near us. We also buy bulk bags of rice at the grocery store maybe twice a year. This is great advice! I never tried almond butter because it is expensive especially at wholefoods , good to know! Love your list!

Penny for your thoughts, love? Who among us doesn't know the feeling of coming home, looking at your bill, emptying the bags, and immediately thinking, "Did I even buy something to make for dinner?

If you're looking to cut down your grocery bill, you can buy fewer things. Or you can be smarter about the things you buy. The simplest way to accomplish this? Keep your pantry stocked with inexpensive, essential items that can mix and match with any number of foods for endless meals.

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.

An inexpensive and ready-to-eat plant based protein that is easy to add to a quick stir fry. I prefer smoked tofu chopped into cubes in cold dishes and pan frying extra firm tofu for warm dishes.

Here is one of my favourite tofu recipes: the glory bowl. Make sure to marinate the tofu in the sauce and add extra for pan frying it. Also be sure to press it! Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh!

And maybe even more so when eating fruits and vegetables not in season as they are picked at their peak ripeness. Try thawing frozen berries to add to plain yogurt - the extra juices adds some nice flavour and sweetness. Frozen vegetables are also great for a quick stir fry.

This is a super convenient way to add more leafy-green vegetables to your diet. Or, wash your own greens to save money. Store them in an airtight container lined with paper towel. Health Canada recommends eating one dark green vegetable everyday! Here is some salad inspo.

Chopping up cooked chicken is a great sandwich meat alternative to deli meats, which are often packed with preservatives. Use cold as a sandwich meat or serve warm with a salad and a whole grain like quinoa, brown rice or barley. Whole eggs are a great source of high quality protein and choline, which helps with memory.

Keep on hand for quick meals like frittatas and scrambled eggs. Or try this breakfast burrito recipe.

Quinoa is what we call a pseudo grain as it is technically a seed. But you can treat it just like a grain. It cooks quickly in just 15 minutes, is gluten free and high in fibre. Try this quinoa salad recipe.

This is another quick cooking high fibre grain. Whole grain pasta has a lower glycemic index, meaning that it will take longer to digest and won't spike your blood sugar.

Here is a great whole wheat mac and cheese recipe with squash! Canned beans and lentils are a staple in my house. As lentils are quicker to cook from dry, I usually buy more canned beans.

Beans and lentils are a great source of protein and phytochemicals. Replacing meat in your diet with beans and lentils a few days a week can also decrease your diets impact on the environment.

Especially if you are avoiding red meat. Here is some recipe inspo. Unlike many other spreads like jam , seed and nut butters naturally contain healthful fats that benefit heart and overall general health. Just make sure you check the ingredient list! Also avoid "reduced fat" versions as the fat in nut and seed butters is beneficial for health.

My favourite quick snack is sliced apples with peanut butter. She completed her dietetics degree at UBC and a Masters of Health Science at Ryerson University in Toronto.

She is an AllerTrain Certified Master Trainer, and works hard to support students at UBC with allergies. Melissa is passionate about ensuring the university residence environment supports a healthy lifestyle and helps young adults create healthy habits for life.

We acknowledge that SHCS and UBC are located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam people.

We thank the Musqueam Nation for its hospitality and support of our work. Search UBC Search. FOOD AT UBC VANCOUVER. By Melissa Baker-Wilson, RD, MHSc. Meal Planning. Whole Grain Cereals Like Shredded Wheat, muesli and rolled oats.

Frozen Fish or Shrimp They are healthy sources of protein and quick to defrost for easy to cook weeknight dinners. Vinegar is great for adding a little acid to her cooking, and can be mixed with the olive oil in salads.

She starts by sprucing up her baking shelf with some basics—baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, confectioner's sugar, brown sugar, and chocolate chips.

She also adds cinnamon, cayenne, and hot sauce to her spice drawer, and some bulk pantry items like peanut butter, pasta, pasta sauce, and tomato paste.

To get more bang for her buck, Vallery opts for dried kidney beans and lentils, which allow you to get more for less money than canned. She also adds canned chickpeas and brown rice. Honey, canola oil, and rolled oats are adds that make breakfast better including a homemade granola using the honey and cinnamon.

She also adds grits—as she loves to eat grits and eggs for breakfast. She started with upgrading her salt game, with flaky Maldon salt to use to finish dishes and make her chocolate chip cookies even more irresistible , plus pink Himalayan salt because it's less refined.

She added lots of different grains to change things up—farro, quinoa, popcorn, buckwheat flour, and cornmeal. And three different types of rice—jasmine, wild, and black.

A variety of nuts and seeds was next on her list—almonds, pecans, cashews, pine nuts great for pesto and a salad sprinkle , nut flour and nut butters, plus poppy and sesame seeds, which can add texture and flavor to dishes and baked goods.

For her baking shelf, there was chocolate—dark, milk, white, plus cocoa powder. Cooking spray and baking spray with flour make it easier to prep pans for cooking, and sprinkles and food dye are great for creating fun cakes and frosting.

Whole vanilla beans are a big splurge that give you a stronger vanilla flavor in your baked goods. You split the bean, scrape out the seeds, then put the beans into sugar to give your sugar a subtle vanilla scent.

And she finished off the baking shelf with a variety of flours—wheat, self-rising, and bread flour. Next, she opted to add in some specialty ingredients for different types of cuisines—tahini, a sesame paste that's used to make hummus, soy sauce and fish sauce for Asian cuisine, and jaggery for Indian foods.

And then the oils—sesame oil and coconut oil. She updated her condiments with sriracha, mayonnaise, dijon and yellow mustards, strawberry jam, and maple syrup. And canned tuna, canned salmon, and tinned anchovies are a great base for her cooking.

But her big splurge was spices—she got some saffron, the most expensive spice on the market, and a collection of 55 different spices from Burlap and Barrel. Her advice? Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising.

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