Reader Question: Stocking Up

Here is a reader question I just received:

"Here's a question for ya that you may have already addressed someone on here. How should we stock our pantries? I've found that we pan our meals each week based on what's on sale and buy those items. However, inevitably we end up working late and the meals we planned take too long to make, or we are not in the mood for anything we actually planned out. So instead we eat out. Are there staple foods that we should always have on hand, or foods that don't really go bad that we should always have to either 1) make a quick adn easy dinner or 2) goes into practically anything so regardless of what your in the mood for you are prepared."

And here is my answer:

Unfortunately I don't have a neat answer for you. Learning how to plan and prepare meals is a life skill that takes time to learn...and it depends greatly on each person's time, cooking skill, monetary situation and taste preferences. But I can address some of your concerns with some suggestions.

First, I would say to keep trying to plan meals. That is a great way to take charge of your diet! But, make an effort to plan meals that are simple to make. Start by planning meals you already know how to make and know you like. You can add a new ingredient to keep it interesting without complicating it too much. For example, I've mentioned it on here already, so forgive my redundancy, but I love making stir fry. I know how to make it and I can change up the ingredients to make countless new versions. It is one of my fall-back staples along with tuna cakes (served with frozen veggies of some sort and maybe some rice or something), and soup. I always keep the staples on hand for these meals and use whatever fresh produce I have on hand to supplement. Which brings me to my next point....

Next you need to figure out what to have on hand as staples. Which is what you asked me, I know, but I can't tell you what to stock any more than I can tell you what to put in your mouth. It will depend on you. However, I can tell you what I stock and how I use them and maybe some of it will relate to you as well. So here is my list of kitchen staples which I always have on hand (in no particular order):

• Give me a B! o! u! i! l! l! i! o! n! What's that spell (assuming I spelled it correctly)? Bouillon! I use this to spruce up just about anything and everything, as you will notice in the recipes I post on here. I use it for soup stock. I use it to wilt greens. I use it to make rice. It is cheap and it lasts forever.
• Rice. I have big boxes of instant brown rice. I use it in stir fry, or as a side.
  
• Couscous. Quicker to make than rice and more versatile. I use it as a side, or it can be used under a thick soup or chili. You can even saute some veggies and shrimp or chicken and toss it all together to make a main dish.
• Pasta. I rarely cook boxed pasta. Personally I think it has little taste and only adds calories to a dish. But in a pinch you can always boil some water, cook some pasta and throw some sauce on it. If I have extra meat or veggies, I will toss those into the sauce to bulk it up.
• Canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, paste, pizza sauce and pasta sauce. The last two have an obvious purpose. Sir Cakewalk has learned how to make pizza from scratch, so we always have sauce on hand. But you can also buy the packets for dough or the premade crusts and add your own toppings and sauce. Makes dinner in 15 minutes and much better than Pizza Slut. Canned tomatoes can go into a quick soup or chili (on friday I made vegetarian chili in 15 minutes flat.) They can also make a homemade sauce or you can cook them and stir them into rice. Sauce and paste go into tons of dishes. Trust me, just have them on hand.
• Canned beans. Sometimes I just serve baked beans with tuna cakes and veggies. Or you can make chili or you can make soup or you can make a cold bean salad. Endless possibilities.
• Canned tuna for tuna cakes. I buy it on sale and stock up.
• Grits. I like greens with grits or shrimp and grits.
• Cereal. If we can't think of anything to make, sometimes we will have cereal for dinner, especially in the summer when its too hot to cook.
• Salsa. I put salsa on potatoes ($1 at Wendy's), mix it with rice, use it for burritos or tacos, put it on chicken, etc etc.
  
• Canned soup. It's not my favorite but it works in a pinch.
  
• Onions. Someone on the show Chopped once said "onions are like underwear, ya gotta have em." I couldn't agree more. I use them ALL of the time. And they last a very long time. So I buy them by the bag.
• Breadcrumbs. I use them for tuna cakes and many recipes call for them. So I always have them.
• EVOO.
  
• Vinegar. I have a smorgesbourd of vinegars. I use them for dressings, for greens, for marinades, etc.
  
• Milk.
  
• Eggs. You never know when you'll need an egg. And if they are going bad, make a fritatta!
• Butter.
• Cheese. Sandwiches, pizza, sprinkled on top of pasta, etc. I usually have sliced cheese and grated on hand as well as a hard cheese like asiago. I love making paninis on the george forman and serving with some soup.
• Soy Sauce.
• Frozen vegetables. Look for your favorites to be on sale and stock up. I toss them into soups and sauces and also saute them as a quick side. I also have broccoli and peppers at a minimum.
  

There are more things, I'm sure. I have a well-stocked pantry and fridge. But that should give you a basic idea. From there I purchase fresh seafood, meat, produce, etc as needed. Basically, if you're at a loss, go for a protein (chicken, beef, tofu, shrimp, etc.). Saute it with some seasoning and herbs or grill it or whatever. Then get some veggies. Pull out some frozen ones or use up something fresh you have on hand. Then, make a starch: rice, couscous, etc. That is the basic formula for many of my meals.

Otherwise I would say to keep reading my blog for meal ideas. I'm not saying that just to keep your attention...but because I can't think of all the recipes and meals I would recommend right now. But I have been trying to post meal ideas and to show how to use staple ingredients to put together meals.

I would also say to push past your moods. I know it isn't easy, but if you are serious about making your meals, force yourself to do it. If you've planned out a meal, make it. Or make something similar but easier. Maybe make it a fun, team effort. I know that won't always be an option so I would also say that....

There is nothing wrong with eating out if you do it mindfully. When I eat out I TRY to first choose a place that I know has healthy/lighter options. I don't give up right away and head for the burger joint or pizza place. But even if I go to those places, I still try to make the best choice I can. I might get a burger (or veggie burger), but I'll get a salad instead of fries. Or I'll share with Sir Cakewalk so that we only split one burger and fries. It doesn't have to be a total loss.

It's hard to always be prepared, and its impossible to know what you'll be in the mood for. So try to plan out things that are simple and that you really like or are excited to make. Even if I'm tired, if I have a meal I'm looking forward to, I'll crank it out. And I'm almost always glad I did.

Good luck!

And remember, you can always play "What's In Your Pantry?" And send me a list of some of your staples and your food preferences and I'll try to help you come up with meals you like.