Since a lot of us are under a stay at home order due to everything that is going on with COVID- 19 I thought now is the perfect time to talk about my pantry essentials. I’ve compiled a list of all of the food I have been reaching for recently as well as ingredients that are used in a lot of the vegan recipes I have been making from Pinterest. Keep in mind that what I find essential might be completely different from what you might consider essential for yourself.
When I took a look at my pantry I took stock of all of the things I had multiples of since those are the things I run out of pretty quickly. I also wrote down the spices I reach for the most, and here is what I came up with:
Pasta
I have a lot of pasta. Growing up I ate just as much Italian food as I did Mexican food so it’s honestly no surprise that I have and abundance of pasta at home. Pasta is super easy to make and you can get creative with the ingredients that you add to it. A garlic and oil pasta dish for example is really easy to make and also delicious. I also have a few cups of ramen. You can’t really go wrong with ramen in my opinion – especially when you are feeling lazy and don’t want to spend too much time cooking.
Oatmeal, Quinoa & Rice
Oatmeal is definitely another essential. I love oatmeal for breakfast, but I also add it to smoothies. Quinoa and rice are also pantry essentials.
Dried Fruit, Seeds & Nuts
Dried Fruit is an essential for me year-round. You can mix it with other seeds and nuts and eat it throughout the day as a snack. I like making my own granola so pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and almonds are things I always like to have at home.
Peanut Butter & Jams
I love a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich, so having these are always a must. I personally use peanut butter in a lot of recipes so I always have at least two jars of it at home. Jams are also great on toast and rice cakes.
Plant- Based Milk
I don’t know about you but I go through a lot of almond milk. My favorite ones to buy are the smaller milk cartons that are not refrigerated at the store. They are easier to store at home and less bulky. I like to buy hazelnut milk to add to my coffee, and almond, oat, and hemp milk for smoothies.
Coffee & Tea
I’m going to be honest. When I found out we were going to be put under a stay at home order I made sure I had enough coffee and tea to get me through at least a few weeks. Some of my favorite coffee brands are Starbucks and Allegro Coffee.
Spices & Superfoods
The spices and superfoods that I use the most are: cinnamon, oregano, cumin, garlic, chili powder, Italian spices, salt, pepper, cacao powder, nutritional yeast, and ground flaxseed.
Beans & Lentils
Beans and Lentils are great for salads and soups. I always like to have a variety of dried and canned beans at home.
I do have a lot more items in my pantry than the ones mentioned above but the ones listed here are what I would consider absolutely essential for me. Let me know what yours are down in the comments. Right now I only go to the grocery store if it’s absolutely essential, otherwise I prefer to buy my pantry essentials online.
Stay safe and I’ll be back with another blog post soon.
