Grocery Staples for the Independent Adult

You’re living on your own now and have to stock your kitchen. Mom and dad are no longer there to make sure there’s food in the house. But, where do you begin? What are staples and what are extras? Here’s a great start to your independent grocery shopping!

Staples are considered food items that are typically longer lasting, can be used to prepare any meal at a moment’s notice, and can be considered perishable or non-perishable.

Any well-stocked pantry would have:

Perishable (Fridge):

Lemon
Baby Carrots
Cheese
Butter/Margarine
Onions
Garlic
Bananas
Milk
Eggs
Jam
Potatoes
Condiments (Ketchup, Mustard, Hot Sauce, etc.)
Celery

Perishable (Freezer)

Bread
Frozen veggies (peas, spinach, edamame)
Ground meat (turkey, beef, pork)
Chicken (breasts, thighs, whole roasters)
Bagels
Hash Browns
Frozen fruit (berries, bananas, mango, peaches)

 

Non-Perishable (Pantry)

Spices: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried herbs (oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, parsely), cinnamon, red chili pepper flakes
Olive oil
Vegetable oil
Coffee
Nuts
Jarred pasta sauce
Chicken/Vegetable broth
Vinegar – red wine, balsamic, white
Canned vegetables (beans; tomatoes – sauce, crushed, diced)
Pasta
Rice/Quinoa/Barley
Honey
Beans

 

Baking

Baking soda
Baking powder
All-purpose flour
Sugar (White, brown, powdered)
Yeast
Corn Starch

 

Why this list? Because with these items, you have the ability to make a gourmet meal even when you think you have no food in the house.

For instance, you can make pasta primavera simply by preparing your on-hand pasta and adding vegetables in to your on-hand pasta sauce (carrots, zucchini, mushrooms). You can make a roasted chicken with your on-hand chicken and spices (chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika) with your on-hand rice, and on-hand edamame. You can easily prepare breakfast muffins with your on-hand baking supplies (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, egg, vegetable oil, bananas – Google search super simple banana muffins for the full recipe!). Want to impress your friends with a homemade salad dressing? No problem! You have the items on hand already (olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, spices to your tasting).

The options are really limitless if you have a well-stocked pantry and fridge. Nothing needs to be fancy or difficult. With items on-hand that you use most often, you can create something from nothing. And, in today’s world, we have any information we desire at our fingertips, thanks to the internet. Search a recipe and add in “super simple” to your search term and an easy recipe will be at your fingertips in moments!

Now, let’s talk extras. Extras are foods you like to have, but don’t need. Things like steak, fancy cereal, fresh fruits and vegetables (although, those are always good to have!), sweeteners, extra condiments, junk food. These items are nice to have when the budget allows, but maybe you won’t need or want them all the time and maybe they are not as versatile.

If you can think of the food items you love most, you will easily be able to create a staple kitchen that works for you. This article can help you get started, but only YOU know what you really need to have in your kitchen. Good luck!