What I Keep in my Kitchen: Food Storage
Check out this list of food storage options I keep on hand, and the easy meals you can make with a few long-lasting ingredients!
If the pandemic and 2020 taught us anything, it’s that we should probably have a few days work of meals on hand. Food storage options include easy shelf-stable foods in the pantry and things that will keep great in the freezer. I also love to stick up on items when they are on sale, or buy in bulk at Costco. I like to keep things on hand that I can easily combine to make simple meals for when I don’t know what else to make. Check out the full list below!
PANTRY
Rice and Grains
Rice and grains are great to have in your food storage because if they are stored properly, they can last for at least a year. I like to buy a big bag of brown rice so that I don’t have to worry about running out. I also like to keep Arborio rice on hand for making risotto. Grains are easy to buy in bulk or buy in the bulk section so that you can keep all your favorites on hand.
Pasta and Noodles
I don’t think you need me to tell you to that pasta makes a great easy dinner, but I like to make sure I have some Banza pasta on hand since it’s high in protein. Lotus Foods GF ramen blocks are also great to have on hand so that I can make ramen easily. I either buy these at Costco to stock up, or look for sales.
Basic Spices
Basic spices like onion and garlic powder can add some good flavor to basic dishes. I also can’t cook without smoked paprika and cumin. If you don’t have a lot of space for food storage, you can maximize your flavor by buying spice blends like a curry powder, Italian blend, a chili powder, or a garam masala.
Canned Beans
Whether you prefer canned or dried beans, keeping some beans on hand is a must! I love black beans and garbanzo beans for an easy vegetarian meal, so I always make sure they are in my pantry. Canned beans are better for me because I’m bad at planning ahead. I prefer to just open a can and rinse them for the prep. I like to keep canned beans to make this super easy chili recipe.
Canned Tomatoes
Canned tomatoes are so versatile because you can use them to make soups, rice, or pasta sauce. You could also keep jars of tomato sauce, but I like to make my own pasta sauce so that I can build a flavorful sauce. Check out this post all about making your own marinara sauce.
Onions and Potatoes
Onions and potatoes are vegetables are great to have on hand, and they will keep for weeks if stored correctly. Store them in a cool, dark place like the floor of your pantry and they should last. Obviously, throw out anything that’s moldy or smells bad. however, if you onions being to sprout or your potatoes get eyes, they are still safe to eat. I would suggest picking out the sprout and the eyes, but that doesn’t mean they have gone bad.
FRIDGE
Tamari
Gluten free soy sauce is a must for me! Soy sauce is great to have on hand because you can use it to make stir-fry with rice and veggies. Soy sauce is also a great tool to keep on hand for vegetarian cooking to add umami and salt to dishes.
Favorite Sauces
In addition to soy sauce, I like to keep some other favorite sauces on hand that I can add to rice or noodles that will make quick meals. For me, I like to have teriyaki sauce, salsa, and chipotle mayo. I can use these to build rice bowls and stir-fries that will be easy and tasty.
Veggie Broth
Vegetable broth is great to keep for the base of soups and stews. Plus if you cook your grains and other things in broth, it will add more flavor. You can check out this blog post on how to make your own vegetable broth. You can also buy vegetable broth in cartons that are shelf-stable to keep in the pantry.
Miso
Miso is a fermented soy paste that is full of flavor. It will keep great in the fridge for months, and you can use it to make broth for ramen or add umami flavor to vegetarian dishes.
FREEZER
Meat Substitutes
If you have freezer space, frozen meat (substitutes) can be great to buy on sale and stock up to save some money. Beyond, Impossible, Quorn, and Pure Farmland are all sold in the frozen section and will last for upwards of a year in the freezer. Trader Joe’s soy chorizo also keeps great in the freezer and easily defrosts in the fridge.
Tofu
Tofu freezes greats, and in fact I think that freezing and thawing tofu changes the texture and makes it taste better. I like to keep an extra block of tofu in the freezer so that I have it on hand, and then you just have to pull in up into the fridge and let it defrost and cook. Check out this post about making your own tofu scramble that you can also store in the freezer.
Butter
Butter basically keeps indefinitely in the freezer, so I like to stock up at Costco or when it’s on sale to have some extra sticks on hand. Plant butter like this Flora butter also keep great in the freezer. Plus if you want to make biscuits or something that requires frozen butter, then you’ve already got some ready to go!
Mixed Veggies
Keeping a bag of frozen mixed vegetables is an easy way to get veggies into your meals without having to worry about them going bad. I love grabbing a handful of frozen mixed veggies to a pan and sauté with some sauce and add to rice or noodles. Pick your favorite variety and grab some frozen protein options like edamame too! Using frozen veggies is an easy way to make this cashew noodle bowl!
Bread and Tortillas
Bread, bagels, buns, and tortillas are great to freeze and have in your food storage collection. I like to stock up when I go shopping so I can stretch out my trips to the stores. Then as I use up each product I can pull out the bread I want for the next week. I was really surprised that the Mission GF tortillas froze so well, and I was glad they didn’t get ripped or gummy. They are great to keep on hand for an emergency quesadilla!