There are lots of different reasons to have a stockpile of pantry staples. Whether it’s an unexpected health crisis or job loss, a natural disaster / power outage or a medical pandemic.
As someone with a minimalist mindset, I never understood the significant of keeping a stockpile of pantry staples.
The initial panic of Covid-19 really made me see the value of keeping extra food on hand, because we truly never know what will happen!
And while our grocery stores eventually went back to normal, we have no idea when the next time another emergency situation could happen.
I am all about creating a PRACTICAL stockpile of pantry staples. This isn’t a resource to teach you how to stockpile enough food to survive for months. It also isn’t about wiping clean the shelves and taking away from others. It’s simply about being prepared for anything that might happen.
I also have an in-depth emergency prep checklist and an emergency car kit post you can check out!
STOCKPILE PANTRY STAPLES YOU’LL EAT
I think the most important tip for stockpiling pantry staples is to store the food that you’ll eat!
That might sound obvious, but so many people think canned and calorie dense foods are the best option for their food storage.
But if your family hates tuna, DO NOT stockpile tuna! If you never eat rice, you don’t need rice in your food storage.
Stockpile the foods that you actually eat and love.
CYCLE YOUR FOOD STORAGE
If you’re working to stock up your pantry with extra foods, you never want to let things sit so long that they expire!
The best way to do this is to cycle through your food storage.
So when you run out of pasta sauce grab a jar from your food storage and then replace that jar. This way you won’t accidentally let an item sit in your storage for years!
PANTRY STAPLES TO STOCKPILE
Beans / Lentils : Black beans, lentils, chickpeas are all great to stretch or replace meat in your meals. They are high protein and high calorie density which makes them an ideal pantry staple.
Flour : Flour is one of the first items to go out of stock in any type of an emergency. My preference is organic unbleached all-purpose flour. But whether you eat wheat flour, gluten free flour it’s a great option for your pantry storage. Plus flour + water will make “wild yeast” aka sourdough!
If you’ve been wanting to try sourdough I have a whole post on how to get started!
Salt : Salt is often an underlooked staple. But it’s a natural preservative, and an important ingredient in baking and cooking! I only use high quality unrefined salt which has added health benefits.
Baking Soda : Baking soda has tons of uses from cleaning & sanitizing to baking! It’s so inexpensive and easy to store in your food storage.
Shelf Stable Fats – You’ll want oils like Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, and Avocado Oil in your food storage for cooking and baking! Most of these are shelf stable for a long time!
Rice / Pasta : This is a situation where you should buy what you eat! If you only eat gluten free pasta, that’s what you should stock up on. Do you prefer quinoa? Add that to your pantry storage. But any rice or pasta is a high caloric food which makes it good in case of an emergency.
Broth : I always keep chicken broth stocked in my pantry. If you prefer beef broth or vegetable broth, those are also excellent options! Broth is a highly nutritious and healing food and has so many different uses!
Nut Butter : Your favourite nut butter (almond, peanut, cashew, etc) is great for your pantry storage!
Honey : Honey isn’t something that I often see on people’s food storage checklists, but it’s a must-have for me. Locally sourced, raw honey is packed with nutrients and antioxidants. I use it as a replacement for sugar in all my baking, plus it has lots of healing properties!
Rolled Oats : Rolled oats can be used for lots of healthy breakfast or snack options if you don’t have access to a grocery store! Make sure you always buy organic oats as they are heavily sprayed with pesticides.
Apple Cider Vinegar : I use apple cider vinegar for health purposes (read about that in my gut healing post), cleaning vegetables and cooking. Make sure to buy organic because apples are on the dirty dozen, and raw “with the mother” for all the health benefits.
Spices : Some might not consider spices an essential, but I can’t imagine cooking without them! Keep staples such as garlic, ginger, chilli, oregano, cinnamon, paprika, or whatever your families favourite spices are!
Shelf Stable Snacks : Stock up on some of your family’s favourite shelf stable snacks. Items like granola bars, trail mix, apple sauce, that are nutrient dense, and filling! Again, make sure these are items you’ll actually eat! And be sure to rotate snacks that might have a shorter lifespan than canned goods.
I’d love to hear what other pantry staples you keep in your food storage!
