7 Pantry Items That Are in My Shopping Cart Every Week, According to a Food Writer

To many of us, canned, jarred and bagged foods do not go hand-in-hand with nutrient-rich eating. But I’m here to tell you that not only can these items be healthy, there’s no shame in basing your meals around pantry items—and they’re often budget-friendly, too.

As a full-time freelance food writer, I try to make sure my grocery bills are reasonable. But I often don’t know how many meals will be made at home and how many mealtimes will be spent reviewing restaurants each week, so I keep easily perishable products to a minimum. 

How do I bridge the gap between high-end dining out and eating more modestly but still deliciously at home? With creativity, a global focus and some additions from my small kitchen garden, I save money and time by cooking straight from my pantry. Here are the seven staples that I buy nearly every week.

1. Chickpeas

I always like to have a little hummus in my refrigerator. I prefer it extra garlicky, with plenty of lemon and cumin. I keep my tahini in the refrigerator, along with vegetables for dipping, but when it comes to the main ingredient, I buy my chickpeas for less than a dollar a can at Walmart. For a little bit of protein at lunch, I also love throwing the legumes into a simple salad with greens and a dressing made of olive oil and pomegranate molasses.

2. Crushed Tomatoes

From making my own pasta sauce to braising meat and topping pizzas, I use crushed tomatoes in practically everything. It’s no wonder that I need to buy them every week! Cento is my favorite brand for its balance of sweet and sour flavor, though the 28-ounce cans are so large that I sometimes only use half at a time. One thing to remember: Unlike prepared tomato sauces, there’s no salt added, so make sure to add plenty of seasoning to brighten up your flavors.

3. Almond Butter

One of my favorite snacks is apple slices dipped in almond butter. It’s a great way to combine a juicy McIntosh with a little bit of rich-tasting plant protein. But the reason this staple really goes quickly in my house is that I love to use almond butter in salad dressings. My favorite capitalizes on the creaminess of the nutty paste to thicken up a vinaigrette that includes fresh mint and just enough gochujang to add a little sweet heat.

4. Dried Apricots

If I don’t have fresh apples at the ready, my favorite way to get a fruit fix is by reaching into a bag of dried apricots. I buy the biggest bags I can find at Costco because these chewy fruits are seriously versatile. Most often, I eat three or four of them on their own to fill my stomach when a full meal is still hours in the distance. But I also toss them into stews and salads and even cut them up to stuff into pork roasts along with dried cranberries.

5. Pasta

Though I often make my own pasta sauce (see No. 2 above), I also treat myself to an occasional jar of white truffle marinara from Rao’s Limited Reserve line. Whether I’m using that or slowly stewing my own Sunday gravy, my favorite noodle to use is the brand’s casarecce, a type of pasta that I was surprised to find at Walmart. The S-shaped pasta reminds me of my honeymoon in Sicily, where the formation originated, and I adore the variety of textures in each al dente bite.

6. Gunpowder Green Tea

My husband and I are both freelancers, so we’re often both at home during the day. We celebrate this fact by taking a daily tea time with Moroccan mint tea. We use spearmint we grow in our garden, but the hint of dark bitterness that makes the drink so complex comes from the rolled green tea that I buy at my local Asian market. This recipe uses some lemon verbena in the mix, but when I visited Morocco, I also enjoyed the drink with fresh rosemary and sage.

7. Coconut Milk

My husband’s latest culinary obsession is making mango sticky rice. When we can find good mangoes, he uses a pot-and-basket set purchased from Thailand to cook up the dessert every night. That means that we go through a lot of rice, pandan extract and coconut milk. I tend to buy six cans at a time at my nearest Asian market. I also use coconut milk to make Thai curries, which are among the easiest weeknight dinners to throw together, thanks to pre-made curry pastes, a rainbow of which are also stacked in my pantry.

The Bottom Line

Cooking from your pantry is entirely possible, especially when you keep staples on hand, such as canned chickpeas, tomatoes and coconut milk. While you can buy preferred brands at specialty stores, I just as often rely on grocers like Walmart, which keeps things budget-friendly. Plus, these picks can create quick snacks and meals—and saving time on a busy day is a huge perk.