If for any reason your family is stuck at home for a few weeks, a well stocked pantry and fridge can ensure that you’re still eating healthy and delicious food.
Putting together a meal plan is another key factor to running everything smoothly. In this post I have addressed what most of us struggle with it (based on the most common questions from my readers):
What should I buy for stocking the pantry? How and What can I freeze, and how?What kinds of meals can I make?How long can I shop for?
My 2 Week Stocking Plan
This post is based on my two-week stocking and meal plan for my family of four- me, hubby and my two teenage kids. I plan ahead ALL meals for each week and make a shopping list accordingly. You can easily customize it to a 3-week or 4-week stocking plan.
You can buy spices and staples (pasta/rice/flour) in bulk and keep on hand, they stay good for months. But a meal plan will help you figure out quantities of fresh ingredients, dairy, eggs, meats, produce, and canned food items accordingly. I hope this will serve as a guide and help you customize and stock up your pantry and freezer.
Another Useful Resource: 50+Pantry and Freezer Recipes
Make a Meal Plan
It starts with making a meal plan. I find these printable meal plan sheets very helpful. Check out the following guidelines to keep in mind while making your meal plan. A meal plan will help you figure out the quantities of ingredients.
Things to Remember When Meal Planning and Stocking
Let’s checkout the lists now. I have divided items into Fresh, Pantry and Freezer items to simplify this process.
Fresh Foods that Last long
Fruits: Banana, orange, grapefruit, mandarins, apples, all stay good for a week to 2 weeks. Wash and dry them, then keep some on the counter for immediate use, store remaining in fridge (except bananas) for extending their life to 2 weeks. Eggs: Last for 2-3 weeks. Great for egg bites, omelettes, hard boiled eggs for breakfast, snack or dinner. Yogurt: Check the date while buying. Most last 2-3 weeks. Great with granola and smoothies. Milk: If possible buy ultra-pasteurized milks, those stay good for 2-3 months. Shelf stable Almond milk stays good for 3-4 weeks. (great as-is, or for smoothies)Heavy whipping cream: lasts for 2-3 weeks in the fridge and freezable, great for treating yourself with meals like Butter Chicken, or Butter Paneer or Broccoli cheddar Pasta. Butter and Cheese: Buy butter and an assortment of grated cheese and cheese blocks. Keep some in the fridge for immediate use and freeze the rest. (yes, they freeze well). Comes in handy for making quesadillas, pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches.Bread, Pita, Tortillas: Get an assortment- sandwich bread, Croissants, Pita, Naan, Cinnamon bread (for french toast), Tortillas have a long shelf-life and are great for tacos and quesadillas. Keep aside some on the counter (good for a week), and freeze the rest (yup, bread freezes well).Vegetables: Garlic and ginger: Great for enhancing flavor. Using a food processor, mince them (with or without olive oil) and freeze in mini-ice-cube trays. Once frozen, transfer the cubes in freezer storage ziplock bags. Alternatively, buy frozen aromatics from Trader Joe’s or other stores. Onions, carrots and celery: Stay good for 2 weeks. But for extending freshness and life, chop up and freeze in small portions. They’re great for adding flavor and fiber to curries, sauces and soups.Zucchini and butter-nut squash (whole, not cut-up): Stays good for more than a week. Can be added to soups, stir-fries and curries.Broccoli, Cabbage and Cauliflower: Buy whole, not cut-up. It stays good for 10 days and can be used to add flavor and fiber to pasta, curry and side dishes.Potato and Sweet potato: Stays good for 2 weeks. Great source of carbohydrates and ideal for stretching meals like soups and curries. Extra-Firm Tofu: Great source of protein and stays good for a month (or more) in the refrigerator. Add in Asian and Indian curries, and soups. It’s a great source of protein.
Pantry Items
Canned Foods
Canned Beans: Pinto, black, kidney, garbanzo (chickpeas) or any other kindTomatoes: Whole, diced or crushed. Great for sauces and soupsCanned Tunafish: great source of protein, use in salads, fried rice, sandwich fillingCurry Pastes- Thai, Indonesian, AsianCoconut Milk- great for curries, soups and stir-fries
Grains & Beans
Pasta (TIP: think wholegrain or lentil pastas for added fiber) Noodles: Rice (brown) for Thai dishes, spaghetti (lo mein), ramen noodlesRice (white/brown), Quinoa (great source of protein), CouscousDried beans: Chickpeas (Garbanzo), Kidney, Black etc. Stay good for months. Lentils: Red, Green, Brown, split peas, any other varietyOats- Steel cut/ Rolled Oats for breakfast.
Staples, Sauces, Seasonings, Condiments and Desserts
Cereal/Granola: Preferably Whole grain, low-added sugarFlour: Whole wheat (for roti/flatbreads), All-purpose for baking (cupcakes, muffins, banana bread) Sugar: white, brown, honey, maple syrup, agave syrupBaking Ingredients: Baking soda and powder, vanilla extractPancake and Waffle Mix- easy enough for kids to useOlive oil: Or other cooking oils that you useJarred Sauces: Marinara, Pesto or any basic flavor that can be used as an ingredient as well. Great for pasta, sandwiches and pizza baseJarred vegetables and condiments: Roasted bell pepper, Salsa (for dipping and as an ingredient ), pickled jalapeno, olives etc. Basic Condiments: Jam, ketchup, sriracha, chili garlic sauce, mustard, lemon/lime juice concentrateSeasoning sauces: Soy Sauce, vinegar, Hoisin sauce, sesame oilChicken/Vegetable stock: for boosting flavor of soups, stewsSpices: depends on what you cook, but heres what I have:Salt and PepperIndian- garam Masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seedsMexican- Taco seasoning, Mexican Chili powder, paprika Italian seasoning blend, dried basil, oreganogarlic and dried ginger powder (great for when you run out of fresh)cayenne and red pepper flakesBerbere, Harissa or any other seasoning blend (great for breaking the monotony)Baking mixes: Brownie-Mix, Cornbread-Mix, muffin mix etc. Chocolate Chips: great for pancakes, cookies and cupcakes.
Snacks
Coffee/TeaPeanut butter/Almond butter: or other nut buttersNutella: Used in breakfast, dessert and as a spread. Crackers: Great for snacking. The dry toasted ones have a longer shelf lifeDried fruits and Nuts for snacking. Raw or dry roasted almonds, cashews, walnuts, dried cranberries, dates, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried apricots, prunes (great source of fiber)Popcorn: Great for satisfying the munchies and has more fiber than most crackers and chipsSnack Bars- preferably whole grain based (like oatbars)Sweet Treats: Chocolates, candy etc. Savory Treats: Chips, pretzels, Tortilla Chips, Namkeen (Indian snack mixes).
Freezer Items
Meat and seafood: chicken, ground turkey, chicken sausage, fish (halibut/cod/Mahi-Mahi), shrimp (large)Paneer (10 oz packs serve 4)Frozen dumplings: Tortellini, ravioli, and Asian dumplingsBurger patties: Bean Burgers, Chicken Burgers, CheeseburgersSausages: Great for sandwiches, quick stir-fry with peppers or adding to soups. Frozen vegetables- peas, corn, mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery) asian medleys, stir-fry blends, spinach, butternut squash, riced cauliflower (great for adding fiber to curries and soups)Frozen fruit: great for smoothies and muffinsAromatics: Ginger and garlic (frozen in 1 teaspoon portions)Bread- Regular sandwich bread, Cinnamon Swirl bread (for french toast)Butter and Cheese (grated and block)Desserts: Ice cream or other sweet treats
Tip: Always check expiration dates of perishable items before buying.
How Much to Buy- How to Figure out Quantity
This will be based on your personal consumption. But here are some guidelines as well as standard serving size that’ll help you figure out the quantity you need for a few weeks:
Two 15oz cans of chickpeas (garbanzo) or 1 cup dried beans for Chana Masala : Serves 4 (same for kidney beans curry)15oz. can of black beans or ½ cup dried beans for Black Bean Quesadillas : Serves 4 quesadillas1 cup of dry Basmati or Jasmine Rice : serves 31 cup of dry Quinoa : serves 324 oz. Jar of Pasta Sauce : serves 4-528 oz Can of diced tomatoes : makes Indian Curry Sauce for 8, Pasta Sauce for 4Cereal/Oats: Multiply the suggested serving size by the number of meals you have planned and see how much you need.
Checkout these easy pantry-friendly meals: Easy Pantry Recipes
Tips on Getting Maximum Life out of Your Food
Check expiration dates and pick the ones with the furthest out.When eggs are reaching their expiration, make hard boiled eggs or egg bites and extend their life another week.When cooking base sauces like Pasta sauce, Bolognese sauce, Tikka Masala or Indian Curry Sauce, double up the quantity and freeze half. It stays good for up to 1 month.Freeze extra bread, cheese, aromatics (chopped up onion, garlic, ginger, carrots, celery)Look for small packs or chopped frozen spinach. Great for adding to lentils, soups and curriesBuy your vegetables like cauliflower, squash, broccoli etc WHOLE. Cut up veggies have a shorter shelf life.
I hope this post serves as a guide and helps you make a shopping list for stocking up your pantry and freezer. I will keep updating this based on additional tips and helpful suggestions, so be sure to bookmark this page. In the meantime, here are some Easy Pantry Recipes. If you have any suggestions or tips that work for you, I would love to hear them. Simply comment below and share with us. For more Quick & Easy recipes, JOIN ME on Facebook or Instagram, Youtube and Pinterest.
