The winter months can bring weather that is not always fun to venture out in. It is good to stock your pantries so that you are prepared to cook at home. Having things on hand so that you can make healthy, tasty meals that will please your families will help to take the stress out of winter mealtimes.
The first step is to take inventory of what you have on hand. This will help you to determine what you need to supplement your pantry so that you are ready to feed your family. Some of the foods to stock up on are:
- Dried and canned beans – black beans, garbanzo, lentil, kidney, white beans, pinto etc.
- Whole grains – brown rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth, wild rice, oats, pasta etc
- Oils – vegetable, olive, canola, sunflower, etc.
- Spices and herbs – bay leaves, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, nutmeg etc.
- Dried fruit – dates, raisins, cranberries, cherries, etc.
- Sugars and other alternative sweeteners
- Nuts and seeds (including nut/seed butters) – almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, etc.
- Potatoes and sweet potatoes
The Eat Smart website has many valuable sections for finding, preparing, and storing foods.
The Cooking 5 Ways section tells readers five different ways to use various items they might have on hand such as:
- beans
- rice
- peanut butter
- tomatoes
- canned chicken and fish
- canned pumpkin
- oats
- milk
- canned vegetables
- canned fruit
- leafy greens
For other pantry list suggestions, visit these Eat Smart pages:
For some ideas for new ways to use the food you have, search the Eat Smart recipe section.
If you are having issues with finding food to keep you stocked up, check the following Eat smart resources:
Being prepared will help you deal with anything that may come your way this winter!
