I find myself going to the grocery store way too much to make sure my fridge and pantry are stocked with essentials so I can make good, easy meals for my family. I always tell myself that I should just do Instacart or Amazon Prime, but I haven’t done it yet. When I lived in New York City, I would do an online grocery food order at least once a week, but I would still pop into specialty markets to grab something delicious such as a piece of fresh fish, a homemade pasta or seasonal fruits and veggies that you can’t always get online.
I would say I shop more like a European and go to the grocery store or market when I’m in the mood to make something specific and stock up for one or two days of meals rather than do a giant grocery store haul. I actually hate when I buy items that go to waste and that was happening a lot more when I would do big shopping runs. I also love to get inspiration when I go to the grocery store and pick up ingredients on a whim. These days, I find that I go to the store more frequently because my kids are ravenous, and we go through snacks and fruit really fast. In addition, I have been cooking a lot more in the new year and the takeout in my town is not the best.
One of my favorite things is finding out fun ingredients someone stocks in their fridge or pantry as I love to cook so I thought I’d share with you guys some keyessentials that I like to keep in my house. Some items don’t need to be purchased weekly such as olive oil unless you are cooking a ton, but I make sure certain products are always in stock regardless.
Here are few favorite items that I make sure to stock in my fridge and pantry weekly:
Good Loaf of Bread — Whether it’s for the kids lunch, cut up as an appetizer with cheese or to go along with dinner, a good loaf of crusty bread is an essential weekly item in my house. The bread from Seven Stars Bakery in Providence, RI is my go-to. I usually cut up the loaf (we love the Durum Stick) as soon as I bring it home in portions for sandwiches and throw them all into a ziploc freezer bag. In the morning right when I wake up, I take out the bread to make sanwiches or for the day.
Garlic, Onions, Shallot — I always make sure I have these in the house and buy them weekly as every recipe starts with a good aromatic.
Berries — We got through berries so fast that I always make sure I have a bunch on hand specifically strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
Apples and Citrus — I have one son who loves apples and one son who prefers citrus. We always have both, and in the winter, I have been loading up more on cara cara oranges, mandarins and pink grapefruit. So good!
Almond Milk Creamer — My husband and I use an almond milk creamer in our coffee daily. I prefer it over half + half and regular almond milk and it just makes everything taste so better. I love the Califa Farms almond milk creamers (the vanilla or hazelnut flavor), but the Nutpods one is pretty good (it’s less sweet) and froths really well.
Bacon or Turkey Bacon — I try not to buy this weekly because it’s not the best for you, but lately I have been because everything is better with bacon. And, it’s great to have on hand for BLT’s, breakfast sandwiches and salads. I like the Wellshire Turkey Bacon, which I find at WholeFoods, and the kids eat it, too. The key is to crisp it up and finish it with a little sprinkle of sea salt (my husband taught me that). It’s so good!
Alternative Pastas — A yummy one-pan pasta is one of my weeknight go-tos—it’s easy and everyone likes it (except my oldest guy). I hate to load up on all the carbs and want to keep it a bit cleaner so I’ve been trying alternative pastas, those that are gluten-free and have a low glycemic index. I tried the Banza chickpea pasta a few months ago and was pleansantly surprised by it so have been incorporating that into our pasta recipes. But, I’m also loving the Jovial brown rice pasta, which is really tasty and gluten free, and good for nights when I want to be a bit more indulgent than the chickpea pasta.
A hunk of Parmesan — You can always find a good hunk of parmigiano reggiano in my fridge. I’ll use it on pastas to thicken them up and make them tastier, on salads, roasted veggies and in soups (I save the rinds for adding flavor). It’s one of those staples I always need to have around in the house and I prefer to grate it myself than buy it already done for you.
Dark Chocolate — I love having dark chocolate around and buy bars that are at least 70 percent cocoa. I’ll break off a piece (or a few) after dinner and it satisfies my sweet tooth.
Nuts – I buy some sort of container of almonds on a weekly basis. My husband and kids enjoy them so we all snack on them during different times of the day. I used to only buy unsalted almonds, but I’ve been buying salted ones and find them more tolerable to eat. I know, maybe not the best for you, but they are so good.
Beans — I keep a variety of canned beans on hand at all times for salads and soups, but also have been buying dry beans to make winter soups.
Avocado Oil Spray and Extra Virgin Olive Oil — I always make sure I have a bottle of good extra virgin olive oil on hand for salads, cooking and finish a dish. Recently, I’ve been buying Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Spray that is cold pressed and works well for making eggs to roasting veggies and works great at high heat.
Fresh Condiments such as Salsa and Kimchi — Jarred salsas are great, but the fresh ones you can find at the grocery store are even better. They’re more like a pico de gallo and I love to pair them with scrambled eggs, tacos and salads. Kimchi is another cold condiment I like to keep on hand, which rich in probiotics and adds good flavor to certain dishes. I make a cauliflower kimchi rice that is so good. My new favorite kimchi is this one.
Bagged Lettuce and Arugula — These come in handy for healty salads for lunch or dinner and toppings on sandwiches.
Avocado — Cannot forget avocado. I go through them fast during the week for avocado toast, add in my salads and to snack on with salt, lemon and chili flakes.
Granola and Kid Cereals — I like granola to have in the house to snack on and also to add to the occasional greek yogurt, but I also make sure my kids have some type of cereal for breakfast.
Do you guys like this peek into my fridge and pantry grocery store haul? Please let me know in your comments below.
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