Part two of our pantry staples series: canned goods! Canned items like beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, and tuna or chicken are a great way to build up your pantry. They’re usually cheaper than buying food fresh, they’ll last for ages, and they’re super versatile. Foods like nut butters, jams and jellies, and condiments can also fall into this shelf stable category; even though you probably won’t use the whole container at once like you would a can of beans or tomatoes, they’re similar enough that we tend to store them together. Read our list below to find out some basic canned goods to stock up on!
- We always have a couple cans of beans floating around our dorm room! Kidney beans, black beans, and white beans are what we usually buy; you can use them in soups and chili for some added protein, or make beans and rice! Our go-to recipe calls for a can or two of beans, some Minute Rice, and peppers and tomatoes you
stole from the dining hallbought with your university meal plan! - We’ve made another post about chickpeas, so we won’t go on about them here, but suffice it to say we cook with chickpeas at least 1-2 times a week! We never have less than two cans in our pantry and we always buy some more whenever we’re at the store. One of our favorite dinners is roasted chickpeas, potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower – we just dump all the ingredients in a ziploc bag and coat with some olive oil and a seasoning blend, then roast everything on a sheet pan for 20-25 minutes at 425℉.
- Canned tomatoes are another food we always have – they’re essential to a good chili or beans and rice! Since we usually use them in spicier foods, we like buying ones that have hot peppers mixed in with the tomatoes. You can also add them to spaghetti sauce with some chopped vegetables to put some extra veggies on your plate!
- Obviously this isn’t one for vegans or vegetarians, but if you eat meat, canned chicken and tuna are great to keep in your pantry! Chicken salad or tuna salad make easy, filling lunches, especially spread on a tortilla and paired with chips and a piece of fruit. All you need for an easy tuna salad is a can of tuna, chopped olives, and mayonnaise to taste; chicken salad is just chicken, celery, mayonnaise, and some pepper and garlic salt!
- Nut butters, like peanut butter and almond butter, are one of the best foods you can have in your kitchen! They’re packed with protein and can be used for so many different things: spread some on a tortilla with bananas and chocolate chips, drop a dollop on top of your oatmeal, or just make yourself a classic PB&J!
❤ Juliana and Sarah
Mix It Up 