Staple Pantry Items

Saving cash - and eating better - can begin with dining at home, cooking family dinners, making your lunch to take with you to work or school, and eating a proper breakfast so you're less likely to want to buy expensive and unhealthy snacks during the day.

Items to keep in the pantry so you're always ready to cook:

• Tinned tomatoes - whole or chopped
• Tinned whole kernel corn
• Tinned fish - smoked fish, tuna or salmon are the most versatile. Choose your family's favorite and keep it on hand. Don't buy the flavored kind - it costs more and is less versatile!
  
• Pasta - whole grain is most healthy, but buy to taste. There are lots of different shapes available to keep kids interested!
• Rice
• Beans - whichever kind your supermarket stocks! Or choose the kind yhour family likes the best.
• Flavoured beans such as baked beans, chili beans for instant meals and healthy after-school or after work snacks
• Canola cooking oil and cooking spray
• Wholegrain mustard
• Plain flour
• Honey
• Lemon juice, if you don't have access to fresh lemons
• White vinegar
• Balsamic vinegar
• Sweet chili sauce - my personal favourite is Mae Ploy brand, but buy for price and personal taste
• Peanut butter
  

a) - Always buy the cheapest brands! There is very little difference in quality between store's own brands and the more aggressively marketed kinds. ** Exceptions - do READ the ingredient lists for preprepared foods. More on this in a later post.
b) - If we've labeled a brand, we used it in our recipe-testing. BUT, we have no affiliation with any marketing company nor do we receive payment for this - at LastPenny, be assured, any brand or product recommendations are simply our *own personal taste*. PLease substitute for your own favorite brand.

Recipes using these staples will follow, as will staples for fridge, freezer, fresh goods, etc