This post contains 50+ Healthy Pantry Recipes for everyday meals. Cooking is made easy when you have a well stocked pantry. A well stocked pantry includes not only dry staple ingredients, but also fresh and frozen foods that keep well.
A well-stocked pantry is useful for everyday living. Buying in bulk can save money and time in the long-run. Be sure to check expiration dates and choose items with the latest expiration date (tip: sometimes the latest expiring items are in the back of the shelf). I have compiled a collection of Healthy Pantry Recipes, along with some tips and my list of pantry items.
A sample list of healthy pantry foods I typically stock in my pantry is towards the end of this post.
HEALTHY PANTRY RECIPES
All recipes are flexible, so if you don’t have all the ingredients listed in a recipe, either leave it out, or use your imagination and substitute with something else in your pantry.
Snacks/Appetizers:
- Traditional Hummus (vegetarian)
- Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus (vegetarian)
- Sun-Dried Tomato Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (vegetarian)
- Roasted Shrimp Cocktail (make a dip of ketchup, hot sauce, and a splash of lemon juice)
- Garlic Shrimp (if you don’t have sherry vinegar, use lemon juice)
- Turkey Taco Nachos (top with jarred salsa)
- Hot Black Bean Salsa Dip (vegetarian)
- Quesadillas (use leftover beans, taco meat, shredded chicken and cheese) (vegetarian-friendly)
Soups:
- Cuban Black Bean Soup (vegetarian)
- Greek Lentil Soup (vegetarian)
- Simple Lentil Soup (vegetarian)
- Vegetarian Lentil Chili Soup (vegetarian)
- Clean Eating Lentil Soup (vegetarian)
- Chicken Chili Tortilla soup
- Rustic Cabbage Vegetable Soup (use any chicken sausage)
- Chicken Chorizo Bean Soup (you can substitute any chicken sausage, whole grain, frozen leafy green vegetable)
- Lentil Vegetable Soup (vegetarian)
- Lentil Vegetable Farro Chard Soup (vegetarian; you can substitute any whole grain, frozen leafy green vegetable)
Chicken Recipes:
- Chicken Saffron Rice Pilaf (omit saffron or substitute turmeric if you don’t have saffron)
- Chicken Curry Fried Rice
- Chicken Vegetable Stew
- Chicken and Chorizo Paella (use any chicken sausage)
- Chicken Adobo
- Mediterranean Chicken with Olives Capers and Tomatoes
- Chicken Cacciatore (use frozen bell pepper strips and dried rosemary if fresh is unavailable)
- Jamaican Spiced Chicken Stew
- Asian Chicken Stew
- Brunswick Chicken Stew
Ground Meat Recipes:
Use any ground meat you have on hand (e.g., beef, turkey, chicken).
- Stir-Fry Ground Chicken and Green Beans
- Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
- Turkey Bean Chili (Substitutions: use an extra tablespoon of chili powder in place of ancho chili powder; use cayenne pepper in place of chipotle chili)
- Turkey Bolognese
- Cincinnati Chili
- Italian Meatballs
- Turkey Beef Kofta MeatballsÂ
- Saucy Barbecue Meatballs
Shrimp Recipes:
Shrimp can be purchased frozen in bags.
- Chinese Shrimp Fried Rice
- Indonesian Shrimp Fried Rice (Substitutions: use brown sugar in place of palm sugar and molasses; use soy sauce in place of fish sauce)
- Moo Shu Shrimp (regular cabbage can be used instead of napa cabbage; serve with heated tortillas)
Vegetarian Recipes:
- Vegetarian Lentil Tacos
- Lentil Chili
- Three Bean Vegetarian Chili (you can substitute sweet potato for butternut squash or leave out)
- Chipotle style black beans
- Caribbean black beans
- Oyster Sauce Tofu
- Tofu with Spicy Garlic Soy Sesame Sauce
- Vegetarian Fried Rice
Pasta Recipes:
- Pasta Puttanesca (leave out anchovies for vegetarian option)
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta (leave out pesto if you don’t have it)
- Tomato Paste Pasta
- Tuna Marinara Pasta
- Penne with Tuna Tomatoes and Olives
- Penne all’Arrabbiata
- Pasta al Pomodoro
- Turkey Taco Nacho Macaroni and Cheese
- Sesame Noodles (shredded carrots and thinly sliced Napa cabbage are nice additions; add shredded cooked chicken if desired)
- Stir Fry Noodles with Chicken (regular or Napa cabbage, and dried shitake mushrooms can be used)
MY HEALTHY PANTRY
Below, you will find pantry items that I try to keep on hand so I can make a meal any day of the week without going to the grocery store.
Basic Pantry Items: (printable shopping list)
These are basic essential ingredients that I always have on hand. Whether you want to make soup or a simple pasta dish, these ingredients will come in handy,
- Chicken Broth or good quality Chicken Bouillon (I like Better Than Bouillon)
- Vegetable Broth or good quality Vegetable Bouillon
- Dry or Canned Beans (e.g., black beans, red beans, white beans, chickpeas)
- Dried Lentils
- Canned Tomatoes (whole peeled tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste)
- Tuna Fish
- Dried Pasta
- Rice/Grains (choose your favorites)
- Panko Breadcrumbs (great for meatballs, meatloaf, chicken tenders)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Granulated Garlic
- Granulated Onion
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Thyme
- Chili Powder
- Taco Seasoning
- Red Chili Pepper Flakes
- Vinegar (Apple Cider, Balsamic)
- Ketchup
- Salsa
- Hot Sauce
Specialty Pantry Items: (printable shopping list)
These are nice-to-have items that can expand the repertoire of recipes you make. Add these ingredients to your Basic Pantry Items if you’re interested in cooking more Mediterranean and Asian dishes.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Roasted Red Bell Peppers
- Kalamata Olives
- Capers
- Tahini
- Dried Shitake Mushrooms (or other mushrooms)
- Spanish Smoked Paprika
- Curry Powder
- Ground Cumin
- Cayenne Powder
- Soy Sauce
- Oyster Sauce (buy vegetarian oyster if desired)
- Sesame Oil
- Chinese Rice Wine
- Cornstarch
- Boxed Macaroni and Cheese (Great for Turkey Taco Nacho Mac and Cheese; I like the brand Annie’s)
Fresh Pantry Foods That Last Longer: (printable shopping list)
These ingredients will keep for several weeks. Some items can be frozen if you have extra (e.g., shredded cheese, lemon juice, chopped garlic, minced ginger, chopped onions)
- Eggs
- Tofu
- Shredded Cheese (can be frozen)
- Carrots
- Celery
- Green Cabbage or Napa Cabbage
- Lemons (juice extra lemons and freeze in small portions)
- Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Garlic (or buy pre-chopped garlic in refrigerated section)
- Ginger root (can be minced and frozen in small portions)
- Onions (pre-chop and freeze any extras)
Pantry Foods That Freeze Well:
Chicken and ground meat can be used in many recipes, and are often cheaper when bought in bulk. Ground meat can be frozen raw as purchased. Alternatively, ground meat can be browned in a little oil, cooled down, and frozen in portions. Then, when you’re ready to make tacos, nachos, chili, or bolognese sauce, you’ll have one less cooking step. I also like to keep chicken sausage in the freezer so I can pull it out for soups, or paella. You could even add it to fried rice.Â
I use tortillas to make quesadillas using leftover beans and meats (e.g., taco meat, shredded chicken). Frozen avocados be made into guacamole (smash up with a little garlic, lemon juice and salt) and serve with nachos, tacos, on top of chili.
- Chicken (boneless and chicken parts on the bone)
- Ground meat (grass-fed beef, turkey, chicken)
- Chicken sausage (e.g., chorizo, Italian)
- Tortillas (corn, whole grain)
- Avocados (peel, quarter and freeze on baking sheet; then store in freezer bags/containers)
Frozen Pantry Foods:
Frozen vegetables are very nutritious and convenient to use in a pinch. I’ve found frozen peas, corn and chopped spinach to work very well in place of fresh vegetables. Some frozen vegetables lose their crunch when frozen and then cooked. However, they are still a good substitute when fresh vegetables are not available.
Frozen shrimp is one of the most convenient foods. Although a little pricy, shrimp is a lean protein that can be stretched out in fried rice, and Moo Shu Shrimp.Â
- Frozen vegetables (e.g., peas, corn, chopped spinach/other leafy green vegetables, green beans, bell peppers)
- Shrimp
Healthy Pantry Recipes are within your reach once you have a well-stocked pantry.
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