Create a Smarter (Paleo, Gluten-Free, or Vegetarian) Pantry

It’s 6 PM. You have a pantry full of food . . . but how you’ll turn any of it into dinner is a mystery.

Been in this situation before?

Don’t worry. You’re totally not alone. It’s so very easy to amass a wide assortment of ingredients, but a lot more difficult to figure out what to do with them again after their initial use.

Enter our newly updated Pantry Essentials Guide!

Our Pantry Essentials Guide not only tells you what should be in a smartly-stocked pantry, but also gives you plenty of ideas on how to use those essential ingredients. Being able to create meals from your pantry is, like any skill, something that will become easier with practice, and our guide will give you just the start you need.

You’ll find suggestions of what ingredients should be stocked for each category, so you’ll always have a good variety to make a healthy meal. We also provide ideas for ways you can use the ingredients and tips to make it even simpler and smarter.

For example, grains add texture, bulk, and comfort to any dish, which makes it an essential item to have in your pantry. We recommend stocking a mix of whole-grains (super healthy and good for you) and quicker-cooking grains (for a healthy meal under 30 minutes!). Whichever type of grain you have on hand, you can easily make grain bowls, soups, or burritos. All you have to do is add some veggies, broth, or tortillas, respectively. And if you have any cooked grains leftover, our tip is to freeze them, since they freeze very well.

With all the pantry essentials we provide, it might not be easy to commit all of this to memory. That’s why you can download this guide for free! Print it out, stick them in a handy kitchen binder, and you can reference anytime you’re cooking on the fly and need to use up some ingredients from your pantry.

We’ve also made gluten-free, paleo, and vegetarian versions of our Pantry Essentials Guide, so it can be a resource for almost everyone. There are printable versions for each diet, so download the one that works best for your dietary needs. Of course, you can also download them all! We have members in our cooking community who accommodate different diets in their families, so we knew this guide was something good to have on hand.

Enjoy creating your smarter pantry!

If you want to hang more handy cooking resources on your wall, check out our 2017 wall calendar! Each month features one of our most popular cooking infographics, including the Pantry Essentials Guide, making it easy to cook simpler, smarter, and healthier.

As always, we’re here to help you live your best life in the kitchen. Join our cooking community by signing up for our newsletter below, and we’ll send you great cooking tips and resources that will help you raise your kitchen IQ.