Helping you prepare foods in a hurry!

Basic Foods for Cupboard, Fridge and Freezer: Create Your Own List!

Alice Henneman, MS, RD, UNL Extension in Lancaster County

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• Are you tired of all the planning, hunting and gathering needed to find the ingredients required for many recipes?
  
  
• Would you like to go to your cupboard, refrigerator or freezer and already have most -- if not all -- the ingredients needed to make a meal?

The following list of foods can be combined and recombined in a variety of new, delicious (and nutritious!) ways. They are offered as a “starter list” to help you begin developing a list that works for you:

• Add your own favorites.
• Cross out those that don’t work for you.
• Make your own personalized list!

These foods are definitely NOT the only foods we should eat. They were picked because they’re commonly available and mix and match with a variety of other foods. Think of them as a basic wardrobe to which any number of clothing items can be added. 

Lower fat and sodium forms of foods are mentioned in this list for use as desired.

FRUITS: FRESH, CANNED, FROZEN, DRIED

Fresh

•  Apples
•  Bananas
• Grapes, seedless
• Oranges

Canned

• Oranges, mandarin
• Pineapple, canned in juice (pineapple tidbits are a versatile form)

Frozen

• Berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc.

Dried

• Raisins, dried cranberries, etc.

Other

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VEGETABLES: FRESH, CANNED, FROZEN

Fresh

•  Bell peppers
• Carrots
• Cabbage, shredded (may wish to buy smallest package size if cooking for just a few people)
• Lettuce, darker green varieties (Romaine, green leafy, etc.)
• Onion (sweet onions may be especially versatile if buying only an onion or two weekly; they’re said to be less likely to make you cry and go well in many recipes)
• Potatoes (white and sweet)
• Tomatoes (cherry and grape tomatoes tend to have the best flavor when other tomatoes are out-of-season)

Canned

• Corn  (no-salt-added forms available)
• Tomatoes, diced  (no-salt-added forms available)

Frozen

• Corn
• Peas

Other

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BREAD, CEREALS AND OTHER GRAIN PRODUCTS

• Bread, whole wheat (can purchase low sodium forms at some stores)
• Cereal (whole grain)
• Crackers (look for varieties that are whole grain and lower in salt)
• Oatmeal (“Old-fashioned” oatmeal is very versatile -- simply pulse it a few times in a blender if a recipe calls for “quick oats.”)
• Pasta (consider whole grain varieties)
• Rice (include some whole grain rice, such as brown rice)

Other

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MEAT, POULTRY, FISH, DRY BEANS, EGGS AND NUTS

• Beans, canned or dry, such as Great Northern, navy, kidney, red, black, pinto beans, etc. (check for "no-salt-added" canned varieties)
• Beef, ground, 90-95% lean
• Chicken breast, skinless
• Eggs, large ("large" is suggested as many recipes are designed for use with this size)
• Fish (frozen fish fillets lend themselves to many quick meals; thaw overnight in the refrigerator in original package on a plate on bottom shelf for easy use the next day)
• Nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, etc.
• Peanut butter
• Pork loin chops, boneless
• Salmon (consider including canned and frozen forms of salmon in a basic stock of foods; canned salmon is available in water pack varieties and may be found canned without the skin, if desired.)
• Tuna, canned (water pack and low sodium varieties are available)
• Turkey cutlets

Other

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MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS

• Cheese, cheddar and/or other favorite varieties
• Ice cream or frozen yogurt, low fat or fat-free
• Milk, low fat or fat-free
• Yogurt, low fat or fat-free (vanilla-flavored yogurt is especially versatile or add your own
  sweetener and vanilla to plain yogurt, if desired.)

Other

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OILS AND FOODS THAT ARE MAINLY OIL

• Extra virgin olive oil for dressings, dipping and drizzling
• Mayonnaise-type salad dressing (light and low fat forms available)
• Other oil for cooking: canola, corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, sunflower
• Soft (tub or squeeze) margarine with no trans fats

Other

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SEASONINGS

• Black pepper (consider freshly ground black pepper)
• Chicken broth, low sodium
• Chili powder
• Cinnamon
• Garlic, fresh or dry (minced or powdered)
• Italian seasoning (can be used as a quick seasoning for salad dressings, soups, rubs for
  meat, etc.)
• Mustard, Dijon-type (can find no-salt-added forms in some stores)
• Rosemary, dried leafy (crush slightly right before using to release added flavor in recipes; an inexpensive mortar and pestle works well for this)
• Thyme, dried leafy (see note by rosemary on crushing just before using in recipes)
• Vanilla
• Vinegar (consider vinegars such as balsamic, red wine, cider, and white wine or rice
  vinegar -- start with a small bottle and see which you use the most; vinegar easily lasts
  at least a year)

Other

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SUGARS AND SWEETS

• Sugar, white granulated
• Sugar, brown

Other

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