Healthy Pantry Staples (The Ultimate List)

Here is the ultimate list of healthy pantry staples to stock in your kitchen to help you make a quick healthy meal. I’ve also included tips and ideas to help you create a kitchen that’ll help you stick with healthier eating habits long-term.

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I have often said that it’s easier to eat healthy when nutritious meals and snacks are ready ahead of time. That is pretty much what this entire blog is about – showing you how to quickly prepare meals so you can fit healthier eating habits into a busy schedule. One of the ways to do that is by having a kitchen that’s stocked with healthy pantry staples.

Reasons you’ll love having your kitchen pantry stocked with healthy eats!

• You’ll have healthier options available when the craving for a snack or meal hits—no more reaching for chips when there are better choices.
• Preparing quick, nutritious dinners or snacks is less of a hassle when you have healthy ingredients at your fingertips. There’s no need to order take-out because everything you need to make a nutritious meal is in the kitchen.
• Removing unhealthy choices and temptations minimizes the chance of eating foods that sabotage your healthy eating habits and weight loss.

Favorite grocery stores to shop when stocking a pantry

These are the three stores I shop at most often when I’m stocking up on healthy pantry staples.

• Wegmans or Whole Foods – I do my weekly grocery shopping at either of these grocery stores. Typically, I’m not doing an extensive stock up at these stores but grabbing a few staples that I ran out of or need for a recipe. I get better prices at the following two options.
• BJ’s Wholesale – If you live near a wholesale grocery store, I strongly recommend checking it out when stocking up on healthy ingredients. I shop primarily at BJ’s Wholesale, but Costco and Sam’s Club are also great options. You can find large bags of organic rice, quinoa, sauce, spices, whole grain pasta and flour, oatmeal, olive oil, coconut oil, and tons of other healthy options. They offer many organic perishable and non-perishable options, and you can even find a more extensive selection of gluten-free items.
• Thrive Market – I’ve been a Thrive Market member since 2015, so you’ve likely seen me talk about this online grocery store many times. Next to wholesale stores, this is my favorite grocery store to use when I’m stocking up on pantry staples. Thrive Market offers better prices on most name brands I’d purchase from Whole Foods or Wegmans. I also love the Thrive Market store brand that includes everything from pasta sauces to salsas to rice to beans to everything in-between. And, Thrive Market has the best prices on all gluten-free brands and ingredients. So, I try to put an order in with Thrive Market before I know I’ll run out of ingredients. Many people ask is Thrive Market Worth it? And, yes, it most definitely is.

If you’re a Thrive Market Member then, you can check out my running list of pantry staples. Not a member yet? Give Thrive Market a try and get 40% off your first order.

Tips to make sure your pantry is always stocked with healthy kitchen staples

• Keep a running list of ingredients – As you use up the last of an ingredient, add it to the shopping list. You can do this using the notes app on your phone, pen and paper, or right into the Thrive Market online grocery cart (if you’re a member).
• Make a monthly stock-up shopping trip – If there are healthy pantry staples that you use all of the time, then plan a monthly stock-up trip to make sure you never run out. I stock up on kitchen staples like chicken stock, spices, rice, quinoa, and pasta once a month, even if I’m not out because I know I use these ingredeints often to make quick meals.
• Review the pantry before shopping – It never hurts to take a peek at the pantry to make sure you’re not low on or out of an ingredient. 

Healthy Pantry Staples

I put together a quick list of healthy pantry staples I recommend having in your kitchen. When choosing ingredients, make sure to look for organic or the least processed ingredients.

Grains and Pasta

• Steel-cut oats
• Old-fashioned oats
• Brown rice
• Quinoa
• Whole-grain pasta or Gluten-free Pasta

Canned/Packaged Goods

• Broth (chicken, beef, vegetable)
• Canned tomatoes (sauce, diced, crushed, and paste)
• Canned chilis
• Jarred pickled jalapenos
• Jarred banana peppers
• Canned or dried beans (garbanzo, black, kidney, cannellini, refried)
• Canned coconut milk
• High-quality pasta sauce (Rao’s and Thrive Market Brand are my favorites)
• Canned tuna
• Olives or capers
• Salad dressings
• Salsa
• Nut or seed butter (peanut, almond, cashew, sunflower, tahini, etc.)
• Nuts (almonds, pecans, cashews, peanuts, etc.)
• Dried fruits (blueberries, cranberries, cherries, etc.)
• Dried coconut
• Canned pumpkin or squash

Baking Staples

• White-whole wheat flour
• Grain-free flours (oat, almond, coconut, or 1:1 gluten-free flour)
• Pure vanilla extract
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Chocolate chips
• Cooking spray
• Pure maple syrup
• Honey
• Coconut sugar
• Buttermilk power (this goes in the fridge after it’s open)

Super-foods

• Chia seeds
• Flaxseeds
• Hemp hearts
• Cacao powder
• Cacao nibs

Oil and vinegar

• Olive Oil
• Coconut oil
• Avocado oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Red wine vinegar
• White wine vinegar

Spices

• Salt and pepper
• Granulated garlic
• Onion powder
• Italian seasoning
• Dried oregano
• Dried basil
• Dried thyme
• Chili powder
• Cumin

Condiments

• Mustard (yellow, spicy, Dijon)
• Ketchup
• Hot Sauce
• Sriracha
• Soy Sauce (or Coconut Amino Acids)

Snacks

Preparing homemade snacks is always the best option but you may not always have the time. Here is a list of snacks I like to keep in the pantry.

• Bobo Bars
• Kind Bars
• Cliff Bars
• Turkey Jerky Sticks
• Crackers

For more options, check out this list of store-bought keto snacks.

Fridge Staples

• Fresh produce (fruit, vegetables, salad ingredients)
• Milk or No-dairy milk
• Hummus
• Yogurt (vanilla and plain)
• Shredded cheese
• Eggs

Freezer staples

Often, I’ll prep food ahead of time to put the freezer to have ready for recipes. Here’s a list of my favorites.

• Shredded chicken recipes
• Shredded beef
• Seasoned ground beef
• Turkey meatballs
• Bags of frozen shrimp (cleaned and shelled)
• Bags of frozen veggies
• Cooked brown rice 
• Frozen fruit (for healthy smoothies, yogurt bowls, and healthy baking recipes)

For recipe ideas using these healthy pantry staples, browse through all of my breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes.

A healthy pantry should include a mix of ingredients that will help you prepare a homemade meal or snack easily and quickly. Don’t feel like you need to go out and purchase everything on this list. Start with a few things, and then add to your pantry with every shopping trip.