In my 9-5 job, I am a big advocate for the Canadian Public Health Association’s Basic Shelf cookbook. Straight from their website: “This is a very special cookbook because all the recipes can be made from one list of low-cost, nutritious ingredients that make up what we call “the basic shelf”. Most of these ingredients can be kept for a long time in your cupboard without refrigeration.”
I follow a similar premise in my home, the majority of meals I make are ingredients I readily have on hand and I will often search ‘What is a good substitute for ‘X’?’ A friend recently came to stay and when I listed off her choices for dinner that night, she promptly walked to the fridge and said ‘I want to see what your fridge looks like if you have all the ingredients for those meals in there’. She seemed genuinely shocked to find what most people would consider a pretty ‘empty’ fridge.
Did you know that the average Canadian household throws away 140 kilograms of food per year – totaling around $100/month in wasted food! Having spent most of my career working in the area of food insecurity (and because I am frugal), I have become very averse to having food waste. However, food waste can be especially tricky when you are cooking for one. I find applying the basic shelf premise or what I call my ‘minimalist pantry’ coupled with careful meal planning and grocery shopping means I throw out very little (if any) food.
Most of the recipes I post on MinimalistNutritionist.com will be based off the minimalist pantry plus a small number of additional ingredients.
So the question is…..what is in my minimalist pantry?
Grain products:
- Rice (basmati or jasmine usually)
- Whole grain pasta (spaghetti and a penne or fusilli type)
- Quinoa
- Whole wheat bread crumbs
- Oats
- Whole grain bread (usually in the freezer)
- Whole grain crackers
Dietitian tip: brown rice has higher fibre and is a more nutritious choice… but my white rice habit has stuck after moving back from Asia
Vegetables and fruit
- Canned diced tomatoes (no salt added)
- Dried fruit (usually dates or figs)
- Frozen fruit (berries and a mixed frozen fruit)
- Frozen vegetables
- Potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots\
- Ginger root (in the freezer)
- Apples or pears
Dietitian tip: the range of frozen vegetables available (beets, butternut squash, edamame, etc.) is great for anyone cooking for one, trying to avoid food waste, or save a few $!
Legumes
- Dried red lentils
- Canned (or dried) chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans
- Peanut butter
Dietitian tip: choose the natural type peanut butter with peanuts as the only ingredient
Meat
- Frozen/canned fish
- Chicken (bought in bulk and then frozen in smaller portions)
- Ground beef, pork or turkey (usually have a package of one of them in the freezer!)
Dietitian tip: Choose fatty fish such as salmon, cod and ‘light’ tuna that are high in omega-3s.
Herbs and Spices
- Curry powder
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Red pepper flakes
- Rosemary
- Italian herb mix
- Bay leaves
- Garlic powder
- No salt added chicken bouillon cubes
- Dill
- Cinnamon
- Salt and pepper
Minimalist tip: this is one area where I really apply my ‘culinary minimalism’. I will find a substitute or choose a different recipe if I need to buy herbs/spices not on this list.
Condiments
- Oils (olive, canola and sesame)
- Vinegars (white, balsamic, rice and apple cider)
- Low sodium soy sauce
- Fish sauce
- Dijon mustard
- Salsa
- Lemon and lime juice
Minimalist tip: although you could just buy fresh limes or lemons when needed, having some juice in the fridge is handy in a squeeze…
Baking:
- Whole wheat flour and white unbleached all-purpose flour
- Brown and white sugar
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Vanilla extract
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Chopped walnuts
- Unsalted butter
Minimalist note: If you aren’t a baker, you could eliminate most of this list but I enjoy making my own muffins and cookies
Perishable Staples
- Milk
- Plain yogurt
- Cheese
- Eggs
3 Comments
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