The perks of a well-stocked pantry
Do you often find yourself staring vacantly into the pantry and struggling to decide on something to eat?
Keeping a well-stocked pantry can inspire you to cook and create new meals and snacks that taste delicious and support your health. Interested?
Here are our top five reasons to keep a well-stocked pantry:
1. Save time
Stocking your pantry with some key staples can save you multiple trips to the supermarket and have you moments away from a meal on the table.
In less than 20 minutes, some basic staples such as tinned tomatoes and fish, pasta, herbs and extra virgin olive oil can be prepared into a quick, filling and budget friendly meal.
2. Reduce food waste
Australians throw nearly $4000 worth of groceries in the bin each year. That’s one in five shopping bags of food.
Maintaining a well-stocked pantry can help with planning your shopping list each week, limit the likelihood of buying things you don’t need and consequently reduce your food waste.
Many basic staple ingredients are non-perishable, so they will happily keep in the cupboard for a long time and more importantly, out of landfill.
WATCH: Healthy ideas with pantry staples from Dietitian Lyndi Cohen
Expert dietitian & nutritionist, Lyndi Cohen talks us through a simple recipe using a variety of pantry staples.
3. Save money
Limiting trips to the supermarket, cooking more and reducing the amount of food we throw away can all help to keep food costs down.
Keeping your pantry well-stocked with ingredients that can be turned into easy go-to meals or snacks can help reduce those last-minute takeaway splurges too, saving you even more!
Stocking your pantry with some key staples can save you multiple trips to the supermarket.
4. Improve your health and wellbeing
Research suggests that cooking at home is associated with building relationships, cultural identity and improvements to your diet and health.
Stocking up with a selection of basic staples and cooking with tinned vegetables and legumes like tomatoes, corn, beans, chickpeas and lentils can add to your serves of vegetables each day and have a positive impact on your health and wellbeing.
5. Snack options!
Some of us can’t live without snacks and it’s completely fine and even beneficial to snack between meals. Having a snacking section in your pantry is really taking your dedication to the next level.
Having snacks on hand that contain protein, healthy fats and fibre keep you feeling fuller for longer between meals and give you something satisfying to munch on when you need a ‘pick me up’ at 3pm.
Pantry basics program
Nail the pantry basics, to ensure you have loads of nutritious food ready for when you need it. Join our FREE program and we’ll also share tips on how to audit your pantry, plan for change and some seriously delicious healthier snack inspiration.
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Nutrition Australia is Australia’s leading nutrition non-profit organisation, providing information, education and business-to-business (B2B) consultation and advisory services to help Australians achieve optimal health through good nutrition.
Reviewed by the healthylife Advisory Board March 2022