Here’s Your Quarantine Grocery Shopping List

Here’s what you really need to keep on hand in your fridge and pantry

Having a well-stocked pantry is always a good idea, whether you’re looking to throw together pasta with anchovies when there’s nothing in the fridge, or you want to avoid leaving the house for a while.

It’s also true that a well-stocked pantry can provide a sense of safety and control when the news is frightful and the future uncertain. Not only can shelves filled with bags of rice, cans of beans and bins of garlic give us a sense of order, they’re also the beginning of many excellent meals.

What are the most affordable groceries to buy?

1. Pulses

Nutritious, adaptable and wonderfully long-lasting, dried pulses. These include Pulses are the dried seeds of the legume plants. Hundreds of different varieties of pulses are grown around the globe. Pulses are very filling and can be used in almost all cuisines. Especially canned pulses. 

• Beans (Black, red, kidney and white)

• Lentils (orange, yellow, black, brown, red…)

• Fava Beans

• Chickpeas

2. Eggs

Eggs
Image Credit: Pexels

Eggs are incredibly versatile and can be added to almost any dish. Full of protein, good fats and low in sugar, eggs are healthy and delicious. They’re a welcome addition to so many dishes — and, of course, stand on their own. Not to mention, they keep for a long time in the fridge.

3. Canned tomatoes

Purchasing tomatoes fresh may not always be the most cost effective option. Instead you should opt for a box, or can of paste, crushed, or diced in a preserved form. This not only saves you time and money, but can add plenty of flavor to lots of dishes.

4. Potatoes

Potatoes. My favourite ingredient to cook with. They can be made in so many different way. Fried, boiled, mashed… They are also very nutrient-dense and really filling. They also happen to be very inexpensive and can last a long time when stored right environment.

5. Canned tuna

I normally don’t like to encourage canned food or things that are too processed, but sometimes, you just have to take certain measures to cut down on your grocery bill. Tuna is a great source of protein that can be purchased inexpensively or in bulk.

6. Rice

rice generic
For illustrative purposes only.Image Credit: Supplied

Rice, whether white or brown, is a great, cheap food that can be used as a side dish for many meals. It provides fiber, vitamins and minerals. Including brown rice in your diet is simple. It is quite easy to prepare and can be enjoyed with just about any meal. Rice can be expensive if you buy certain brands but try to stick to the local stuff

The question is, what should you buy? What lasts long and is versatile enough to be cooked in different ways. 

7.Pasta

Spaghetti
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It’s nice to have both long, thin pasta (like spaghetti or linguine) and short, textured pasta (like fusilli or orecchiette) on hand. Having both keeps meals from getting repetitive. And if you’re a boxed mac and cheese fan, stocking a couple of those is never a bad idea.

8. Stocks and Broths

Whether meat- or vegetable-based, boxed broths are essential for soups, stews, and make the base of pan sauces. And they won’t take up valuable freezer space.

9. Beans

Beans
.Image Credit: Getty

Home-cooked dried beans taste better than canned beans; canned beans are more convenient and faster than the dried kind. It’s always good practice to have both.

10. Cured Meats

Cured meats keep for weeks in the fridge, and a chunk of smoked turkey or salami in your bean pot adds so much flavor.

11. Frozen Fruits and Veggies

Use the fruit in smoothies, and the vegetables in soups, stir-fries and stews. I’m partial to frozen spinach, artichokes, kale, corn, peas and lima beans. As for fruit, I like blueberries, mixed berries, peach, mango and cherries. (I also like to throw ripe bananas into the freezer, to extend their lives a little.)

12. Canned Fish

Anchovies, sardines, tuna and salmon are the building blocks of many of my favorite meals. Anchovy toast is a staple at my house.

13. Hard cheeses

Parmesan cheese
Image Credit: Pexels

These kinds of cheeses last for months in the fridge if you buy blocks rather than pre-grated. Or store the pre-grated kind in the freezer. You can also buy some cheese sealed in wax, which increases how long you can store them. Cream cheese is also important, for sandwiches and otherwise.

14. Oil, Vinegar, Lemons

Can’t cook without them, useful ingredients and last long in your pantry. 

15. Nuts and Dried Fruit

For snacking and baking.They last for ages. 

14. Flour, Sugar, Yeast

For baking 

15. Butter

Butter
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It will keep for weeks in the fridge and longer in the freezer.

16. Garlic and onions

No pantry is complete without them. They belong in almost every meal. 

17. Root Vegetables

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Potatoes, carrots, beets parsnips, turnips, radishes. Radishes and turnips are excellent in salads and last for weeks in the produce drawer. If they get soft, soak them in a bowl of ice water until they firm up. Consider ginger for stir-fries and making into tea.

18. Spices

If can’t remember when the last time you bought new spices was, consider buying some the next time you’re at the store: Fresh spices have so much more flavor than old ones.

-Inputs from NYT

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