No pasta? Agree with all of the above but would add pasta to the list.

Have to disagree w the eggs and tuna...as a vegan I get along just fine without them!

Good for you vegan! But for the rest of us they're often good to have around at times. And let's face it, most people aren't vegan.

lemon juice and those frozen cubes of garlic are my favorite pantry staples to make food more interesting.

I'd sub out lemons for the canned tuna, which isn't particularly healthy from a heavy metals/by-catch/BPA-lined cans perspective.

I love this list! The only thing I'd add is apples. I love them for snacks and for variety in meals like curry and braises.

We have all of these at all times. I also always have lemons, which can add a lot of flavor to vegetables and rice for not much money. If you are worried about tuna, sardines are a great, sustainable alternative, especially when purchased in BPA free cans or jars. We love sardines at our house.

Garlic! Lemons, I use them for so many things. Oh, and carrots. They keep long & are very variable. They make a green salad more interesting and are good for whenever I improvise with some leftover veggies.

Yes to garlic and lemons, and I also can't live without peanut butter and hot sauce. Tomatoes are crucial, but I've read that tomatoes are one of the worst things to eat from cans, because of the acid breaking down the BPA in the cans.

Cut out all the junk from the American diet and you aren't as limited by price. Grow your own greens and tomatoes, chard and cucumbers. Get some type of omega 3 like salmon or seaweed if you're vegan. Yogurt. Juice. Eggs, limited red meat, veggies and fruit. Gluten free bread (for me) and cheese and maybe cereal, all 3 of those last ones are considered a treat. That's pretty much all I buy to stay healthy and not become overweight.

This is a very good list.

I'd just like to note that if you eat lots of oats, you can get them very inexpensively in a 50-lb bag. I buy mine by the 50-lb bag for $21, which equals $.42/lb.

Celery, carrots, and apples are a good thing to add to the list as well.

Oh, and potatoes. Most definitely scrap the tuna and add potatoes.

Definitely potatoes and bread, preferably homemade. If I have those and pasta on hand, plus herbs and scallions from the garden (read planters) and a little cheese I'm set. (Vegetarian though).

It's a good pantry list and two other staples for me are garlic & ginger. Another one of the things that's usually missing from pantry lists is fresh herbs and they make all the difference for me as I'm eating more and more from a basic food pantry. I have just a few constant-use plants in pots or the garden: flat leaf parsley, cilantro, sage, thyme, mint. I can always toss some into a dish (scrambled eggs; lentils & rice; etc) but I also toss a few leaves into the water when I'm boiling pasta or potatoes to infuse even more flavor into an otherwise bland food item. A few leaves in a basic vinegar or oil takes something plain to something really special. Small herb plants cost <$3 at garden centers but I generally take my established plants in the garden, bury a few branches, and pretty soon a new plant is ready to be potted and gifted to someone else (for free).

Eggs, rice, and black beans. For the money, I don't think you can get a better well-rounded meal.

I would also scrap the tuna (unsustainable and not really that healthy with mercury and BPA) and instead add cheese to that list! A little strong cheddar, aged parmesan, or some melty monterey jack goes a long way. Ricotta on tomato-sauced pasta or spaghetti squash is also amazing.

And, frankly, the rice. My northern European roots suggest potatoes or pasta as better (and just as cheap) starch alternatives. I'm sure other people use it a lot, it's just not really my cup of tea. Even though you can make a delicious pudding from it.

And I would switch out bananas for apples. You can bake with apples in addition to eating them raw, put them in cakes, turn them into sauce or apple butter, make savory salads, or cook with savory side dishes and/or meats. They're just more versatile than bananas and although they cost a bit more, if you get non-Red Delicious varieties by the 3 or 5 lb bag, the price goes down significantly.

Raisins are also dirt cheap and are delicious in oatmeal, as a snack, simmered in water or juice as a dessert, or added to muffins or cakes.

Lol, okay, so I changed lots of things on the list, but it is good to contemplate!

I'd also add pasta - I have boxes stacked in my pantry. I also like canned cannellini beans and anchovies. Anchovies with olive oil and garlic makes a great pasta sauce - just add a little pasta water and chopped parsley...it's delicious.

Another vote for fresh herbs! Scallions, parsley, and cilantro are cheap (I get 2 bunches of scallions for a dollar, and parsley and cilantro for around $1.00 a bunch) and make cheap, simple foods, like lentils or potatoes, feel super fancy. I put scallions in my scrambled eggs every single morning and haven't gotten tired of them yet.

raisins and other dried fruits - they last a long time and add a sweet note to salads and breakfast oats. sweet potatoes are also on my list.

I second the fresh herbs and the garlic. I almost always have parsley, rosemary, basil and thyme. I wanted to add some good stock the the list! Whenever I see it go on sale I will grab a few for the pantry. Let's be honest...we're not always making our own as much as we'd like to. Good to have on hand for a quick soup, gravy or sauce!

Laura's Last Ditch Vintage Kitchenwares,
Where do you get the 60 pounds of oatmeal for $21 and is it old fashioned oats?

Olive oil, vinegar, flour and for me, butter, so I can turn out some tart/quiche dough/cakes in a pinch. I bake a lot. I also always have some frozen veggies (peas and haricots verts) and fruit for those moments when I don't have any that's fresh at home.
Ah, and booze. Not necessarily for drinking but it's unbelievable how a shot of something can bring another dimension to a dish/dessert.

Umm yeast,baking soda ,flour,so that I can bake bread and cupcake,..cheers

Coming from South East Asia, I have everything (except for beans and lentils) you mentioned above plus glutinous rice for desserts as well as soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar (preferably coconut vinegar), garlic, grated coconut (for squeezing out coconut milk; we rarely use the canned variety) and black pepper. I also keep pasta for emergencies, and usually have Jasmine rice instead of brown rice. And while I keep a can of beans, they're usually not black beans. I don't know what to do with lentils.

Oh, and baking soda for things other than baking.

eggs are not vegetarian, but yes these are all good staples to have on hand.

My list of basic staples are very similar: elbow macaroni, lentils, split green peas, cans of plain tomato sauce, black beans, vegetable bullion, carrots, onions, eggs, and parmesan cheese.

I'd add: parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs (the unseasoned kind, preferably purchased from a nearby bakery)! Pasta with a basic tomato sauce, toasted breadcrumbs, and some parm is a surprisingly delicious go-to recipe. Anchovies are also a good pantry staple but probably not in my top 10.

I'd add chickpeas. I add them to salads and curries. Make hummus.

@Aynn: eggs ARE vegetarian. you might be thinking of vegan.

I always keep frozen peas and corn in the freezer for a quick side dish for my kids. Also, pasta and potatoes!

Garlic, eggs and old bread for garlic soup. Sardines simmered in tomato sauce and maybe some chorizo are a good sandwich filler and a good pasta sauce. Sage (grow it, you can use it in pasta, mix it with honey for a cold remedy, as tea is good if you are low on iron (anemia) or to prevent that. Thyme is also good for colds and good with lentils. Milk and bread. Tortillas (high on iron, good carbs, low calories)...

@Fulinlin: Not necessarily. It would be fallacious to presume that all vegetarians also eat eggs. Ovo/Lacto-Ovo Vegetarians do of course, but not all vegetarians. And just because you don’t eat dairy or eggs, doesn’t necessarily make you a vegan either.

I agree with above comments - garlic and pasta are big for me. But not as big as SRIRACHA!

To this list I would add fresh herbs, garbanzo beans, fish sauce, pasta, sriracha (you said it zoe!) and salsa - I find that a tablespoon or two of salsa is a great addition when I'm too lazy to chop onions, tomatoes, garlic myself. I seem to always have homemade pesto in the fridge too.

@Operator: of course not every vegetarian eat eggs. There are also meat-eaters that don't eat eggs. Or vegetarians that don't eat carrots. That doesn't mean that eggs aren't vegetarian, per definition, they are. For example it would be correct for a restaurant to label their dishes containing eggs as "vegetarian". And of course not eating eggs isn't enough to make you a vegan, I never wrote that. But saying "eggs aren't vegetarian" is just factually wrong while "eggs aren't vegan" is factually correct.

@fulinlin: I have to disagree: eggs are not per definition vegetarian--they are animal protein. A fertilized egg becomes a chicken (or duck, or quail, etc). Because in today's world they are functionally vegetarian since eggs raised by modern farming processes are unfertilized, I am among those vegetarians who have chosen to eat eggs. But to say that they are vegetarian "per definition" is factually wrong.

This is a good list. Tuna used to be more of a staple in my home but I actually haven't used it in months. Still, it's a nice cheap source of protein, and it also make a good emergency dog or cat food when you run out.

The only one I might disagree with are the bananas. I like having them around sometimes, but you have to use them pretty quickly and they're not the most versatile thing in the world.

I can't believe no one has mentioned POTATOES yet! In summer they make salads heartier and are an excellent base for fall and winter braises or great additions to (or bases of!) soups and stews. Not to mention all the hashes you can make.

And apples - sauce, desserts, snack, salads, savory cooked dishes - they can't be beat for an excellent all-purpose fruit. I store mine in the fridge and they last forever. Buy the bags of smaller ones and they're often less than $1/pound.

I'd also swap the tuna for something like olives. They liven up salads, pizzas, and even braises like chicken marbella. And/or dried fruit, which is awesome in the oatmeal or can be stewed for cheap(ish) desserts. I love tuna, but the mercury and BPA tend to scare me away except for very occasionally. I put up with the BPA in tomatoes because I haven't got up the gumption to can my own in glass and I can't live without canned tomatoes.

Otherwise, it's a pretty darn good list!

Pasta and also parmesan cheese, which keeps a long time when properly wrapped. For many years I lived far far from a grocery store and even when the fridge was almost empty, I could always scrape something together for pasta or pizza.

One of my blog projects is all about this sort of food, so I have a VERY well-stocked pantry. I'd have to add: canned sardines, salmon and anchovies (gives you options besides the tuna - if I had to pick only one, it would be anchovies,) canned roasted red peppers, garlic, canned or frozen artichokes, frozen spinach and I'll second the pasta and parmesan cheese.

Of course, a flavorful olive oil is critical.

I agree with most of the above, but I didn't see:

Peppers--any type (go in salads, sauces, or with sausage, etc.)

Pita Bread

Slivered Almonds

I never go through a bunch of bananas before they get too ripe. They always end up in my freezer.

I always have to have garlic, parmesan cheese, shredded cheddar, chicken broth, olive oil, frozen bell pepper strips, diced tomatoes, black beans, and hummus.

veg·e·tar·i·an
/ˌvejiˈte(ə)rēən/
Noun
A person who does not eat meat, and sometimes other animal products, esp. for moral, religious, or health reasons.

Everyone is right, everyone is wrong. Some vegans eat honey, or lanolin, some don't... words, words, words...

Always love seeing lists like this!

I would add some sort of nut butter--almond butter for me since I'm allergic to peanuts (sunflower butter is delicious too, but often sweetened). It lasts a long time in the fridge and a small amount is very filling - works for breakfast on toast, as a snack with fruit, or in Southeast Asian sauces, African soups...

To the poster above, where can I buy a 50-lb bag of oats and how do you store them? I would worry about them going bad(?) but I do eat a lot of them....

Try American Tuna. The cans are BPA free, the fish are young and less likely to have traceable mercury levels, and the fish is pole caught by one of six fishing families. It's the steak of tuna! Not an ad--just a big fan. Pricey but worth it. Yum.

Wow! That's ecxactly what I always have stored in my fridge/pantry! I could have written this post myself, lol!

Great list. I have all that stuff on hand right now.

I'd add corn tortillas (tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, tostadas, king casserole).

Spencer, American is the brand, or the location of the fishery? And as far as canned tomatoes and BPA is concerned, could you get around that by buying Pomi brand (sold at Trader Joes and other smaller markets), which comes in a box instead of a can? Or is the box also lined with the same BPA product as the cans?

Glad to see this post. I am a big fan of Pantry cooking. It's a great way to manage your budget, and makes meal planning much easier. I have everything on your list!

I add carrots, pasta, more varieties of beans to the list. I usually keep apples, too. They last a long time and are cheap in bags. Something acidic is needed, too. I use lemon juice, red wine or cider vinegar. I usually keep a grating cheese (parmesan or romano) for seasoning.

I also try to keep bags of frozen veggies: green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach. With the bags (instead of boxes), you can use just a little for a recipe.

sweet potatoes, coconut milk and saurkraut

Goat cheese & several bags of frozen veggies are always in our fridge. Salsa and guacamole are usually on hand too.

frozen spinach is my must-have ingredient

for a tuna replacement that won't have the risk of heavy metals - try sardines

Tinned chickpeas
Dried beans, cooked and frozen
Brown rice
Tinned tomatoes
Garlic
Tortillas
Cheese
Greek yogurt

I could eat for weeks on this stuff.

I always have a head of cabbage (purple or green) in the crisper and chop bits off as I need. Lasts forever, and you can make a one-minute salad or saute with apples and onions, or use instead of iceberg lettuce for crunch with Mexican food. I can get ten meals out of one head. (NB: I told this to someone once and she pictured me keeping a head in the fridge a la Jeffery Dahmer.)

My list is similar: brown rice, canned san marzano tomatoes, peanut butter, greek yogurt, dry black beans, dry chickpeas, flour (i bake a ton of bread), apples, and a hunk of good cheese.

Let's not forget olive oil! Can't live without.

It's amazing how many of the dishes I make start out with the exact same staples, but end up being pretty diverse.