One of the easiest mistakes to make when building a food stockpile is buying items that have only one obvious use. A pantry full of single-purpose foods can take up plenty of room without giving you many options for meals.
I’d rather keep foods on hand that can be mixed, matched, seasoned, and turned into several different dishes. That gives you more variety and makes it easier to cook with whatever happens to be available.
Food fatigue is real, too. Eating the same bowl of beans or rice day after day gets old fast. A few versatile staples can give you far more choices without requiring a huge pantry.
Here are 15 ingredients worth keeping in your stockpile because each one can become several different meals.
1. Pinto Beans
Pinto beans are inexpensive, filling, and a great source of plant-based protein. A bag of dried beans can become much more than a basic side dish.
Try using them to:
- Serve cooked beans over crackers, toast, or biscuits
- Fry them into refried beans
- Add them to stews for a filling meal
- Combine them with canned meat or vegetables for a bean soup
- Mix them into chili
- Use them as a filling for burritos or tacos
A few bags can provide plenty of meal options without taking up much pantry space.
2. Oats
Oats are another inexpensive staple that can work for breakfast, snacks, and even savory meals. Steel-cut oats store well, while oat groats can last even longer when kept under proper storage conditions.
You can:
- Cook them with water or milk for breakfast
- Make overnight oats
- Use oats as a thickener for stews
- Mix them with nuts and dried fruit for trail mix
- Combine them with peanut butter for a quick snack
- Add them to smoothies or yogurt
- Use them in homemade granola
Oats are especially handy because they can be made sweet or savory depending on what else you have available.
3. Rice
Rice earns its spot in almost every long-term pantry. White rice stores much longer than brown rice because brown rice contains more natural oils that can eventually turn rancid.
A bag of white rice can become:
- Fried rice
- A simple side dish
- An addition to soups and stews
- Rice pudding
- A filling for stuffed vegetables
- Homemade rice flour for baking
Rice also pairs well with beans, canned meat, vegetables, and sauces, so having both rice and other basic ingredients gives you plenty of meal combinations.
4. Pasta
Dried pasta is one of those pantry staples that can save dinner when you don’t have many fresh ingredients available. Different shapes also give you some variety without buying completely different foods.
Use pasta to:
- Toss with butter, cheese, or sauce
- Add to soups
- Stir into stews
- Make cold pasta salads
- Combine with canned vegetables or meat
- Bake into a casserole
Dried pasta is essential for food storage because it is inexpensive, easy to prepare, and works with so many other pantry staples.
5. Lentils
Lentils are quick-cooking compared with many dried beans, which can be useful if you’re trying to conserve fuel. They also provide protein and can be seasoned in plenty of different ways.
Try them in:
- Soups
- Stews
- Chili
- Lentil salads
- Patties or fritters
- Casseroles
A pot of lentils can taste completely different depending on the herbs, spices, vegetables, or meat you have available.
6. Quinoa
Quinoa can be a useful addition if you want another grain-like food with a good amount of protein.
You can:
- Serve cooked quinoa as a seasoned side
- Chill it for salads
- Mix it with canned or dehydrated vegetables
- Make grain bowls
- Grind it into flour for certain baking recipes
- Stir it into soups
It costs more than rice in many places, so I wouldn’t make it the foundation of a stockpile. Still, having some on hand can give your meals a welcome change.
7. Canned Meat
Canned meat may not sound exciting, but it can rescue a meal when fresh meat isn’t available. Chicken, beef, ham, tuna, and other shelf-stable meats can be used in many simple recipes.
Try adding canned meat to:
- Soups
- Stews
- Rice dishes
- Pasta
- Casseroles
- Tacos
- Sandwiches
You can also eat some varieties straight from the can if cooking options are limited. Check the storage instructions and expiration dates on the products you buy.
8. Peanut Butter
Peanut butter has long been a favorite pantry food for a reason. It requires no cooking, provides calories and protein, and works in both sweet and savory recipes.
Use it to:
- Eat as a quick snack
- Spread on bread, waffles, or pancakes
- Make energy balls
- Add to sauces
- Mix into oatmeal
- Make cookies and other desserts
- Stir into certain noodle or rice dishes
A jar can be useful on days when you need something filling without spending much time cooking.
9. Dried Vegetables
Dehydrated and freeze-dried vegetables can bring variety to a stockpile without the short shelf life of fresh produce. They are also easy to portion out, so you don’t have to open an entire container every time you cook.
Use dried vegetables in:
- Soups
- Stews
- Casseroles
- Rice dishes
- Pasta
- Scrambled eggs
- Homemade vegetable broth
You can also rehydrate them and serve them as a side dish, depending on the vegetable.
10. Honey
Honey isn’t going to make a complete meal by itself, but a jar can be surprisingly useful in the pantry. Properly stored honey can last for a very long time.
Use honey to:
- Sweeten tea and other drinks
- Replace some of the sugar in recipes
- Add to oatmeal
- Make energy bars or balls
- Sweeten sauces
- Glaze meats and vegetables
- Add flavor to homemade bread
It’s a small item that can make basic pantry foods taste much better.
11. Bouillon Cubes
A stockpile can have plenty of calories and still produce some pretty boring meals. Bouillon cubes are an inexpensive way to add flavor without storing large containers of broth.
Use them to:
- Make quick broth
- Season beans
- Flavor rice
- Add depth to soups
- Season stews
- Boost the flavor of vegetables
- Create a base for sauces
They take up very little room, which makes them an easy pantry addition.
12. Flour
Flour gives you the option of making foods that might otherwise be difficult to keep in a stockpile. It can turn a few basic ingredients into bread, biscuits, tortillas, and other baked goods.
Use flour to make:
- Bread
- Biscuits
- Tortillas
- Pancakes
- Dumplings
- Gravy
- Homemade noodles
- Thickened soups and stews
Flour does require proper storage, particularly if you plan to keep it for an extended period. Keep it sealed and protected from moisture and pests.
13. Canned Beans
Dried beans are great for long-term storage, but canned beans have one big advantage: they’re ready to eat after opening. That can be useful when you’re short on cooking fuel or simply need a quick meal.
Use canned beans to:
- Make a hearty bean soup
- Add protein to stews
- Make chili
- Mix with rice
- Add to tacos or burritos
- Eat straight from the can when necessary
Keeping both dried and canned beans gives you two different options depending on how much time, water, and fuel you have available.
14. Canned Tomatoes
Canned tomatoes can turn plain pantry staples into something that tastes like an actual meal. Keep a mix of whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste if you have room.
Use them to:
- Make pasta sauce
- Add flavor to soups
- Build a stew
- Mix with beans
- Make chili
- Create sauces for rice and meat
- Add to casseroles
They are also handy for adding acidity and moisture to dishes that would otherwise be pretty dry.
Get the Recipe: Canned Tomatoes
15. Instant Potatoes
Instant potatoes might seem like a basic convenience food, but they can do much more than make a quick bowl of mashed potatoes.
Use them to:
- Make mashed potatoes
- Thicken soups
- Thicken stews
- Make potato pancakes
- Add to bread and baked goods
- Create potato-based casseroles
- Make a quick potato soup
They also require less cooking time than whole potatoes, which can be useful if fuel is limited.
