25 Healthy Kitchen Staples

Stocking up your pantry with healthy kitchen staples can help you whip up quick and easy meals that are nutritious and delicious at the same time.

You don’t need to spend a lot for takeout which is not exactly the healthier option when you have what you need at how.

However, if you don’t already have many of them in your home, it can get overwhelming to start a stash of healthy kitchen staples, as there are so many things to get, and you might not know which ones to get.

So, I’m sharing a roundup of healthy kitchen staples to help you get started with your own stash at home.

25 Healthy Kitchen Staples

Eggs

If you want your home to be stocked with healthy ingredients, eggs are probably one of the first things you should get.

They can last long and can be used in so many different dishes. It’s definitely useful to have this ingredient on hand all the time, as they can be a part of many dishes, as well as the dish itself.

Nuts & Seeds

Keeping your kitchen pantry stocked with nuts and seeds is always a good idea. You can snack on them whenever you want, add them to your salad, bring them with you as a little side for lunch, and so on.

Some great nuts and seeds to have are:

• Almonds

• Hazelnuts

• Walnuts

• Cashews

• Pistachios

• Chia seeds

• Flax seeds

• Sesame seeds

• Peanuts

• Hemp seeds

and so on.

Nut Butters

Just like nuts are great for healthy eating and having your pantry stocked with them, so are nut butters. When you go to the grocery store, just read the label to make sure they don’t have any added artificial ingredients (since nut butters as essentially just blended up nuts), and you’re good to stock your pantry with them.

The best nut butters to get are:

• Peanut butter

• Almond butter

• Sunflower seed butter.

Frozen Fruit

Frozen fruit is an amazing thing to keep in your freezer. They’re amazing for smoothies, but they can also be amazing if you just thaw them and eat them by themselves. Healthy ingredients that can be kept in the freezer for a long time are definitely life savers sometimes, especially when you feel like making something but you don’t want to go to the grocery store. 

Frozen Veggies

One of the main healthy foods are veggies, so by getting frozen veggies, you are ensuring you always have them on hand so you can cook a healthy meal without going to the store. Frozen veggies are often even more nutritious than fresh ones, since they get frozen before they get a chance to lose their nutrients. 

Long-Lasting Fresh Fruit

While having frozen fruit on hand is always good, you can also have fresh fruit that lasts long. Fruit that lasts the longest are apples and citrus fruit.

Long-Lasting Fresh Veggies

There are tons of fresh veggies that last a long time in the fridge or in the pantry, and you should definitely stock up on them. Those veggies are:

• Potatoes,

• Carrots,

• Onion,

• Squash,

• Beets,

• Sweet potatoes, 

and so on.

Long-Lasting Cheese

When eaten in moderation, cheese can definitely be a healthy ingredient to have in your kitchen.

Some cheeses you can keep for a while are:

• Parmesan cheese,

• Feta cheese,

• Cheddar cheese,

• Mozzarella cheese,

and more.

Beans & Legumes

No matter if you prefer dried beans & legumes or canned beans & legumes, if you want your pantry stocked with healthy ingredients that you can use to make many different healthy meals, you need beans & legumes in your kitchen pantry.

Beans & legumes you should have:

• Black beans,

• Pinto beans,

• Cannellini beans,

• Chickpeas,

• Lentils,

• Peas,

and so on.

Frozen Meat & Fish

Meat is usually the main ingredient of many dishes, and if it’s prepared in a healthy way, it’s definitely considered a healthy food. So, if you want to be able to make a healthy meal without having to go to the grocery store when you realize you don’t have any fresh meat in the fridge, you should keep the meat in the freezer. It will stay good in the freezer for a long time, so you’ll be stocked up with meat all the time.

That way, you can just thaw it when you want to cook it, and you can have a meal without going to the grocery store.

Meat & fish you can keep in the freezer:

• Chicken

• Beef

• Pork

• Salmon

• Shrimp,

and so on.

Healthy Fats

Healthy fats for cooking such as olive oil (both olive oil for cooking and extra virgin olive oil for dressing your salads), coconut oil, avocado oil, and so on, are some essential ingredients you can always have in your kitchen pantry, as they don’t go bad easily, and you will probably use them daily.

Grains

Grains, especially whole grains, are healthy foods that are staples in every home and are parts of many healthy meals. So, you can stock up on them, since they don’t go bad fast at all.

Grains to stock up on:

• Whole-grain pasta,

• Rice,

• Brown rice,

• Quinoa,

• Bulgur,

• Couscous,

• Oats,

• Millet,

and more.

Healthy Condiments

Condiments aren’t always healthy, but there are many healthy ones you can stock up on, and they stay good for a really long time.

If you’re buying some pre-made salad dressings, just read the label to make sure the ingredients are clean.

Condiments to stock up on:

• Mustard,

• Tahini,

• Soy sauce,

• Sriracha,

• Hot sauce,

• Organic light mayo (not the healthiest condiment, but it’s fine to eat sometimes),

• Organic ketchup (make sure it doesn’t have too much added sugar),

• Salad dressings with clean ingredients,

and more.

Healthy Sauces

Just like with condiments, even though there are many unhealthy ones, you can also find many healthy, clean ones to stock up on and keep up with the healthy eating even while eating delicious sauces.

Here are some sauces to stock up on:

• Marinara sauce (make sure it doesn’t have added sugar and is made just from tomatoes, water, and possibly some other veggies as well),

• Pesto sauce (also check the label to see it’s natural and with clean ingredients),

• Pasta sauce (any pasta sauce you like, as long as it’s made with good ingredients).

Canned Goods

Canned goods are usually good for many months, some even years, so they’re definitely staples you want to stock up on.

Canned goods to stock up on:

• Canned beans & legumes,

• Canned tuna,

• Canned crushed tomatoes,

• Canned peeled tomatoes,

• Sun-dried tomatoes,

• Canned artichokes,

• Salsa,

• Canned chickpeas,

and more.

Dried Herbs & Spices

Herbs and spices are essential parts of every delicious meal, and since they don’t expire fast, you can stock up on a lot of them, and always have them on hand to add extra flavor to your healthy foods.

Some dried herbs & spices to get:

• Salt,

• Pepper,

• Cayenne pepper,

• Smoked paprika,

• Curry powder,

• Turmeric powder,

• Cumin powder,

• Garlic powder,

• Onion powder,

• Dried oregano,

• Dried basil,

• Dried parsley,

• Dried rosemary,

• Dried thyme,

• Dried chives,

and more.

Healthy Sweeteners

Healthy sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, and agave syrup last a long time, so keeping your pantry stocked with them is always a good idea.

Vinegar

Vinegar is definitely one of the commonly-used staples you can find in every home, so getting it is always a good idea. You can get any kind you like - apple cider vinegar (that’s especially healthy and I recommend getting it), white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, etc.

Milk & Yogurt

Milk & yogurt are usually good for a while in the fridge, so when it comes to dairy products, you can stock up on them.

You can also get almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, or coconut milk, if you’re dairy-free.

Dried Fruit

They don’t go bad easily, they make a great snack, and healthy addition to desserts. 

Some dried fruit to get:

• Raisins,

• Dried cranberries,

• Dried plumbs,

• Dried dates,

and so on.

Healthy Chocolate

Dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips and a very healthy dessert option, and they don’t go bad fast, so you can keep your kitchen pantry stocked with them, and have them ready when you get a sweets craving or want to make a healthy dessert. There’s no reason healthy eating can’t include some chocolate as well!

Meat or Veggie Stock

Having stock or stock cubes (or bouillon cubes) as common ingredients on hand is a smart idea, because you will definitely use them often.

Tofu

If you’re a vegetarian, a vegan, or just like tofu (I definitely do), tofu is something you’ll for sure want to stock up on in your fridge. Before opening, it can be good for a while (always check the label, of course), so you can have it ready to eat whenever you want.

Garlic

Thankfully garlic doesn’t go bad fast, so you can stock up on this delicious ingredient and always have it on hand when preparing healthy foods. We all know it adds an amazing flavor to every dish, and it can be used in so many different healthy foods.

Healthy Snacks

While snacking is usually considered unhealthy, there are many healthy snacks you can stock up on and have in your pantry when you feel like snacking.

Of course, nuts are some of the most popular healthy snacks (they’re also a great source of healthy fats), so you can get them individually, or buy the pre-made snack packs aka trail mixes.

There are also many healthy bars these days, so try to find some in your favorite grocery store, just make sure to read the label so you know if they’re actually healthy or not.

Another healthy snack you can stock up on are veggie chips - the ones that aren’t fried, so they’re completely healthy.

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