Ingredients to Keep in Your Pantry

You'll never be stumped for dinner ideas if you stock these foods in your kitchen.


Foodcollection RF/Getty Images

Peanut Butter
An essential of childhood and cornerstone of the PB & J, this sandwich staple is packed with protein and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.



Get recipe ideas for peanut butter.






John Kelly/Getty Images

Pasta
A staple of every pantry, dried pasta-a delectable combination of semolina flour, water, and salt-is a surefire kid-pleaser, a quintessential comfort food, and the basis of no end of delicious dishes. Fresh pasta, which contains eggs, is more tender than dried and cooks in about half the time.

Get delicious pasta recipes.





Bill Steele/Getty Images

Rice
The main dietary staple for half the world, rice is an infinitely adaptable grain. "Long-grain" means a rice kernel is three to four times as long as it is wide, whereas short-grain rice is almost round.

Learn about different types of rice.








Valerie Janssen/Getty Images

Grains
Grains are an essential element in a healthy diet, and eating high-fiber whole grains may help reduce your risk of heart disease, ward off diabetes, and control cholesterol. They're also filling and earthy-tasting and pair well with all kinds of foods in salads, soups, and side dishes.

Get delicious grain recipes.







Image Source/Getty Images

Couscous
This pasta (small grains of semolina coated in wheat flour) is a staple of North African cuisine and has become a go-to ingredient for busy cooks.

Get delicious couscous recipes.








Roger Stowell/Getty Images

Vinegar
Vinegar appropriately takes its name from the French term vin aigre, or "sour wine." It's made by adding bacteria to any type of alcohol-wine, hard cider, beer-which is then converted into acetic acid. It can be used in everything from salad dressings to sauces.

Learn about different types of vinegar.







Jeffrey Coolidge/Getty Images

Oils
Cooking oils are extracted from plant sources like nuts, olives, and seeds, each of which imparts its own flavor. Those high in monounsaturated fats (typically good sources of vitamin E) and polyunsaturated fats (like omega-3s) don't raise and may even lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol; choosing them is the first step in lowering your risk of heart disease.

Learn about different types of oils.




See more ingredients to keep in your pantry


You Might Also Like:
Purge Your Pantry

The Ultimate Food-Storage Guide

Pantry Organizing Checklist

How to Store Oils, Vinegars, and Condiments