Here is a list of some of the items I always have on hand to be sure that a meal can be prepared without an extra trip to the grocery store.
- Fresh lemons and limes
- Green apples
- Frozen fruit – strawberries, peaches, blueberries, mixed berries
- Frozen vegetables – spinach, asparagus, green beans, butternut squash
- Onions
- Garlic
- Ground flax seed (These can be expensive. The cheapest option by far I’ve found is to buy whole flax seeds in bulk. At Rainbow Grocery they were around $2/pound. They can be ground in a coffee grinder)
- Cooking spray
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (also cheapest in bulk)
- Lentils, all colors – red, green, brown
- Black beans – dried or low salt canned
- Garbanzo beans – dried or canned
- Canned diced tomatoes – low salt
- Extra firm tofu
- Silken tofu
- Raw cashews, almonds, walnuts
- Instant oatmeal
- Slow cook oats or mixed grains
- Dijon mustard
- Red wine vinegar
- White wine vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar