Grocery List Staples

[LyLMyssChaos]

Okay, here's the deal. DH and I have REALLY slacked off in the grocery shopping area, and so tonight, we need to make one of those shopping trips where we need to get pretty much EVERYTHING(down to even hot sauce and margarine.) Only, I'm having a really tough time trying to figure out what I normally would buy. I know that sounds crazy, but I think I have to buy so much, that I know I'm forgetting something, so help me out here ladies! What are MUST HAVES on your grocery lists?
*If you have toddlers, foods that they might eat would be extra helpful!*

[mgrace]

Eggs
Milk
Bread
Pasta
Veggies and Fruit (carrots, oranges, limes, lettuce, pears, peppers, etc.)
Yogurt
Granola bars
Meat/poultry
cheese
Canned beans
salsa..........

Here is a link to a well stocked pantry (http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking/cs/resources/article/0,13803,631767-231098,00.html)

[LyLMyssChaos]

Ohhhh...thank you for that link!!! That will be really helpful! I haven't really stocked my pantry since we moved in, just been buying stuff for recipes. Thank you so much!

[jennylou]

Must haves for us include:

*Bread
*Milk
*cereal
*sour cream
*veggies
*fruits
*butter (I always have at least a few sticks in the freezer)
*butter substitute (Brummel & Brown)
*Chicken
*Lean ground beef
*Spagghetti Noodles
*tortillas
*spices (if I'm running low)
*Oatmeal

And then of course, I'd put some meals on my list and buy that stuff as well.

[mrstim]

Bread
Hamburger/HotDog Buns
Lettuce
Tomato
Apples
Onions
Oranges
Lemons
Bananas
Chicken
Hamburger Meat
Steaks
Hot Dogs
Lunch Meat
Pickles
Shredded Cheese
Sliced Cheese
Block Cheese
Yogurt
sour cream
cottage cheese
ricotta cheese
Milk
Chocolate Milk
ButterMilk
Eggs
Orange Juice
Squeezable Margarine
Stick Margarine
Stick Butter (recipe staple)
Soft Drinks
Bottled Water
Paper Towels
Toilet Tissue
Klennex box
Canned Veggies (green beans, peas, corn, potatoes, tomatoes)
Canned Fruit (fruit cocktail, peaches, pears)
Cold Cereals
Oatmeal, Cream of wheat - warm cereals
Pop Tarts, Granola Bars, Fruit Snacks
Ketchup
Hot Sauce
Mustard
hot mustard
pickles
Salad Dressings
peanut butter
jellies/jams
tea bags
coffee beans/coffee
filters for coffee or tea
creamer for coffee
spaghetti noodles
spaghett sauce
lasagna noodles
any other pasta noodles
pizza crusts/mix
pizza sauce
pepperonni
salsa
White Granulated Sugar
White Powdered Sugar (10x)
Brown Sugar
Sweet N Low, splenda
Crisco
Vegetable Oil
Olive Oil
Cornmeal
All purpose flour
Self-rising flour
Jiffy cornmeal/biscuit mixex
cinnamon
dried onion flakes
salt
pepper
garlic powder
garlic salt
baking soda
baking powder
Frozen French Fries
Frozen Pizzas
Frozen Chicken
Frozen Veggies (sometimes taste better in winter) (broccoli, squash, brussel sprouts, peas, corn)
Snack Cakes
Chips
Peanuts
Saltine Crackers
Ritz Crackers
Candy & chocolate

Hope this helps - Can you tell I just went through the aisles at my local Walmart in my mind??? ;) I know that store like the back of my hand! Sorry there's not more - I just had to rely on my memory!

[gayle]

Mrstim you must be Ms. Super shopper :)

I was gonna add mine, but everyone else has already listed them!

[looch]

My list is always the same:

Dairy: 1 gallon skim milk, light sour cream, white cheddar cheese block, plain yogurt, part skim ricotta, baby bell cheese

Fruit: apples, bananas, grapes, berries, lemons, pears, frozen cherries

Vegetables: zucchini, string beans, lettuce, broccoli, brussel sprouts

Meat/Poultry: chicken, 1 whole and breasts, pork tenderloin, sirloin

Misc. grocery: Grapenuts, pickles, crackers, flour, yeast cakes, ice cream

The trick for me is sticking to the list, which never happens.

[maplekitty]

some things i didnt notice on the PP's lists:

bagels
cream cheese
english muffins
soft tortillas
perogies
ice cream/or sherbet
mozza cheese
sandwhich meats
bacon
garlic sausage (to go w/ perogies)
ginger
garlic head
salad dressings
peanut butter
couscous

[Layla]

It's always good to have extra cans of soup (Cream of Broccoli, Cream of Mushroom) to use for soup, casseroles, for baking chicken, etc.

Condensed milk
Canned veggies
Diced tomatoes
Tomato sauce
Pasta
Flour
Sugar
Brown sugar
powdered sugar
cornstarch (for thickening soups, etc)
baking soda and powder
cocoa
baker's chocolate
vegetable oil

[bellezzadolce]

Bread
Lettuce
Onions/bellpepper
Oranges
Lunch Meat
Chicken
Ground Turkey
Sliced, shredded and snack cheese
Bananas
Eggs
tea bags
Butter
Bottled Water
Orange Juice
Crackers
Ketchup
Hot Sauce
Mustard
Snack Cakes
Milk
Chips
Salad Dressing
Candy & chocolate
Tuna
Marie Calendar meal
Hot Pockets
Edward's key lime and pecan pie

[lml41981]

I realize you made your run already, but for future reference... I keep lots of canned corn and green beans on hand. Also a few cans of peas. I am never without chili powder because we use it in almost everything (we put chili powder on our peas, for an example of something I might use it in other than a TexMex type dish). I keep cans of VegAll on hand, as well as canned chicken. I keep creams of chicken, celery and potato on hand at all times.

We also keep Cheerios on hand...I'd eat a handful of Cheerios when I couldn't keep anything else down during pg...and now that she's here, when she's being particularly needy, I'll eat a handful of Cheerios instead of a full lunch. Bad, I know. :cool:

[MichelleRenee]

I thought for sure that a search would turn up a thread on this, but I couldn't seem to find one.

I am just wondering what kind of "staples" everyone keeps in their kitchen. Here's what we have:

Basic spices (salt, pepper, basil, oregano, cinnamon, whatever came with our spice rack)

Assorted dried pasta

Garlic

Frozen veggies

Kind of pathetic. I am a new mom who doesn't really know how to cook, but I am hoping to start trying new stuff. I would like to stock my kitchen with basic items that I will get a lot of use out of. I know I should probably buy some flour and some chicken stock, but other than that I am at a loss. I am mostly looking for things that have a decent shelf life and that can be used in a variety of recipes.

Thanks!

[mlfallis]

My additions would be

Pasta
Pasta sauce
rice
soup (all kinds, great for casserole dinners)

I also always make sure there is frozen chicken and ground beef in the freezer.

[c'est la vie]

Pantry:
Pasta (assorted)
Pasta sauce ( at least 2 types)
All types of spices
Rice (assorted)
Red beans

Freezer:
Frozen chicken
Frozen beef
Frozen burgers patties
Frozen meat balls

[shopaholic]

Pantry:
Soups
Canned veggies (corn, green beans)
canned fruit (peach slices, pineapple chunks)
pasta
tomato sauces
rice
pasta sides

[lil_geek]

Our 'staples' may be different then you are looking for. DH won't eat any 'quick in the pantry' kind of meals so our staples are fres foods with a longer shelf life, or frozen.

Always have in the freezer eta:freeze in potion sizes.. I do 2 pork chops a bag or 1/2 pound GB then it defrost quicker and is all you need for the 2 of you)
ground meat (frozen)
Pork Chops
Chicken breasts (breaded or not)
bacon (regular, back)
bread

Fridge
pepers (green, red, orange, hot, sweet, whatever)
lettuce (in a tupperware special crisper it stays fresh 2-3 WEEKS)
cheese (a few kinds)
flour tortillas

Pantry
canned corn
tomato sauce
salsa
stove top stuffing
onion
potato
sweet potato

We pretty much do groceries every 2-3 weeks and we always make sure we have a good supply of the above.

[Amuse Bouche]

Hm - instead of having basic "staples" I'd suggest meal planning, and buying things you're actually going to use. Get a good cookbook and buy what you need, and you'll start to see some fairly common repeats. You also want to have some "quick meals" if you didn't have time to go shopping -- things like pasta and sauce, or eggs (last a surprisingly long time in the fridgem and an omelet is always a good quick lunch or dinner).

That said, these are things I always have on hand that get used often and in multiple recipes:

Pantry:
Olive Oil
Vinegar (I like having both balsamic for flavor and a more basic vinegar, like red wine vinegar)
Soy Sauce
salt&pepper
Flour
Sugar
Breadcrumbs (I like the Japanese Panko Breadcrumbs)

Refrigerator:
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Ketchup
Eggs
Onions
Garlic
Butter
Bouillon Mix (I like Better than Bouillon)

[tlew12778]

Pantry:
Rices - Jasmine, Basmati, Arborio
Lentils (dried)
Pasta - linguine, penne, spaghetti, sometimes fusilli, and pastina
Canned corn
Tuna (usually)
Dried mushrooms - porcini and shiitake
Flour
Sugar
Soy Sauce
Red wine vinegar

Counter:
Spices - You name it, I probably have it. I grow a lot of spices myself though (basil, oregano, sage, flat leaf parsley, cilantro/coriander, sometimes rosemary, mint). I hate having to go out and get a spice so I tend to try to keep everything on hand. Some of the more random ones are mustard seeds (although you can sub horseradish), cardamom, tumeric... On my counter I keep dried basil, oregano, whole chili peppers, crushed chili peppers, cayenne pepper, salt/pepper, thyme, sage, garlic (whole and powdered)...

EVOO from Piedmont area (personal preference)

Fridge:
I buy vegetables in season normally but I like to keep zucchini, tomatoes, onions, shallots. In the winter I make lots of soups so I like to keep leeks, potatoes, carrots and celery on hand. I also find it handy to have a bunch of scallions in the fridge.

I don't keep meats. I go to the store or butcher the day I want to eat it so that it's fresh.

I keep lots of cheeses in the fridge:
Asiago DOP
Parmigiano Reggiano DOC
Grana Padana DOC
Pecorino Perla Nera
Gruyere
Emmenthal
Ricotta
Mozzarella

Organic eggs, milk, butter and yogurt

Heavy cream

Red and white wines for cooking (not cooking wine though)

Bullion - vegetable and porcini

Mayo, ketchup and dijion

Oyster sauce

[DallasLady]

I have a list that was inspired by a Racheal Ray cookbook. It lists all the foods I must have in my kitchen at all times to cook the meals that we eat on a regular basis. It has made grocery shopping so much easier. I don't buy everthing on the list every time, just whatever I am out of. It's a long list, though.

[BerBer]

Our Staples List(We shop everyother week)

Peppers
Sweet Onions
Roma Tomatoes
Leeks
Spinach
a Lemon
Dried Black Beans
Organic Whole Wheat flour
Organic Granola
1/2 Pound of Deli Meat
A Bag of Chicken Breasts(DH cannot go without this:rolleyes: )
2 Bricks of Cheese
A Dozen Eggs
Orange Juice
Milk
Onion Bagles
Cream Cheese
Chicken Broth
Flavored Water
Enchilada Sauce

[c'est la vie]

I have a list that was inspired by a Racheal Ray cookbook. It lists all the foods I must have in my kitchen at all times to cook the meals that we eat on a regular basis. It has made grocery shopping so much easier. I don't buy everthing on the list every time, just whatever I am out of. It's a long list, though.
Would you mind posting the list?
I need to implement more diversity on my cooking. I'm getting bored w/ my food.
TIA!

[DallasLady]

It's saved on my computer at home, I will post it this evening.

I have RR's Express Lane cookbook, and in the front she has a list of all the foods she keeps in her kitchen at all times. I liked that idea a lot, so I came up with my own list. It really has helped with cooking and grocery shopping. I actually spend less money on groceries now because I don't buy random things that I never use.

[DallasLady]

Here's my list of things I try to have in my kitchen at all times. When I make my grocery list, I always make sure I buy anything on this list I may be missing, and then add any extra things I may want to buy for that week's meals.

Refrigerated Foods:
Milk
Eggs
Unsalted butter sticks
Butter spread tubs
Orange juice
Cheddar cheese
Parmesan cheese
American cheese slices
Bleu cheese (crumbles)
Pepperoni
Mushrooms
Deli meat
Minced garlic
Lettuce (iceberg & green leaf)
Tomatoes
Cilantro
Green onion
Tortillas (corn and/or flour)

Freezer:
Chicken breasts
Ground beef
Fish
Ice cream
Ravioli
Tater tots
Corn (cob & kernel)
Frozen mixed veggies
Breakfast sausage
Italian sausage

Spices:
Salt
Black Pepper
Grill seasoning
Red pepper
Seasoned salt
Garlic powder
Oregano
Old Bay
Cayenne pepper
Minced onion
Olive oil
Vegetable oil
Taco Seasoning
Cooking spray
Vanilla extract

Condiments:
Worcestershire sauce
Ketchup
Mustard
Peanut Butter
Hot sauce
Chocolate syrup
Bacon bits
Teriyaki sauce
Salsa
Italian dressing
French dressing
Ranch dressing mix

Canned Goods:
Chicken stock
Beef stock
Crushed tomatoes
Diced tomatoes
Tomato paste
Black beans
Tuna
Mushrooms
Green chilies
Corn
Green beans
Chili (no bean)
Ranch style beans
Chili/Mexican style tomatoes
Cream of Mushroom soup
Cream of Chicken soup
Clam sauce

Pantry Foods:
Red Potatoes
Onions
Spaghetti
Macaroni
White rice
Flour
Sugar
Cornmeal
Iced tea bags
Flavored rice mixes
Peanuts
Soups
Bread crumbs
Powdered sugar
Dark brown sugar
Bisquick
Cereal
Jalapenos

[EuropeBride]

The three things I cannot live without are:

crackers/Finn Crisp
cheese (parmigiano, truffle brie, vacherin, epoisse, roquefort, camembert etc.)
cherry tomatoes

I have those things, all is right in my world.

Other basic staples:

good olive oil
good balsamic vinegar
truffle oil
dijon mustard
pasta (spaghetti, tortiglioni, fusili)
tomato paste
canned tomatoes
frozen peas
shallots (I prefer these to large onions)
fresh garlic
parma and/or serrano ham
butter
cucumber
paprika
red and white wine
spices (salt, pepper, oregano, estragon, rosemary etc.)
crème fraiche

I don't like having a lot of supplies. I find I can make three or four simple meals with these staples and a lot more by just buying a nice filet steak or a piece of salmon or some ground beef.
Of course, if I'm planning a meal like Thai or Indian or things that are a bit more complicated I'll buy everything that goes with the recipe.