Hello again and welcome back to the Self Sufficient-Citizen! Last week I went over the basic supplies everyone should own in their kitchens which would be a good place to start to make sure you have the kitchen essentials to start cooking. You can see the post about kitchen essentials to start cooking here. These posts are a part of my Beginner Homemaker Basics and for this week I will be focusing on the basic food list or ingredients that you will need to start cooking homemade food in your home. This by no means is a complete list of everything a person will ever need but is a great place to start. As you learn how to cook you will start to learn what ingredients you want to cook with making your own essentials food list as a result.
Before I begin, I would like to talk about what a meal usually has in my home for reference. I usually start with a protein as my main ingredient. I use that protein to inspire the rest of the dish. In other words, I will make a carb and vegetable that complements the protein. For example, a common dish I make is herb chicken with green beans and tiny smashed potatoes. The herb chicken is my main protein that I flavor, and I know green beans and potatoes go well with it.
Food allergies aversions and intolerances don’t have to stop you from cooking. Use alternatives for your cooking list!
I will readily acknowledge that different people have a different pallet that either they can or will eat. I am from the picky food club. Let me tell you it was hard to cook so many things because of my aversion to food. As a kid I decided vegetables and legumes were completely inedible for whtever reason. I didn’t start cooking with them until one day I realized that I could give it a go and i would be the only one who’d be upset over the dish. The control of making the dishes with new foods was empowering. I proudly eat a wide variety of beans, fruit, and vegetables now and I’m so happy I know how to cook because I keep finding new things to cook with that would have been gross a few years ago.
For the people that want to eat things and can’t…I hear you too. I recently got my food intolerances checked and my beloved dairy is number two on the list. (Apples were first… who knew!) I have loads of other things that are suggested that I try eliminating and that has made cooking hard. Try not to get overwhelmed with all the foods you can’t eat because of intolerance or allergies. Instead focus on what you can eat. There are so many alternatives to ingredients such as flour. There is an enormous number of alternative flours like almond, chickpea, rice, and oat flour to name a few. Just a few years ago it would have been hard to get alternative food, but grocery stores are becoming more aware and now carry food for people that can’t eat everything.
Going back to the list I realize I have suggested a lot of things. You can surely buy things slowly to build up your pantry, but I would recommend meal planning before you choose what items are essential for you. It won’t help you if you bought all the ingredients, you think you need and all you can make is spaghetti until you get paid again.
Next week I will be focusing on meal planning for the beginner. For now, I suggest the foods that are in bold to prevent buying too many random ingredients. For some money saving tips I suggest sticking to the store brand when buying unless the main brand is cheaper per ounce and remember that moderation is key.
Also try not to buy an excessive amount of anything because food does expire and it’s better to have to return to the store for fruit/veggies/other than to have it all go bad a few days before you wanted to use it. The very last thing I will mention is buy your basic ingredients in bulk at a store like WinCo because it is so much cheaper than smaller packages at other stores. I hope this has helped you and I will see you next week for the next part of Beginning Homemaker Basics.
Dry ingredients list
All-purpose flour (or alternative)
Baking soda
Baking powder
Herbs (Garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, red pepper flakes, etc.)
Salt
Pepper
Rice
Pasta (spaghetti, egg noodles, etc.)
Sugar
Beans (Black, red, Pinto)
Cans/Containers
Yeast
Beef and chicken stock
Olive oil
Canola oil
Lemon juice
Vanilla extract
Plain tomato sauce in a can
Diced tomatoes
Cream of chicken
Cream of mushroom
Dairy/ Meat list
Milk (or milk substitute)
Butter
Cheese
Eggs
Protein (fish, chicken, pork, beef, tofu)
Veggies/fruit/fresh items list
Your favorite veggie
Your favorite fruit
Spinach
Potatoes
Garlic
Onion
