10 Pantry Staples for Easy Healthy Eating

Home late on a Tuesday night and you just want to get something healthy and delicious on the table, right? Let's see how, with Dietitian, foodie & Cockatoo Grove Ambassador, Marnie Nitschke from Fork That Nutrition.

Most people want to eat well, but as life gets busier, more and more barriers can stand in the way of you and a balanced, healthy diet. As adults, we all know that sinking feeling at the end of a busy day, when dinner time is looming and there’s no ingredients or plan. Let’s face it – if our kitchen isn’t well-stocked, it means we’re much more likely to resort to highly processed foods or take away dinners high in salt, saturated fat and low in veggies.

Two things that can definitely help facilitate good food choices are planning and smart shopping. Let’s look at 10 unassuming pantry ‘superfoods’ to add to your shopping list, and always keep in stock.

1. Bread

Don’t look so shocked! Bread has been a household staple since 8000 BC. And it’s really only the last 40 years, with the gradual creep of diet culture that this energy, fibre and nutrient rich food has become demonised. Of course, the nutritional value of bread does depend on what you choose, but it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Look for grainy or wholemeal breads (the less processed, the better) with at least 2g fibre per slice.
Sourdough varieties are a fabulous choice, and are often better tolerated by people who get bloated with regular wheat products.
Wholemeal pita breads, mountain breads and grainy wraps are handy for lunch wraps, souvlakis, homemade pizza bases and for making your own baked pita chips.
If you need to eat gluten free, there are now lots of good, wholegrain bread options in supermarkets. But unless you’re likely to finish your loaf within a day or two, store it in the freezer (gluten free products don’t have the same moisture retention and crumb structure, so tend to get stale and dry out sooner).

2. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ask any dietitian and they’ll tell you how important it is to make the right choice with cooking oil. This is not the item to skimp on, or go for the cheapest option!

Extra virgin olive oils do cost more than regular vegetable or olive oils, but that’s because they’re the highest quality, purest and least processed of olive oils.

We have a bounty of scientific evidence now that extra virgin olive oil performs well at high temperatures (better than refined vegetable oils). Generous use of extra virgin olive oil is also shown to reduce risk of heart disease and early death.

Buy local, premium oils rather than imported products that are older – fresh is best when it comes to oils, in terms of nutrient content and stability in cooking.
Store extra virgin olive oil in light-proof bottles, keeping out of direct sunlight, which can speed up the deterioration and breakdown of the oil.
Have a variety of extra virgin olive oils in your pantry – mild flavour for when you don’t want the sharp, peppery zing, and more intense, bold varieties to give kick to your dressings, salads and roasted vegetables.
Try extra virgin olive oils infused with flavours like truffle, lemon or garlic for a healthy flavour short cut.

3. Dried Fruit

Dates, sultanas, raisins, currants, cranberries, dried apricots, mango, banana chips, figs and shaved coconut are great pantry staples – and they last! Dried fruit is a healthy option for sweetening baking, cereals and can add valuable fibre and nutrients you won’t find in sugar – like potassium, magnesium and even iron. But don’t stop with sweet foods.

Add currants to couscous, grain salads and rice pilaf.
Use dates to sweeten smoothies, puddings and energy balls.
Add sultanas or cranberries to overnight oats or porridge.
A handful of dried fruit with nuts makes a brilliant, nutrient rich snack.

4. Herbs & Spices

Herbs and spices aren’t just about boosting flavour in your cooking – they are also a good source of antioxidants (compounds that undo damage and reduce inflammation levels in our body).

Adding these culinary ingredients to dishes has been shown to lift the overall nutrition content of homemade meals.

Curry powders, turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, paprika. Dried thyme, oregano, parsley and dill. When was the last time you checked your stock (and the best before dates) of your dried herbs and spices? Their flavour and nutrient levels do reduce with time, so it’s best to clear out the old and give your spice rack a refresh every few years.

If you have the basics on hand, you can make up your own spice mixes for tacos, Middle Eastern dishes and curries.
Dried onion and garlic are a super simple and quick way to add depth of flavour to dishes.
Dried herbs and spices mixed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and apple cider or balsamic vinegar make beautiful glazes and dressings.

5. Legumes

Chick peas, lentils, cannellini beans, black beans, 4 bean mixes and ‘soup mixes’. All legumes are great for slow release energy and fibre, and they contain important prebiotic fibres for maintaining good gut health. Legumes are also a great plant source of quality protein for vegetarians.

Tinned legumes are super handy as they don’t need cooking or soaking – add chickpeas to salads, cannellini beans to pasta sauces, lentils to soups and salads.
Dried legumes are a great, inexpensive whole food option, but do need a little more forethought – soaking overnight or pressure cooking if you have the means.
Make your own hummus or bean dip using Extra Virgin Olive Oil, lemon juice and tahini.
Whip up a pan of shakshuka (a Middle Eastern dish of baked eggs in tomato and bean sauce).

6. Nut Butters

Nuts are a protein-rich plant food that also provides healthy fats, fibre, fat soluble vitamins and antioxidants for our bodies. All nuts are good, and it’s great to aim for at least a handful every day. A variety of different nuts in your repertoire is ideal, as each nut will have a different flavour, nutrient and fatty acid profile.

Pine nuts are great for salads, pasta sauces and pesto.
Walnuts are yummy additions to your porridge, salad or breakfast bowl.
Almonds and cashews are super versatile, and can be roasted, lightly salted or raw.
Peanut butter and almond butter are not just for toast – think smoothies, salad dressings, satay and baking too.
Store nuts in a sealed container away from light, and use them within six months for optimal flavour and nutrition.

7. Oats

Oats tick all the boxes: inexpensive, widely available, nutritious, non-perishable and versatile.

They contain slow release carbohydrates and soluble fibre – so they’re good for stabilising blood sugars, and for keeping your gut healthy and regular.

Steel cut, rolled and even quick oats are a versatile and unassuming superfood.

Here are some ideas:

Porridge, overnight oats and muesli
Blend oats into pancake batter for delicious and nutritious snacks
Oat based cookies and baked oats
Use oats as a crumble topping or add a spoonful to smoothies

8. Rice

Rice gets a pretty bad rap from the carb police, but let’s break it down. Rice is a grain that comes in many different forms – jasmine rice, basmati rice, arborio rice, brown rice, wild rice and sushi rice. Yes, rice high in carbohydrates – the fuel our body and brain runs on – and that’s not a bad thing! Rice is an inexpensive, non-perishable AND easy to prepare staple that no-one should feel guilty about eating.

Try brown rice and brown basmati rice for their nutty flavour and higher fibre levels
Eat rice with protein, fat and fibre rich foods, which will ‘buffer’ the effect on your glucose levels – avoiding large spikes in blood sugar.
Make a rice pilaf with herbs, saffron and nuts like almonds and pistachios.
Cooked and cooled rice (eg. in fried rice or rice salads) contains as special prebiotic fibre called resistant starch, which is great for gut health.

9. Seeds

Just like nuts, seeds are a fantastic plant based source of healthy fats, fibre and nutrients like antioxidants and fat soluble vitamins. Keeping a stock of different seeds in your pantry and using them every day is a delicious way to improve the quality of your diet in the long term.

Use chia seeds to make chia pudding, or add to baking and cereals.
Linseeds and linseed meal are an excellent source of plant based omega three fats that can be added to smoothies, energy balls and muffins.
Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and sesame seeds are lovely toasted, and sprinkled over salads or stir fries.

10. Tinned Tomatoes

Tinned tomatoes are always there for you. They are minimally processed, easy to incorporate into meals, and offer a fantastic boost to flavour and nutrient intake. Simply cooked up with onion and garlic or added to a pot of minestrone soup, tinned tomatoes would have to be one of the most versatile pantry staples.

Tomatoes contain a key antioxidant – lycopene – a potent protector of our circulatory system and friend of our gut microbiome.

Make a simple pasta sauce with tomatoes, cannellini beans, herbs and extra virgin olive oil.
Tomatoes are a great flavour base for slow cooker meals, soups and stews.
Make your own killer pizza sauce by reducing a can of tomatoes with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, garlic, herbs and a little sugar, salt and chilli.

Final Thoughts ...

The best pantry staples don’t have to cost a bomb. Simple foods like bread, whole grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, legumes and tinned / dried fruit and vegetables are all examples of everyday superfoods, that have been keeping us healthy for centuries.