The pantry can be a lifesaver on busy weeknights, providing all the ingredients needed to whip up a healthy meal when you can’t get to the grocery store. “The pantry makes it easier to build nourishing meals quickly, especially when fresh ingredients aren’t readily available,” says Vandana Sheth, RDN, CDCES, FAND, registered dietitian nutritionist. On the other hand, the pantry can be the Achilles’ heel of many people’s healthy eating intentions, as it’s often where some of the most processed, nutrient-lacking foods are stored.
Thankfully, once you know what to look for, discerning between these two food categories is pretty straightforward. Here, we’ll outline what to look for in better-for-you shelf-stable foods and offer some delicious, healthy options to help you build a functional, nourishing pantry.
- Vandana Sheth, RDN, CDCES, FAND, registered dietitian nutritionist and plant-based expert
- Bethany Ferguson, RDN, IBCLC, registered dietitian and owner of Nourishing Babes in Illinois
8 of the Healthiest Shelf-Stable Foods to Add to Your Pantry
“A nourishing pantry staple gives maximum nutritional benefit for meals and snacks with little or no preparation,” says Bethany Ferguson, RDN, IBCLC, registered dietitian. The following eight pantry staples will help you do just that, while also encouraging better overall health.
Beans
For a hearty dose of fiber, protein, and a range of vitamins and minerals, look no further than dried or low-sodium canned beans in the dry goods section of the grocery store. These affordable pantry staples will leave you feeling plenty full after enjoying them while also encouraging better digestion, blood sugar regulation, and tissue health. “I love legumes like chickpeas, black beans, and black eyed peas as nourishing pantry staples, and include them often in bean salads like cowboy caviar,” Ferguson says. Meanwhile, Sheth uses them as a “great base for soups, curries, or quick nourish bowls.”
Nuts and Seeds
Even though they’ll last longer in the fridge or freezer, nuts and seeds are completely safe to store for up to three months in the pantry—and they’re nutrient-dense. “Nuts make for the perfect snack, and I pull them out for a protein substitution quite often for my kiddos since they are full of great minerals and fats,” Ferguson says. “There are about 10 different kinds of nuts in my pantry right now.”
Meanwhile, Sheth especially loves to load up on pistachios and chia seeds. “Pistachios are a good heart-healthy snack, with six grams of complete protein in a 1/4 cup serving, fiber, and healthy fats,” she says. “Enjoy them on their own, tossed into salads, smoothies, yogurt, or crushed as a crust for tofu. Whereas chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fats, fiber, and provide some protein, they can be added to cereal, yogurt, smoothies, or turned into a tasty chia pudding.”
Nut and seed butters without added sugars are also excellent pantry picks with all the same wonderful benefits as the nuts and seeds they’re made from—and they just so happen to be super tasty in smoothies or spread onto toast.
Whole Grain Pasta
Pasta is the ultimate quick weeknight dinner, but the white, refined stuff doesn’t offer much in the way of nutrition—particularly when compared to its whole grain counterpart. “Having foods like whole grain pasta allows you to quickly create a delicious meal high in protein and fiber,” Ferguson says. Whole grain pasta also typically provides iron, potassium, and B vitamins for better heart, blood, and metabolic health. When not served as the main dish, pasta is the perfect addition to soups, stews, and casseroles.
Canned Tomatoes
But what would pasta be without a hearty tomato sauce? Having canned tomatoes on hand helps you put the dish together in less than an hour—as well as plenty of other recipes. “Canned tomatoes are a good source of lycopene and vitamin C,” Sheth says, yielding these pantry conveniences as both immune-boosting and supportive of eye health. “They can be a good base for sauces, stews, or curries.” Just be sure to look for no-salt-added canned tomatoes to keep sodium levels to a minimum.
Tinned Fish
Whether you reach for anchovies, sardines, salmon, mackerel, or tuna, most tinned fish options are smart pantry staples to have on hand. “Canned or packaged seafood like tuna and salmon makes for easy lunches or additions to salads and provide you with a nourishing protein and omega-3 boost,” Ferguson says. Omega-3’s are potent anti-inflammatory agents in the body, helping you to ward off both acute and chronic illness. If not made into salads (or added to them), tinned fish like anchovies can serve as an umami-rich base for sauces, dressings, and marinades.
Dried Herbs and Spices
“Dried spices and herbs don’t just elevate flavors, they offer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, too,” Sheth says. “I love having cumin, cinnamon, oregano, turmeric, and chili powder on hand, as just a pinch can significantly amp up my meals.”
Low-Sodium Canned Vegetables
Low-sodium canned veggies are a fantastic insurance policy for when you just don’t have time to stop at the supermarket. “Canned vegetables are also a great pantry staple because they are a quick way to add vegetable servings to meals,” Ferguson says. And if you already have some sodium-added options at home, no problem—just give them a good rinse to lower those levels significantly. Otherwise, fiber and micronutrient-rich canned veggies can be added to salads, soups, stews, curries, fried rice, pasta, and a variety of casseroles.
Quinoa
And finally, while any whole grain found in the middle of the grocery store is an excellent grab, quinoa is one of the most nutritious. As a rich source of protein, fiber, potassium, iron, manganese, magnesium, zinc, copper, and folate, this grain (that’s technically a seed!) encourages gut, heart, immune, bone, and tissue health. “Quinoa cooks quickly and works [in both] sweet and savory dishes,” Sheth says. “Enjoy it in soups, nourish bowls, or by itself as a grain.”
What Makes a Shelf-Stable Food More or Less Healthy?
Oftentimes, the nutritional facts panel will tell you everything you need to know when it comes to determining the healthfulness—or lack thereof—of pantry staples. “When choosing pantry foods, limit added sugars, high sodium, and trans fats, which are often found in heavily processed snacks and shelf-stable meals,” Sheth says. All of these ingredients add to the shelf stability of pantry staples but are mostly used to improve the flavor of unhealthy food products.
Added sugar is ubiquitous in many shelf-stable foods, including candy, chocolate, cookies, cakes, crackers, dressings, and even canned soups. “Sodium is usually high in canned soups, dressings, processed cheese products, and vegetables that are not rinsed, to name a few,” says Ferguson. Similarly, trans fat is often found in shortening, cookies, cakes, biscuits, and certain crackers.
And while you’re looking at the ingredients list, watch out for mystery ingredients like additives and preservatives that you don’t recognize. Avoiding pantry foods high in these ingredients is smart because, while technically deemed safe for consumption, most lack the long-term research to truly understand their health impacts.
Otherwise, there are plenty of nutrients that we want to look for in a healthy pantry option. “A healthy pantry staple is one that is nutrient-dense, shelf-stable, minimally processed, and provides versatility to support balanced meals,” Sheth explains. Ferguson agrees, adding, “A nourishing pantry staple may have fiber, a high vitamin and mineral content, omega-3 fatty acids, and/or high protein.” Looking for three or more grams of fiber, protein, and unsaturated fat on the nutritional facts panel is a great rule of thumb when seeking out these nourishing options that can boost overall health through promoting gut, metabolic, immune, and heart health.
