Five Pantry Staples That Are Key To Meal Planning

By Devi Poojari

These pantry staples are life-savers to whip up quick and delicious meals at a moment’s notice. Feed a crowd or make a meal for one; these ingredients are multi-purpose.

BROTH CUBES

Stock cubes are often overlooked in most pantries but are so helpful to bring a rush of flavour within short notice. Have a box of these stocked for instant ramen cravings or a touch of umami in your ham and bean stew.

MAYONNAISE

While something as polarising as mayonnaise from a jar shouldn’t alarm you, it sure proves to be a very resourceful ingredient to keep in your pantry for any kind of chip ‘n’ dip cravings or to slather on sandwiches.

PASTA

Whether it’s a quick pasta with pesto from a jar or an aglio-olio made within minutes, having at least two different kinds of pasta you like on standby is one way to make sure you have a meal on-hand to look forward to, once you get home from work.

SOY SAUCE OR TAMARI

If you have soy sauce or tamari in your pantry, a quick dipping sauce with garlic and scallions added to it, works perfectly for simple Vietnamese veggie rolls or crunchy spring rolls.

CHEESES

Pick any kind of cheese you like and have a wedge in your kitchen to make a grilled cheese or crumble into salads on evenings when the thought of cooking makes you want to give up.