Hi friends,
If restocking your pantry feels overwhelming, or it’s something you just don’t like doing, you’re not alone.
In our latest podcast episode, Anna and I chat about what it means to stock your pantry in a way that supports you and your family, without the pressure for a picture perfect pantry.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
We chat about:
Why restocking your pantry matters (and how it helps reduce stress).
A few of our favorite convenience foods.
What to do if you only have five minutes today to think about restocking your pantry.
Plus, we share the idea behind our No Recipe Required ebook and how it can help you simplify feeding your family.
We hope you find one helpful nugget in this week’s episode and that it leaves you feeling a little less pressure to do it all perfectly.
We’d love for you to share some of your favorite pantry or freezer staples in the comment section below.
In the episode we also mention:
Transcript
Episode 101: Stocking Your Pantry
Elizabeth:
Hi, Elizabeth. I'm so excited to talk with you today.
Anna:
Yes, I’m excited to talk to you! Let’s jump in.
Today we’re talking about stocking your pantry—something that can feel either fun or kind of boring, depending on your perspective. We’re going to make it fun! I think for a lot of people it can feel overwhelming, like, “Whoa, stocking my pantry?! That feels like a big task.” Why do you think this is such an important topic?
Elizabeth:
I agree—it can feel like a lot, and maybe even a little boring. But like you said, we’ll make it fun! I think the overwhelm comes from all the suggestions out there—so many different people telling you different things. Whose advice are you supposed to follow?
And then there’s the idea that stocking your pantry means spending thousands of dollars on matching containers and making it all look perfect. I’m a little envious of those pantries! I’ve even started trying to do that before getting sidetracked, asking myself, “Wait, why am I spending all this money?”
It’s absolutely fine if you like having a super-organized pantry and you’re able to keep it that way. But a lot of people just don’t know where to begin. They hear “stock your pantry” and wonder, “Do I need to go out and buy everything on some giant list?”
That’s not what we’re talking about. We're here to share suggestions that can help simplify your pantry—and reduce the overwhelm.
Anna:
Exactly. And today, we’ll share a few ideas for how to stock your pantry. I also want to mention that in our Take the Frenzy Out of Feeding membership, we offer tools and templates that can help with this process. So if you’re listening and feeling overwhelmed or want more support, those resources are there for you.
Elizabeth:
Yes! We’ve got our favorite frozen and convenience foods lists in there—really everything we use to stock our own pantries. Not to overwhelm, but to offer inspiration.
Another thing to remember is that keeping your pantry stocked can help reduce chaos. Fewer last-minute grocery trips!
Anna:
Right. If you listened to our last episode, this is part of supporting yourself—building in a little structure so you’re not constantly wondering, “Do I have this ingredient?” The food is right there.
Elizabeth:
Exactly. And when we think about stocking the pantry, something we always think about is having the ingredients on hand for your go-to meals.
We talked about that in our last episode, but could you give everyone a quick refresher, Anna?
Anna:
Sure. A go-to meal is really anything that makes your life easier. Something you can put together quickly with ingredients you usually have on hand—maybe in 15 minutes, maybe 30, depending on your household. There’s no right or wrong here.
Elizabeth:
Yes! Personally, I keep a running list in the Notes app on my phone. When I run out of something, I add it to the list right away. Before we had phones, I used post-its or scrap paper… but I always lost them!
Now, I look at my go-to meals list, decide what I want to make that week, and check what ingredients I need. I go through my fridge, freezer, and pantry and see what’s missing. I usually still forget something, but maybe only one thing.
Anna:
You talked about that in our last episode, too. I think I’m a little less organized than you. I’ll take a few minutes to scan my pantry, fridge, and freezer. We’ve suggested before that once you have your list of go-to meals, you can create a pantry ingredients list from that. It’s a quick way to check whether you’ve got the basics before you head to the store.
But there are different levels of organization, and it’s about figuring out what works for you.
Elizabeth:
Totally. And the simplest thing really is just taking a moment during meal planning to look through what you already have. Sometimes I think I have something and skip checking, then later realize I don’t.
Anna:
Been there!
So, can you walk us through your steps for keeping your kitchen stocked—maybe a recap?
Elizabeth:
Sure! It’s mostly just that I add things to my Notes app whenever I run out. That way, when I’m making my grocery list or placing an order, I can just check that one list.
Anna:
We use a small whiteboard inside our pantry for that. My husband and I both write on it, but I have to remember to look at it! Your system is more streamlined.
Elizabeth:
Yeah, my kids are 17 and 21, so they both have phones. I tell everyone to either tell me what we’re out of or text it to me so I can add it to my Notes app. It really helps to have one place to look.
Anna:
That’s so smart. It’s always that mental checklist—“What am I forgetting?”—and this simplifies it.
You’re a big fan of convenience foods, and I’d love to hear about your go-to items. What makes cooking easier at your house?
Elizabeth:
Definitely Rao’s Marinara. We buy it in a three-pack from Costco. Chad, my husband, keeps our Costco list. We use Rao’s for your spinach lasagna, pasta nights, pizzas—so many things!
We also love the Just Bare chicken nuggets. Before that, we were really into the Trader Joe’s Mandarin Chicken.
Frozen waffles, frozen dumplings, boxed mac and cheese—those are weekend lunch staples or quick dinners for the kids. And I love store-bought pesto for tossing with pasta and peas.
Oh, and Lundberg shelf-stable precooked rice is a big favorite. Also, frozen tortellini, pre-chopped broccoli, bagged salad, microwave green beans…
Anna:
Yes! And single-serve hummus, little egg bites from Costco or Trader Joe’s, and toaster oven snacks like pizza bites. Cereal too—convenience foods aren’t just dinner-specific!
Elizabeth:
Exactly. It’s okay—actually, it’s necessary—to use convenience foods. Life is full. Cooking from scratch every night just isn’t realistic for most people.
Anna:
Yes! And we’d love to hear from listeners—what are your favorite convenience foods? Email us or leave a comment on this Substack post.
Elizabeth:
Yes, please share! I also wanted to mention our No Recipe Required e-book that’s on our website. Can you tell everyone how that came to be and how it ties into pantry stocking?
Anna:
Sure! We wanted to offer more than just a list—we created a book that walks people through our absolute easiest meals. You don’t need a recipe—just simple instructions.
It’s a reminder that not everything has to be made from scratch. We’re bombarded with messages telling us we should be baking our own crackers and growing our own veggies. And hey, if I had space, I’d totally have chickens! But that’s not realistic for everyone.
So this book offers real-life meal ideas—simple, doable, low-pressure.
Elizabeth:
And the meals in it are mostly things you can make with a well-stocked pantry. Think: spaghetti and meatballs with broccoli. Pasta, jarred sauce, frozen meatballs, and a veggie—done.
It doesn’t have to be a gourmet salad. It can be sliced cucumbers in a bowl.
We want to model for our kids the kind of cooking they can do when they’re on their own.
Anna:
Yes! Okay, I’m putting you on the spot again. Let’s say someone just listened to this episode and they have five minutes. What’s one thing they can do today to support their pantry?
Elizabeth:
If they’ve made their go-to meals list, they could write down the ingredients needed for each one. Or simply peek in their pantry and see what they’re out of.
Anna:
Yes, and sometimes the idea of shopping for a whole week feels overwhelming. You can just grab a few things. You don’t need a full grocery trip—just get what you need to feel more supported today.
Elizabeth:
Totally. It takes some experimenting, but finding a system that works for you is the goal.
Anna:
Exactly. We hope you’re leaving today with one small idea that feels helpful!
Elizabeth:
Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you in a couple of weeks.
Share this post