Interesting question and something I never really gave much thought to before. There are definitely items that I try to make sure that we are never without because we have so many meals that can be made with just a few simple ingredients. Our list for a big shopping day, if we were out of absolutely EVERYTHING, might look something like this:
Dairy:
- Milk (2%)
- Cheese (always a couple of blocks of cheddar, mozzarella, feta, Mont. Jack, and a large wedge of Parmesan for everyday cheeses, Cottswold and Boursin for special occasions)
- Cream cheese
- Sour cream
- Yogurt
- Eggs
- Whipping cream (for homemade Alfredo sauce and desserts)
- Salted and unsalted butter
- Earth Balance spread
Meat:
- Chicken (tenderloins, breasts, and boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
- Beef (varies based on the time of year...more flank steaks and filet in the summer for grilling, chuck roast for stew in the winter. I also purchase chuck and grind my own hamburger.)
- Pork (very rarely do we eat it...maybe a few times a year)
- Bacon (not very healthy, but soooo good with avocados on grilled sandwiches, etc.)
- Deli meats for lunches (usually black forest ham or beef)
- Frozen shrimp
- Fish (varies depending upon what we feel like eating...sometime a side of salmon to grill, other times tilapia or other white fish for baking)
Breads, Cereals, and Grains
- Multi-grain loaves for sandwiches
- Some kind of specialty bread for making paninis and sometimes a loaf of rosemary bread to eat along with a meal
- Cereal (never a "sugar" cereal, usually some kind of flakes with granola, Cheerios, etc.)
- Whole grain waffles for the 7 year-old
- Mini-bagels (again, for the 7 year-old)
- Bob's Red Mill 7-grain hot cereal (I love this stuff and eat it every morning)
- Pasta (all shapes and sizes)
- Quinoa
- Brown rice
- Wild rice
- Cornmeal (for cornbread)
- Nuts (we always have almonds, pecans, and walnuts on hand)
- Baguette (especially if we are entertaining and making bruschetta or artichoke dip)
- Panko bread crumbs (a must-have for chicken parm)
Produce (my favourite area)
- Bananas (the only fruit the 7 year-old will currently eat)
- "Lunch fruit" (whatever my husband feels like taking in his lunches or whatever looks good/in season)
- Broccoli (one of my favourite vegetables)
- Tomatoes (Roma, multi-coloured, and beefsteak)
- Lettuce and/or spinach and/or salad greens mix
- Onions (all kinds...sweet, yellow, white, and purple)
- Garlic
- Jalapenos
- Avocados (we always have at least three on hand at all times)
- Lemons and limes (I cook with these all of the time!)
- Fresh herbs (if they are out of season in my garden)
- Potatoes (red or Yukon gold and/or baking potatoes)
- Hummus (not really produce, but in that general area)
- Berries (we love all kinds when they are in season and fresh)
- Mushrooms
- Other veggies (more carrots, celery, etc. in the winter and more zucchini, asparagus, summer squash, red peppers, etc. in the summer)
- Artichokes (sometimes fresh and sometime canned)
- Frozen corn (sweet corn as well as Trader Joe's grilled corn kernels)
Canned Items, Condiments, and Treats
- Ketchup (my son wouldn't survive without it, I don't think)
- Grainy mustard
- Peanut butter (for my daughter who lives on the stuff)
- Canned tomatoes (diced, sauce, paste)
- Chicken broth
- White and red wine for cooking
- Canned coconut milk
- Seeds of Change Chicken Tikka Masala jarred sauce (one of the very few "convenience" items I purchase)
- Milk chocolate (I don't think I could survive without it...grin!)
- Chocolate chips
- Ice Cream (sparingly)
- Crackers (also sparingly)
- Kalamata olives
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Pure maple syrup
- Greek, Poppyseed, and Caesar salad dressings (I do sometimes make my own, but most times it is just easier/quicker to reach for a bottle)
- Popcorn (unpopped as opposed to the bagged varieties)
- Coke (my greatest vice!)
- Lipton Ring Noodle Soup (hearkens back to my youth when both my grandma and my mom would make it for me with dumplings added)
- Pacific brand tomato soup
I might be missing a few things, but I think that is mostly it. With those items and a few pantry staples like olive oil, vinegars, lite soy sauce, yeast, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, seasonings, cocoa powder, etc., there isn't too much from our regular meal rotations that I couldn't make. I do make nearly all of our meals "from scratch."
Once again, great question. I love reading other people's lists for all kinds of things...travel lists, shopping lists, packing for college lists, lists of photos to take, etc. I almost always find things that I myself never considered.
