New Year, New Pantry: 7 Things to Stock Up on This January

Now that most of the chocolate has been consumed, the candy canes crushed and added to cups of hot chocolate, and the pantry wiped clean of any leftover holiday residue, it’€™s time to go shopping and restock the cupboards with more than crackers, nuts, olives and alcohol.
While we don’€™t get too fanatical about changing how we eat in the New Year, I do try to make sure that our meals for most of this month are as healthy as possible. Part of that is motivated by making up for how poorly we ate in the past four weeks (puff pastry was a frequent party guest), part of it is because the food budget was blown out of the water over the holidays, and part of it is because 75% of my four person family has a birthday in the next three weeks. So, while the holidays are officially behind us, the days of celebrations are far from over’€”at least until February.

Here are the must-have pantry items I’€™m stocking up on this month. Most of the items are considered good for you’€”and when combined with fresh produce, a cheap and cheerful meal can be had in minutes:

Canned Beans ‘€“ black, navy, pinto, chickpeas, etc.

Pastas ‘€“ Whole grain varieties, including spelt and brown rice. Penne, spaghetti and orzo (quick cooking and popular with the kids) are must-haves for me, but any kind will do.

Grains ‘€“ Couscous and quinoa. Last year, I made a few meals using wheat berries, barley and farro, and they were well received. I’€™ll try more meals with them this year.

Good Fats ‘€“ Olive oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, walnut/almond oil, etc.

Rice and Dried Beans ‘€“ Brown/long grain/wild rice, navy, black, pinto beans, lentils, etc.

Miscellaneous ‘€“ Coconut milk, chicken/beef/veggie stock, crushed/whole/diced tomatoes and salsa.

Flavour Boosters ‘€“ Balsamic/red wine/white wine/apple cider/rice wine vinegars, hot sauce, soy sauce, spices and salt and pepper.

Did I miss anything? What are your favourite pantry items to stock up on for the winter?