Ten Food Staples That You Should Always Have

Certain foods should always have a place on your food pantry. These are called food staples. Many of these food staples are used in quicker meals. These food staples also come in handy in emergency situations. Here’s a list of ten foods you should have in your food pantry.

1. Salt
   Salt used to have a place other than a flavor enhancer. It was also used to cure, or preserve food in past times. Salt was even once used as a form of currency as some places had more salt than others. Now, salt is a great thing to have for a flavor enhancer because it gets good shelf life.
   
   
2. Sugar
   Sugar is another staple that you should have in your food pantry. Sugar is used in everything from cookies and other baked goods to beverages like tea and coffee. Like salt, it is used as a flavor enhancer.
   
   
3. Eggs
   Eggs are very versatile. They are used as a food by themselves (say, in scrambled eggs). Eggs are also used to thicken sauces. In baking, eggs are used as a binder and leavener helping certain cakes in the rising process. Always keep some eggs in your refrigerator.
   
   
4. Milk
   Milk is used not only as a beverage it’s used in cooking as well. It’s used as a flavor enhancer and adds moisture. It can add to the texture of a recipe as well.
   
   
5. Flour
   Flour can be used to make a variety of basic things such as cookies, breads and breadings for meat.
   
   
6. Rice
   Rice is high in starch, thus providing a great energy food. That’s why it’s considered a staple food for a lot of the world’s population especially Asian cultures. So many varities of rice are available from the typical long grain white rice to the more exotic Chinese black rice or Red Himalayan Rice.
   
   
7. Pasta
   Pasta is another food staple that should be on every cook’s food pantry shelf. Pasta, like, rice is in the main diet of many of the world’s population. Pasta also comes in many different shapes and sizes. Add different pastas such as orzo, penne, and rigatoni for more visual appeal. Keep some extra spaghetti and fettuccine noodles around so you can make a quick dinner if you need to.
   
   
8. Canned Tomatos and Sauce
   Canned foods were invented to prolong storage. Keep some tomato sauce and tomatoes around to add to pasta for a quick meal.
   
   
9. Potatoes
   Potatoes are considered a staple to many people. Although not a main source of nutrients or minerals, potatoes add interest to quick dishes and are easy to fry, bake, or even cook on a grill.
   
   
10. Canned or Dried Beans
    Canned beans, like canned tomato sauce, help make a quick meal. Dried beans last even longer than canned beans but take a longer time to cook. Beans add protein to the diet. When meat is scarce, reach for the beans to make up for the lost protein.