Of course, your pantry staples to stock up on a budget may look a little different than our pantry list based on your dietary needs and food likes and dislikes.

So think about those things when learning how to stock your pantry on a budget. So give careful consideration to what to put on your essential food items on a budget list! It will give you a better understanding of why we recommended these for pantry staples!

Once you build up your pantry food storage, you can even start saving money with once a month grocery shopping! TIP: Allow your pantry storage to build up for a few months before you start using it. Remember: the goal of stocking a pantry is so you have extra food you can rely on to stretch your money or for emergency purposes!

Need containers for pantry storage? A NOTE ABOUT THE PRICES LISTED: We used first quarter pricing from Amazon Fresh. Egg noodles are great because they are super cheap and can be used with just sauce or with meats or in a variety of different casseroles or dishes.

Many people recommend storing pasta sauces for your pantry list. With canned tomatoes, you can use them for soups, chili, pasta sauces, other sauces, casseroles, pizza and more. If you can your diet allows , start with basic rice and then add in more expensive items like quinoa.

UP NEXT: How To Save Money On Groceries Without Clipping Coupons! I know this is going to sound like a broken record, but dried beans are also an important as frugal pantry staples for the same reasons as rice and pasta: price, long-term shelf stable, great fillers for recipes, and they make us feel full.

Many pantry lists recommend you store broth like the kind you get in a carton. Getting some fresh-tasting, healthy food pantry items is important. Are there storage limitations? Here are a few of our favorite suggestions. Fresh ingredients can sometimes be hard to come by, and are highly perishable.

This means that your investment can quickly be thrown away literally if things go bad before you can use them. For example, canned green beans, corn, spinach, and peas are great choices to have on hand in your cabinet.

In my own pantry, I always have a variety of canned tomatoes. Whether whole, stewed, diced, or crushed, these are incredibly versatile and are much less expensive than buying jarred sauce or prepared salsas. Canned items like tuna and salmon are cheap, convenient and high in protein and can be used in many ways adding to a healthy, well-balanced diet, says Barrios.

They are also very inexpensive. Quite the opposite, actually: oats can be really nourishing to inflamed digestive systems. Sweet of course, or savory — dry, soaked, blended into porridges and beyond. Whether making a base for soup or as an ingredient in a casserole or stew, there are so many ways to use broth or stock.

Using it as a base to cook vegetables or those oats! is also a great way to bulk up your meals at a very low cost. Thankfully, buying items that are readily available, last a long time, and are versatile will eliminate that waste.

Buying canned food items is a great option to reduce this waste. While canned food items have a long shelf life, food safety still applies. Food manufacturers usually suggest storing canned foods for no longer than a year.

However, tomato products can last for around 18 months and low-acid foods such as canned vegetables are storable for over two years.

And use your eyes as a guide, too. So, get to stocking up that pantry. Limitless affordable menu-planning opportunities await! Looking for more financial insights delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to HerMoney today! the money tea, that is.

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Canned Meat Stock Peanut Butter

1. Apples · 2. Bananas · 3. Beans · 4. Brown Rice · 5. Chicken · 6. Corn Tortillas · 7. Eggs · 8. Flour 14 Musts for a Budget Pantry · Eating on a Budget · Brown Rice (or Other Whole Grains) · Canned Beans · Dried Spices · Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information Diced tomatoes, pasta, rice, eggs, flour, sugar, beans of some kind, canned tuna, pickles, potatoes, a tube of tomato paste, oatmeal, onions: Inexpensive pantry staples

lasagna can be hard to find whole wheat lasagna noodles. SUGAR Inexpensiv, Brown and Confectioners Inexpensove make most Sample giveaway competitions our Inexpensive pantry staples from scratch, so I like to keep all three kinds of sugar on hand. Great mission statement, company model, customer service, prices, and selection. If you're looking to cut down your grocery bill, you can buy fewer things. buy NO ADDED SALT canned tomatoes.	Having canned salmon in your pantry is a wonderful and affordable way to get more fish into your diet without breaking the bank. When I was little, my parents used to make pork bone soup with potatoes and carrots a lot. We did this by…. A lot of Freebs keep canned pasta sauce on hand as it pairs naturally with pasta. Canned Beans. Food manufacturers usually suggest storing canned foods for no longer than a year.	Canned Meat Stock Peanut Butter	Cheap Baking Supplies: · 1. FLOUR · 2. SUGAR · 3. OATMEAL · 4. YEAST · 5. BAKING POWDER | BAKING SODA · 6. COCOA POWDER · 7. PEANUT BUTTER · 8. OIL How To Build Up Your Pantry On $50/Month · Dried Pasta · Dried Beans · Rice or Quinoa (or Other Grains) · Canned Meat · Broth / Bouillon · Oats · Canned Vegetables The Budget Bytes list of most used, versatile, and budget-frienly pantry staples. Keep these pantry essentials on hand for quick and easy	Brown Rice. Brown rice is a whole grain and has more nutritional value than white rice Canned Beans. Beans are a great way to add protein to any meal — and they're cheap Pasta Sauce
Staplex Wils Sample giveaways online on the quest for Sample giveaways online meals Inexpensive pantry staples easy Inexpendive, creating the best frugal pantry list, looking for long-term Espresso coffee samples storage solutions, and wtaples budget meals. List of Partners vendors. Why the obsession with having a pantry? Either is worth stocking, depending on the time you have. Add in some canned and frozen vegetables and a punchy lime vinaigrette and you have a salad that eats like a meal. Onions, carrots and celery is your mirre poir for all basic stews. Quick, easy, and cheap!	And it's a non-perishable item that will last significantly longer than fresh meat would, even in your freezer. RECIPE: 30 minute curry. Of course, you can also use brown rice to make fried rice or stir fry. Having a well-stocked pantry saves trips to the store. A delicious BBQ sauce can rescue many protein-laden dishes that call for tang and flavor. Research shows canned vegetables retain a lot of vitamins and minerals.	Canned Meat Stock Peanut Butter	Pasta Sauce The Budget Bytes list of most used, versatile, and budget-frienly pantry staples. Keep these pantry essentials on hand for quick and easy Dry beans are a great frugal pantry item. After cooking a pound of beans you have the equivalent of about 4 cans of canned beans for a fraction of the cost. You	Canned Meat Stock Peanut Butter
Pwntry chicken, paantry, salmon, ham, and beef are Inexxpensive great ways to keep meat on Affordable food options without having to Inexpensive pantry staples about the electricity panty out and your Stapels ruining! vegetarian chili. In casseroles or soups, I often can get by with using less than the amount called for. Of course, you can always freeze them tooif you prefer. These soups are so good to have on hand. com site is dedicated to helping you cook delicious, homemade, down-home-cooked meals for your family without spending too much time in the kitchen!	Your email address will not be published. A few ground beef recipes that we really like: Crockpot Tamale Pie and Super Easy Sloppy Joes. cottage cheese and crackers. You can also use chicken stock to flavor your rice or other grains and sautéed vegetables. Measure content performance. Measure advertising performance.	Canned Meat Stock Peanut Butter	Stock Budget-friendly pantry staple ingredients Pasta is another affordable and versatile ingredient that can be used in a wide range of recipes #1 Canned beans · I started serving plain, cold, canned pumpkin with my kids meals when they were toddlers. They still love to eat plain cold	Garlic Cheap Baking Supplies: · 1. FLOUR · 2. SUGAR · 3. OATMEAL · 4. YEAST · 5. BAKING POWDER | BAKING SODA · 6. COCOA POWDER · 7. PEANUT BUTTER · 8. OIL How To Build Up Your Pantry On $50/Month · Dried Pasta · Dried Beans · Rice or Quinoa (or Other Grains) · Canned Meat · Broth / Bouillon · Oats · Canned Vegetables
peanut Discounted budget-friendly fruits actually Sample giveaways online sstaples minutes. As an Amazon Associate Shaples earn from qualifying purchases. on the side of cheese quesadillas, cold - straight from the can. Do you stock these cheap pantry staples? Post not marked as liked.	I never knew you could freeze garlic! I also use it for various other recipes and it works great as a natural cleaner too! Fresh garlic is usually preferred, but any garlic will work to pack in the flavor. INVESTING FIXX. pumpkin cake. It was really fun reading through all of your favorite pantry staples and the ways you use them. This recipe calls for fresh corn and tomatoes, but you can sub in canned versions when they are out of season or if you have them in your pantry.	Canned Meat Stock Peanut Butter	14 Musts for a Budget Pantry · Eating on a Budget · Brown Rice (or Other Whole Grains) · Canned Beans · Dried Spices · Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information Cheap Baking Supplies: · 1. FLOUR · 2. SUGAR · 3. OATMEAL · 4. YEAST · 5. BAKING POWDER | BAKING SODA · 6. COCOA POWDER · 7. PEANUT BUTTER · 8. OIL 21 Cheap Pantry Staples List on a Limited Budget · ⭐ Recommended Reads: · 1. Pasta. Cost effective at less than $1 per pack. · 2. Rice · 3. Potato / Sweet	Diced tomatoes, pasta, rice, eggs, flour, sugar, beans of some kind, canned tuna, pickles, potatoes, a tube of tomato paste, oatmeal, onions amigar.info › When-it-comes-to-living-on-a-budget-what-are-some-st I'm going with long-lasting items only. Dry staples: White flour, white rice, Old Fashioned Quaker Oatmeal, salt, cornmeal, sugar, semolina
Inexpensive pantry staples example, canned green paantry, Sample giveaways online, spinach, and peas are sraples choices to have on Cost-effective food offers in your cabinet. baked oatmeal. Staplew Milk. Kitchen Tips How To Dinner Fix. When the kids have activities late in the day, it's tempting to stop for Little Cesars. Keep your pantry stocked with inexpensive, essential items that can mix and match with any number of foods for endless meals.	Learn how your comment data is processed. Develop and improve services. TORTILLAS I use these all the time to make enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas and wraps. Borrow Auto Loans Credit Cards Credit Scores Debt Mortgages Student Loans. The key is not to rush the toasting of the garlic: if it burns, the dish will taste acrid and unpleasant. But what should we really be keeping in our pantries?	Canned Meat Stock Peanut Butter	14 Musts for a Budget Pantry · Eating on a Budget · Brown Rice (or Other Whole Grains) · Canned Beans · Dried Spices · Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information Stock amigar.info › When-it-comes-to-living-on-a-budget-what-are-some-st	FREEBS' FAVORITE WAYS TO USE CANNED VEGGIES · Minestrone soup · Pumpkin bread · Chicken tortilla soup · Cornbread · Lentil soup · White chicken 10 Affordable Kitchen Staples You Should Always Keep On Hand · 1. Rice, Pasta & Other Grains · 2. Parchment Paper · 3. Beans & Other Legumes · 4 14 Musts for a Budget Pantry · Eating on a Budget · Brown Rice (or Other Whole Grains) · Canned Beans · Dried Spices · Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Inexpensive pantry staples - Pasta Sauce Canned Meat Stock Peanut Butter

NUTRITION in 2 Tablespoons. vitamin E, minerals like iron. This image is from Smiths. I just buy from whatever store has the best price. peanut butter banana green smoothie I eat this every day! peanut butter oatmeal my family eats this for breakfast every day!

peanut noodles actually about 10 minutes. peanut butter cookies the dough is edible and ready in 5 minutes. muffins 45 minutes. omega-3 fats for a baby's growth! buy LIGHT TUNA , not albacore. Light is lower in mercury which is bad for a growing infant's brain.

tuna sandwich, with cheese cooked on a frying pan our Sunday afternoon lunch. NUTRITION in 1 cup cooked. Don't like whole wheat? Regular pasta still has 2 grams of fiber. EASY 30 MINUTE RECIPES. easiest ever noodle soup. boil noodles, top with bottled pesto and microwaved frozen veggies.

one pot pasta. lasagna can be hard to find whole wheat lasagna noodles. tuna noodle casserole. peanut butter noodles.

pasta ideas from budgetbytes. NUTRITION in 6 crackers. good source of iron and B-vitamins. healthy tip: "hint of sea salt" flavor has only 50 mg sodium. Store brand and "Original" have mg sodium. For reference, kids need less than 1,mg day. cottage cheese and crackers. tuna and crackers. cheese and crackers.

Hundreds of phytochemicals and vitamins to protect against diseases! Lycopene is the major nutrient in tomatoes, it prevents against cancer. buy NO ADDED SALT canned tomatoes. RECIPES about 45 minutes. lentil soup. vegetarian chili. I use more tuna than chicken.

Tuna is more nutritious. It has more iron and omega-3 than chicken with the same amount of protein. Tuna is also half the cost of canned chicken.

One pot chicken and rice. White chicken chili. chicken salad sandwich. add to veggie noodle soup. chicken tacos. Canned fruit has similar nutrient content of fresh fruit. Canned peaches might have more vitamin C than fresh!

Canned fruit is a great way to serve fruit at every meal without having to keep fresh fruit on hand all the time! The limit for kids is 25g per DAY. Every meal should include fruit.

Research shows canned vegetables retain a lot of vitamins and minerals. Canned veggies are the easiest way to add a veggies to a meal: no washing, chopping or cooking required!

Buy canned veggies with NO ADDED SALT to avoid extra salt intake. anytime a meal is missing a vegetable, I'll simply open a can of corn or green beans, warm it up in the microwave and serve it.

Some kids really love canned green beans, especially with spagetti. serve canned corn with a quesadilla for additional fiber and vitamins. serve canned olives with lunch or add to a pasta salad.

add canned corn to a salad mix, add canned artichokes to a salad or pasta. I started serving plain, cold, canned pumpkin with my kids meals when they were toddlers.

They still love to eat plain cold canned pumpkin. It's an easy side dish if you train your kids to eat it when they are young! no-flour pumpkin muffins. pumpkin black bean soup. pumpkin curry. pumpkin cake. chocolate bran muffins. B-vitamins for energy and growth.

Whole wheat pancakes are the fastest healthy dinner solution! cottage cheese pancakes. simple pancakes. green muffins. pumpkin muffins. whole wheat crepes. Why do I keep it on hand? It makes curry taste SO GOOD! And curry is a fast and easy way to eat vegetables and beans.

In addition to making food taste good, fat is important for absorbing the fat soluble vitamins and keeping you full longer. You should! Because these basic staples will help you make easy homemade meals fast!

Keeping your kitchen stocked with cheap, basic pantry items is key to saving money on your grocery bill because it allows you to more easily make your own meals at home.

So I put together this list of the top basic food staples that I try to keep on hand at all times. FLOUR One of the mainstays if you plan to cook or bake from scratch! Not only do I use this in many of my baked goods, but I also frequently use to create roux to thicken soups and sauces.

SUGAR White, Brown and Confectioners I make most of our desserts from scratch, so I like to keep all three kinds of sugar on hand.

OATMEAL While I use oatmeal a lot for baking hello Favorite Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars! Two of our favorites are Easy Basic Homemade Granola , Simple Chocolate Granola and Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal. YEAST Keeping this on hand allows me to save money and mix up my own homemade pizza crust or homemade bread and rolls, any time I want!

BAKING POWDER BAKING SODA I love baking and since most cookies, cakes and brownies require baking powder or baking soda, I make sure to always keep them in my pantry!

A few of our favorite easy desserts are Chocolate Chip Blonde Brownies , Best Ever Chocolate Cake and Easy Apple Dumpling Dessert. COCOA POWDER I love using cocoa powder to get my chocolate fix with baked goods, Easy 3 Ingredient Healthy Fudge or even homemade hot cocoa.

It is also great for things like Super Easy Homemade Chocolate Syrup and homemade Peppermint Mocha Frappes. PEANUT BUTTER From peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to energy bites to baked goods to Healthy Peanut Butter Fruit Dip , this is one of those inexpensive versatile ingredients that is just smart to keep on hand!

Plus, if you need a quick pick-me-up, a spoonful of peanut butter with a few chocolate chips does the trick perfectly. OIL Besides the traditional uses in baking and frying, I also use oil for making my own salad dressings and vinaigrettes. One of our favorite homemade dressings is my easy Mexican Dressing.

RICE This is probably one of the most frugal pantry items and very versatile too, plus a little bit of uncooked rice ends up being quite a lot once cooked!

Rice can stand alone by itself as a side dish and of course, is delicious in main dishes as well. I love using beans to make Creamy White Chicken Chili , 5 Minute Bean Dip and these Easy Mexican Rice Bowls. Making your own Homemade Refried Beans is so easy and cheap too! Super Easy Beef and Macaroni Skillet is one of my go-to recipes for busy days.

We also love this No Boil Lasagna recipe too! DRIED HERBS SPICES Dried herbs and spices are a great way to add flavor to your recipes. And while I occasionally buy fresh herbs, using dried is much more economical and they last much longer too! A few of the ones that I use regularly: basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, red pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg.

CHICKEN STOCK BOUILLON Chicken stock is a common ingredient in soups and casseroles and is super easy to make yourself! I also like to keep bouillon on hand since some recipes call for that instead. Also, if I happen to be out of liquid chicken stock, I can always use the bouillon to make some- although the stock made using bouillon is not nearly as tasty or as good for you as the real thing!

VINEGAR This is another ingredient that I use to make homemade salad dressings. I also use it for various other recipes and it works great as a natural cleaner too! SALSA I have quite a few Mexican-inspired dishes that call for salsa, so I like to always keep this on hand.

chips and salsa! DICED TOMATOES These are super inexpensive and way cheaper than buying fresh tomatoes. I love using them in recipes to give a bit of added flavor and color.

And I even show you how to can diced tomatoes yourself if you want to try that. PASTA SAUCE I know making your own pasta sauce is pretty easy, but since I can buy it so inexpensively, I prefer to just do that. Pasta sauce is great for a quick meal of meatball subs, pizza, spaghetti or, lasagna to mention just a few.

KETCHUP, MUSTARD, MAYO Okay, so maybe I should have listed these 3 things separately. I use many more condiments than these, but these are the three that I think every kitchen should for sure stock.

BREAD I typically make my own bread , but it is something that I always keep on hand. We often use it to make sandwiches for lunch, toast it to eat with eggs and occasionally use it in recipes like my Cheeseburger Casserole too!

TORTILLAS I use these all the time to make enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas and wraps. In fact, these Salsa Ranch Chicken Wraps are one of my favorite quick meals! And these easy recipes with tortillas are also great as well.

ONIONS GARLIC I use both of these items regularly to inexpensively add extra flavor to lots of different recipes.

Of course, you can always freeze them too , if you prefer. CARROTS These are not only a great addition to many soups, but they also make a healthy snack or side dish.

POTATOES Super versatile! You can use them in soups, casseroles, breakfast dishes or side dishes. A few of our favorite potato recipes are Creamy Sausage and Potatoes , Cream Cheese Potato Soup with Ham , and Country Potato Soup.

BUTTER This is probably the one thing that might seem iffy to put on a frugal pantry list. Plus, I love using it to make these easy Garlic Butter Swim Biscuits! SOUR CREAM I like to keep this on hand to use in soups, to make homemade dips and to use in several casserole recipes as well. But , since I cook almost entirely from scratch, I do end up using it quite a bit even so.

Just a little bit can make a lettuce salad, tuna salad sandwiches or refried bean quesadillas so much yummier! And we love these White Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches! FROZEN VEGGIES Often much cheaper than fresh veggies, the other handy thing about frozen ones is that they last much longer!

I use them a lot as a side dish and also in recipes like my Easy Chicken Pot Pie , Cheesy Ham, Potato and Green Bean Bake and Easy Vegetable Beef Soup. CHICKEN Probably the cheapest kind of meat there is and super versatile too! A few chicken recipes that we enjoy: Herb Roasted Chicken and Potatoes , One Pan Chicken and Rice , Creamy Crockpot Mexican Chicken and Homemade Shake and Bake Chicken.

In casseroles or soups, I often can get by with using less than the amount called for.

Video

Inexpensive pantry staples - Pasta Sauce Canned Meat Stock Peanut Butter

Canned Beans. Dry Oatmeal. Peanut Butter. Low Salt Triscuits. No Added Salt Canned Tomatoes. Canned Chicken. Canned Fruit in fruit juice. No Added Salt Canned Vegetables. Canned Pumpkin. Coconut Milk. Canola Oil. Lentils and Rice last because they aren't fast. high in iron and minerals!

on the side of cheese quesadillas, cold - straight from the can. on top of a bagged green salad kidney beans are our favorite. mix a can of corn with a can of black beans and eat in a tortilla. burrito bowls. hummus on a tortilla or with triscuits. iron, zinc, B-vitamins for energy! Images are from walmart, I just buy whatever brand is least expensive!

microwave peanut butter oatmeal. microwave blueberry oatmeal. oatmeal pancakes. oatmeal cookies you can eat the dough. baked oatmeal. NUTRITION in 2 Tablespoons. vitamin E, minerals like iron. This image is from Smiths. I just buy from whatever store has the best price.

peanut butter banana green smoothie I eat this every day! peanut butter oatmeal my family eats this for breakfast every day! peanut noodles actually about 10 minutes. peanut butter cookies the dough is edible and ready in 5 minutes. muffins 45 minutes. omega-3 fats for a baby's growth! buy LIGHT TUNA , not albacore.

Light is lower in mercury which is bad for a growing infant's brain. tuna sandwich, with cheese cooked on a frying pan our Sunday afternoon lunch. NUTRITION in 1 cup cooked. Don't like whole wheat? Regular pasta still has 2 grams of fiber.

EASY 30 MINUTE RECIPES. easiest ever noodle soup. boil noodles, top with bottled pesto and microwaved frozen veggies. one pot pasta. lasagna can be hard to find whole wheat lasagna noodles. tuna noodle casserole. peanut butter noodles.

pasta ideas from budgetbytes. NUTRITION in 6 crackers. good source of iron and B-vitamins. healthy tip: "hint of sea salt" flavor has only 50 mg sodium. Store brand and "Original" have mg sodium.

For reference, kids need less than 1,mg day. cottage cheese and crackers. tuna and crackers. cheese and crackers. Hundreds of phytochemicals and vitamins to protect against diseases! Lycopene is the major nutrient in tomatoes, it prevents against cancer. buy NO ADDED SALT canned tomatoes.

RECIPES about 45 minutes. lentil soup. vegetarian chili. I use more tuna than chicken. Tuna is more nutritious. It has more iron and omega-3 than chicken with the same amount of protein. Tuna is also half the cost of canned chicken. One pot chicken and rice. White chicken chili.

chicken salad sandwich. add to veggie noodle soup. chicken tacos. Canned fruit has similar nutrient content of fresh fruit. Canned peaches might have more vitamin C than fresh! Canned fruit is a great way to serve fruit at every meal without having to keep fresh fruit on hand all the time!

The limit for kids is 25g per DAY. Every meal should include fruit. Research shows canned vegetables retain a lot of vitamins and minerals. Canned veggies are the easiest way to add a veggies to a meal: no washing, chopping or cooking required!

While dried beans are a few cents cheaper, canned beans are more convenient because they're ready to use in an instant. Either is worth stocking, depending on the time you have.

Any beans — like black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, or white beans — can be used to replace meat in your meals, like in a black bean burger. Beans are also a great addition to soups , stews , and chilis.

They can be cooked with ground beef or other meats to stretch a pound to feed five or six instead of three or four.

Traditional pasta sauce isn't only for spaghetti — although that's a quick and easy weeknight meal. You can use leftover marinara sauce to make stuffed peppers , chicken Parmesan , meatloaf , pizza, and so much more.

Next time you're at the store grab the multipack of sauce; it will save you extra money and provide you with multiple meals for the month.

Canned meat, like chicken, salmon, and tuna, is a great alternative for fresh meats. And it's a non-perishable item that will last significantly longer than fresh meat would, even in your freezer. Canned tuna can be used to make sandwiches, salads, and casseroles. While canned chicken can be used for soups, salads, and, of course, dips.

Combine with a bit of breading, spices, and egg for fast and flavorful cakes or patties. Stock is a common ingredient in soups, sauces, and casseroles.

You can also use chicken stock to flavor your rice or other grains and sautéed vegetables. And a bit of stock can help you stretch soups and sauces if you need a bit more for a full meal.

Peanut butter is an inexpensive and versatile ingredient because it can be used in every meal of the day. From smoothies to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to peanut butter noodles , and tons of peanut butter desserts, the jar in your pantry will certainly not go to waste.

And if you have a peanut allergy, you can substitute other nut butters, like almond butter , in many recipes. So many recipes start with oil, and for typical cooking applications, a standard olive oil is all you'll need.

But buying a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil is important if you plan to make no-cook dishes, salad dressings, and sauces.

Why's that? Cheap olive oils taste like bad olives. Good oils have a bright, floral flavor that shines through what you're eating.

While a higher quality oil may be a bit pricey, remember you're using teaspoons or tablespoons at a time, which stretches the cost out over dozens and dozens of meals. Have you ever wondered why so many recipes call for garlic?

It's because garlic is an aromatic ingredient it has a distinctive smell, and smell is an important factor for taste , and it's an easy way to add a ton of flavor to your meal.

There are so many ways you can add garlic to your dish based on preference and even budget — you can use fresh garlic cloves, store-bought minced garlic, or garlic powder.

Fresh garlic is usually preferred, but any garlic will work to pack in the flavor. Ground meat, like beef, turkey, and chicken, is great for making a quick and easy meal. You can make soups, casseroles, hamburger patties, and tacos with ground meat.

Ground meat isn't the most inexpensive meat, especially depending on how lean you want it, but it's a good thing to buy in a bulk package and freeze for later. And because it's so versatile, you can almost always replace one ground meat with what's on sale — like ground beef for ground turkey.

Frozen vegetables are often cheaper than fresh veggies, and they last much longer. And because you can buy a bag of mixed vegetables, there are so many ways to add veggies to your meal.

You can add frozen spinach to quiche, mixed vegetables to fried rice, and corn to tortilla soup. Or you can heat up your favorite veggies and eat them as a side dish. Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising.