Food Essentials to Keep Stocked for Busy Moms

I love to cook. The task I don’t like is figuring out what to cook. Then there’s shopping, cleanup and dishes.. and that all adds up, especially when that work mainly falls on you. Sure, my husband will make breakfast on the weekends and the occasional dinner. For the most part, though, anything related to mealtime is my job.

Living in Italy has taught me a lot in regards to food. Before we moved here we lived in Arizona. My hubby and I both worked full time and had a toddler running around so we were busy. UberEats and DoorDash became our best friends ever since covid and we ate out more than thrice a week. So you can imagine the culture shock when we moved overseas where food delivery is almost nonexistant.

Over time, I learned what to keep stocked in my kitchen for easier meal planning and less stress. So without further ado….

Dry & Canned Goods

• Flour
  I did a lot of research on flour because I wanted something that could be all purpose, low-glycemic, and full of fiber yet not gluten free. That’s when I found an old book on Spelt flour. ~If you’re interested, the book is St Hildegard of Bingen’s Nutrition: Spelt – The Super Food
• Cornmeal
  In Italy they sell what is called Polenta. It isn’t quite like cornmeal in the states, but it works almost the same. Try and find one with as little added ingredients as possible.
• Canned or dried beans/chickpeas
  These are good to have on hand for soups, stews, hummus, salads, tacos, you name it.
• Canned/jarred tomatoes
  Stop buying the various tomato sauce brands with tons of added stuff and flavors; it’s all crap for you. All you need are plain jane chopped/crushed tomatoes in water and a little salt. Throw em in a blender or leave as is for pasta, tacos, casseroles etc. If you need a ready-made sauce aim for one that only contains tomatoes and salt.
• Pasta/white rice
  Sometimes I can find spelt pasta, but my main goal is to buy pasta that has been dried for at least 48 hours at low temperatures and looks white and porous. The only time I buy yellow-colored pasta is when I need egg noodles. If the package doesn’t tell you how long the pasta was dried for, it probably isn’t good. This is a rule the Italians live by and for a good reason. Pasta that’s been dried ‘low and slow’ holds its shape while cooking, doesn’t stick, tastes better, has amazing texture and holds onto sauce well.
• Baking powder & baking soda
  These are a no brainer, especially if you like to bake or make pancakes and such. Try to get a baking powder that doesn’t contain aluminium salt.
• Sea salt/celtic salt
  I really hope none of you are purchasing table salt and if you are, please consider switching. Sea salt has all the trace minerals your body needs which is something table salt lacks.
• Herbs and spices
  I love basics like pepper, oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, paprika, turmeric, curry, dill, etc. You can get blends, but those usually have anti caking agents added.
• Cereals
  I try to keep cereal out of my house because it really is nothing but pencil shavings. However, cereal in Italy isn’t filled with artificial colors so I allow it once in a while. I only use oatmeal on occasion paired with a healthy fat and fiber. Most often I like to use rolled spelt because of all its benefits and low glycemic index.
• Bread/Tortillas
  I found a bread that is mainly made with spelt flour. In the past, I tried to get on the sourdough bandwagon, but it didn’t go so well.
• Eggs

Fruits & Vegetables

We probably don’t eat as many fruits and vegetables as is recommended by nutritionists. But we do try and that’s all that matters. Some that I like to keep on hand are:

• Frozen berries
  I buy fresh when in season, but frozen stays good longer
• Apples
  You can do so much with apples so I always have a bunch in the fridge or on the counter
• Grapes
  We love these as part of a snack or charcuterie board
• Cucumbers
  Your kids might like these better peeled with a sprinkling of salt on each slice
• Sweet bell peppers
  I cut them up into strips and place in the fridge to use as needed
• Frozen broccoli
  For soups or stir fry
• Carrots
  Easy veggie to throw into any dish
• Zucchini
  Another great one because they’re always around and you can hide them really well in muffins or chocolate chip bread
• Onions & Garlic
  I use these in almost every dish I make because they create a great starting flavor and smell amazing
• Olives / Pickles
  You can buy these or make your own

Meat & Dairy

I get that not everyone can have dairy and some of you are probably vegetarians, but these are necessities in my house.

• Milk
• Plain Yogurt
  We use this instead of sour cream because I cannot find the latter on the economy. You can do so much with plain yogurt.
• Butter
• Various hard cheeses
• Ricotta
• Cream cheese
• Raw meats
  You really cannot find many frozen prepared meats on the economy here unless you shop at Aldi or Lidl. Even then, you can’t make as much of a variety of things if the meat has been seasoned and pre-cooked.

Condiments & Oils

We haven’t bought mayo in over 2 years and I used to use it often. Unless you make your own, it really isn’t great for your health. Ketchup is something we do keep on hand, mainly for a ‘just in case our kid is being extra picky’ siituation. So here is what I do buy:

• Olive oil
  Make sure what you’re getting is pure cold pressed olive oil in a dark colored glass bottle
• Coconut oil
  I use this when I am frying food because it is more stable than olive oil
• Ketchup
  Free of added sugar and corn syrup
• Coconut Aminos
  I am sensitive to soy so this is a great alternative to soy sauce
• Apple cider vinegar and white vinegar
  Both are very multipurpose
• Honey
  Try to get unfiltered or raw
• Maple syrup
  Hint: that Mrs. Butter’s Worth stuff ain’t real
• Jelly
  I have not tried making my own yet, but I hear it is pretty easy
• Sunflower butter
  Peanuts are the least healthiest of all the nuts (technically they’re legumes) because of aflatoxins and mold so we use a substitute

This concludes the list of food items I always keep stocked up. We’re obviously not perfect and sometimes we buy items like chips and crackers. I think if you keep a balance of 20-80 with the higher number being the whole foods, you’re doing just fine. We do still eat out about once a week, but usually only once a week. Gotta enjoy life, but not overendulge.

Well, that’s all for now! I’d love to know if you found this helpful in the comments below.