Control Journal, Step 7: Pantry List

The next section you’ll be creating for your control journal is your Perpetual Pantry List. This is the list of foods you generally keep stocked in your home. Below you’ll see Leanne Ely’s Perpetual Pantry List. Leanne Ely is the Dinner Diva of savingdinner.com who writes the weekly Food for Thought essays and is our resident nutritionist. Keep in mind that this is an example; you should adapt this list to your family’s likes and dislikes. Do not go out and buy all the things on your pantry list at once; it takes months to build up a pantry. Slowly buy your supplies over time, starting with those you use the most. Take this list, edit it, print it out for your control journal, and put it in the menu and grocery list section. This way you’ll have a running list of everything you like to have in your household!

Baking Supplies:

Baking powder; baking soda; sea salt; cocoa or carob; vinegars: rice wine, red wine, balsamic, apple cider, white; flours: pastry flour, all-purpose, buckwheat; Gluten (helps make bread rise better); whole oats; cornmeal; pancake mix; unsulphured molasses; vanilla extract; sugars (white, brown)

Breads:

Whole wheat bread; rye bread; tortillas: whole wheat, corn; bagels

Canned goods:

Tomato puree; diced tomatoes; whole stewed tomatoes; tomato paste; pumpkin puree; pineapple; apple sauce; evaporated milk; packaged tuna; green chilies; beans (for fast emergency meals); salsas; pickles (zucchini relish, okra, dill pickles, etc.)

Condiments:

Soy sauce; sesame oil; ketchup; mustards (regular yellow, dijon, honey mustard, coarse); honey; jams; peanut butter; almond butter

Seasonings:

Pepper; nutmeg; garlic powder (NOT salt); onion powder; dried red peppers; chili powder; cayenne pepper; cilantro; tarragon; rosemary; bay leaves; basil; sage; thyme; oregano; parsley; ginger; cloves; mace; curry powder; Paul Prudhomme’s pasta & pizza seasoning (a little pricey, but so good)

Cereals:

Chex; Cheerios; whole oats; 7-grain cereal; puffed wheat; millet; Ancient Grains Cereals (President’s Choice brand — widely available in supermarkets everywhere)

Prepackaged stuff:

White macaroni and cheese (no junky food colorings); assorted pastas; barley (not pearled); beans and legumes: split peas, lentils, black beans, turtle beans, pintos, white beans, navy beans; brown rice (short and long grain); brown basmati rice; jasmine rice; cous cous

Pantry veggies:

Potatoes; onions; sweet potatoes; garlic; assorted winter squashes when in season

Refrigerator:

Milk; butter; eggs; cheeses (blocks, shredded, slices); tofu; yogurt; cold-pressed oils; flax seeds; yeast; mayonnaise; worcestershire sauce

Freezer:

Chicken; beef; frozen vegetables (for emergency dinners, otherwise I use fresh and in-season); frozen fruits (for smoothies); frozen overripe bananas (ditto); orange juice; cheeses; butter

Vegetable & fruit baskets:

Bananas; carrots; peppers; apples; lettuces; spinach; tomatoes — whatever’s in season!

Once you have your perpetual pantry list, you’re ready for step eight!

Back to the FLYing Lesson for building a Control Journal.

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