Is your pantry stocked with non-perishable healthy foods? Even if you already know how to stock a healthy pantry, here are some helpful tips to make sure you have the right healthy non-perishable foods when you need them most.
You'll find a non-perishable food list that includes healthy dry goods, canned and jarred goods, and dehydrated ingredients. I've also included step-by-step instructions for how to stock your pantry, plus 20+ recipes made almost entirely with non-perishable food items!
Want to Save This Post?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Typically, healthy ingredients are usually fresh ingredients. Because of this, your healthy ingredients usually have a short shelf life. In other words, they're whole foods with no preservatives.
While these types of ingredients are perfect for everyday use, what happens if you can't get to the grocery store? Do you have the right ingredients in your pantry to pull together a healthy pantry recipe at a moment's notice?
If that thought leaves you worried and stressed about what you're going to eat, use this easy step-by-step process to stock your pantry with long-lasting healthy ingredients. So you'll always be prepared to cook a pantry meal in any emergency situations from natural disasters to just not having time to go shopping.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase through my links, I may receive a commission at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.
Step 1: Understand What Qualifies As Non-Perishable Food
What is non-perishable food? Simply put, a non-perishable food is any ingredient that doesn't require refrigeration and has a much longer shelf life. As a result, canned goods, dry goods, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, and other preserved foods all qualify under this definition of non-perishable foods.
In addition, while not technically "non-perishable" by the above definition, you can also look at rounding out your healthy nonperishable food list with long-lasting veggies and fruits. Consider ingredients like sweet potatoes, butternut or spaghetti squash, lemons, limes, onions, garlic, and carrots, as well as any fruit or vegetable that you can keep in a cool dry (unrefrigerated) place for at least one to two weeks.
Step 2: Take Stock Of What You Have In Your Pantry
Next, it's time to take a look at what's already stored in your pantry at home.
Grab a pen and paper (or the notes app on your phone) and head to your pantry. Go through your items one by one, writing down:
- The item name
- How many/how much of this item you have "in stock"
- The expiration dates (if applicable)
You may have more in your pantry than you think!
(This is similar to the way I approach shopping my kitchen during meal planning.)
Most importantly, this "in stock" food list helps you make sure that you don't overbuy or underbuy when it comes time to do your grocery shopping. You'll get exactly what you need, no more and no less.
Step 3: Review This Non-Perishable Food List
Here's a list of healthy non-perishable items you can cross-reference your newly created "in stock" pantry list against. It's by no means an exhaustive list, but includes the long shelf life items I regularly stock in my own pantry because it allows for a lot of flexibility in what you're able to pull together for dinner. (Without needing a trip to the grocery store.)
Canned & Jarred Non-Perishable Foods
- Almond butter, cashew butter and other nut butters
- Apple cider vinegar
- Applesauce
- Avocado oil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Chicken and vegetable broths - homemade is better, but this is great for emergencies
- Coconut aminos
- Canned or carton coconut milk with no additives or gums (like either this one in BPA-free cans)
- Canned or jarred fruit with no sugar added - peaches, pears, pineapple
- Cauliflower rice in shelf-stable package
- Coconut oil, organic virgin
- Flavored olive oils - great for adding flavor to quick recipes. I usually have garlic-infused olive oil on hand.
- Ghee
- Honey, local raw
- Macadamia nut oil
- Maple syrup, pure
- Organic extra virgin olive oil
- Pasta sauce
- Salsa
- Sardines
- Sunbutter - nut-free and tastes like peanut butter
- Shelf-stable milk - almond milk, coconut milk
- Tahini
- Tomato puree, canned
- Tomato paste, canned
- Tuna, canned or packaged with no additives
- Vanilla extract
- Wild salmon, canned or packaged with no additives
Non-Perishable Dry Goods
- Almond flour - I use Wellbee's Super Fine Blanched Almond Flour or Thrive Market Almond Flour
- Baking soda
- Blanched hazelnut flour
- Cacao powder
- Cassava flour pasta
- Cashews, raw
- Chocolate chips (gluten-free)
- Coconut flour
- Crackers or melba toast
- Egg white protein powder
- Gluten-free crackers
- Grain-free tortilla chips
- Grass-fed collagen
- Coconut wraps
- Pecans
- Protein bars (these are my favorite)
- Sea salt
- Seeds - sunflower, pumpkin seeds
- Trail mix or paleo granola
- Walnuts
Non-Perishable Dehydrated Foods
- Dried apricots
- Dried cranberries, sweetened with apple juice
- Dried pineapple, unsweetened
- Other dried fruit
- Raisins, unsweetened
- Turkey or beef jerky
- Herbs & spices - avoid pre-mixed spice blends, most contain starch
- Shredded coconut, unsweetened
Long-Lasting Fruits & Vegetables
- Butternut squash
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Onions
- Lemons
- Limes
- Shallots
- Spaghetti squash
- Sweet potatoes
Step 4: Stock Your Pantry To Fill The Gaps
Now that you know what's missing in your pantry, it's time to fill in the gaps.
If you're already in the midst of a situation that's preventing you from getting to a grocery store regularly, you may want to consider ordering your groceries from an online delivery service in order to better suit your current life circumstances.
Here are a few online grocery delivery services that I use to make grocery shopping easier and quicker:
Thrive Market
I've saved a lot of money shopping Thrive Market for pantry staples (here's how I saved over $1000 on healthy foods). It's quick and easy to use, and they stock a really wide variety of healthy non-perishable staples.
You can shop online or on the app and they make it easy to shop by diet (paleo, keto, gluten-free, vegan) and see the full ingredient list before you order. And get your healthy groceries delivered straight to your door.
Want to give Thrive Market a try? Use this link for extra savings.
Walmart, Amazon & Local Delivery
Here are two other grocery option recommendations that may surprise you. Both Walmart and Amazon stock a lot of healthy nonperishable foods (at budget-friendly prices!). Walmart offers both pick-up and full delivery services.
The key here is to examine ingredient lists as close as you possibly can to ensure you're buying healthy ingredients. This is particularly true if you're following a strict keto, paleo or gluten-free diet.
Step 5: Get Cooking!
Now that you've got your pantry stocked up with healthy non-perishable foods, it's time to start cooking.
Here are some of my favorite recipes that rely almost entirely on the nonperishable staples, shelf-stable foods, and long-lasting fruits and vegetables listed above:
Breakfast
- Instant N'Oatmeal Mix-besides nonperishables, you'll need a banana and cashew milk
- Cranberry Walnut Granola
- Pumpkin Coconut Smoothie-includes an optional banana and some ice
- Chocolate Smoothie-includes an optional banana and some ice
- 3-Minute English Muffin-includes an egg
Side Dishes
- Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
- Roasted Root Vegetables
- Grain-Free 'Cornbread'-you'll need 4 eggs and some cashew milk
- Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes
Main Dishes
- Crock Pot Turkey Bolognese Sauce-you'll need 1 pound of ground turkey
- Easy Baked Meatballs-you'll need 1 pound of ground beef
- 10-Minute Tomato Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Sweet Potato Soup
- Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs-you'll need 4 chicken thighs
Snacks & Treats
- Pecan Sandies
- Hazelnut Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Salted Chocolate Almond Haystacks
- Easy Honey Walnut Muffins-you'll need 3 eggs
- Pecan Chocolate Chip Granola
All of these healthy recipes are quick, easy and rely mainly on easy-to-find non-perishable and perishable ingredients. I've noted any recipe that will require additional fridge and freezer ingredients. You'll notice that most of these additional ingredients are fridge and freezer staples, like eggs, bananas, and common meats.
Want even more easy recipes using pantry and freezer-friendly ingredients? Here's a week-long meal plan and grocery list made entirely with healthy recipes that rely on pantry and freezer staples.
What's in your pantry?
Whether you're looking to stock up your pantry, prepare for an event or situation which might prevent you from getting to the grocery store, or just want a collection of healthy recipes that are made almost entirely with nonperishables, you're all set!
Now it's time for you to stock your pantry with healthy non-perishables and start cooking!
Leave a Reply