# What food item can't you do without in your pantry? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 31, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832 "2003-05-31T20:55:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![leechbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@leechbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leechbabe)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/1 "2003-05-31T20:55:59Z")
I’ve been doing up my grocery shopping list and it occured to me that there are several items that I always get, things that I just couldn’t live without. Examples: Milk Eggs Butter Coconut Milk Rice Garlic So what food (or beverage) item is your kitchen not complete without? ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/2 "2003-05-31T21:16:28Z")
hmmmmm… mine begins like yours, with milk, eggs, & margarine. I also use 5 lbs of sugar a week - making sweet tea & koolaid for my son’s thirsty thirsty friends. I betcha they drink 7 gallons of tea a week. They are also crazy about chicken tenders. Each week I get the big bag of frozen chicken tenders. For my cooking & baking, some staples I like to keep on hand are: flour (both plain and self-rising), corn bread mix, shortening, frozen bread dough (you caught me!), shredded cheese & tortillas. Which reminds me, we’re out of sugar. I gotta go Kroger-ing! ---
**Author:** ![catnoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@catnoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catnoe)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/3 "2003-05-31T21:24:17Z")
coffee olive oil pasta garlic water fresh fruit olives parmigiano cheese We go to the grocery everyday, picked up the habit in Italy as the grocery was across from the house. Now the grocery is two blocks from the metro nearest the apartment so I pick Hubby up there and we pick up dinner and whatever we need then. As we are now dieting and/or trying to eat better a lot of former staples no longer make it into the house. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/4 "2003-05-31T21:27:30Z")
Either vegemite or marmite. Can run out of one, but not the other! ---
**Author:** ![Leifsmama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a698b9/32.png) [@Leifsmama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leifsmama)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/5 "2003-05-31T22:03:57Z")
Olive oil Flour Sugar Salt Baking powder and soda Yeast Quick oats Rice Canned, diced tomatoes Potatoes Pasta Onions Carrots Celery Butter Milk, both 2% and whole eggs ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/6 "2003-05-31T22:06:16Z")
coffee, coffee filters & spicy V-8 ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/7 "2003-05-31T22:14:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\*Either vegemite or marmite. Can run out of one, but not the other! \*\* I hear Australians talk about these and sing their praises (sometimes literally) all the time, but what exactly are they, and what do they taste like? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/8 "2003-05-31T22:22:34Z")
Marmite and vegemite are yeast extract spreads; they taste very salty, but they also have a intensely strong sort of ‘meaty’ aroma and taste - like the golden coloured chewy/crispy bits that are found in the bottom of a roasting pan after cooking a chicken, or like the crystallised soy sauce that accumulates around the rim of the bottle, something along those lines. The products are usually eaten as a spread (on buttered toast) or as a sandwich filling, but they can be used as ingredients in their own right - to enrich gravy, sauces and casseroles. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/9 "2003-05-31T22:25:50Z")
Anyway, My list Flour Onions Red pepper Olive oil Chicken stock Mushrooms Garlic Lemons ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/10 "2003-05-31T22:27:13Z")
I forgot: Paprika Mature Cheddar cheese Mustard ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/11 "2003-05-31T22:28:04Z")
Milk Fat Free Yogurt Fresh Fruit Vegetables - canned, frozen, fresh - whatever, always need it Susan ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/12 "2003-05-31T23:14:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\* > Mature Cheddar cheese > \*\* …which goes great with the Spicy V-8 and some crusty sour dough bread. ::koee ambles off to the kitchen:: ---
**Author:** ![Oy\_Vey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dbc845/32.png) [@Oy\_Vey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy_Vey)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/13 "2003-05-31T23:27:52Z")
[Chili](http://ro-tel.com/products/prod_chili.html) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/14 "2003-05-31T23:30:45Z")
I always keep a couple tins of anchovies in the cupboard in case I get a frozen pizza. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/15 "2003-06-01T00:35:38Z")
Since my goal is to have enough in my pantry to last quite awhile, the list is long and includes many staples. But I’ll have to put in Zatarain’s red beans and rice mix Creative Grains’ roasted garlic bulgur (or as we call it, “stuff”) couscous and most of what everyone else has listed. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/16 "2003-06-01T06:30:00Z")
I’m surprised nobody’s mentioned cream of mushroom soup - the mother of many casseroles. Also, canned tuna, tomato sauce, tomato paste and various Zatarain’s things like red beans and rice. Oh yeah, and regular rice - usually plain-jane Calrose and sometimes jasmine. (The kind that goes in a rice cooker, as opposed to “instant”) (When you say “pantry” I think of stuff that sits happily on the shelf for how ever many months, rather than perishables like milk and eggs. ---
**Author:** ![chattywine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@chattywine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chattywine)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/17 "2003-06-01T11:09:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by catnoe \* > \*\*coffee > olive oil > pasta > garlic > water > fresh fruit > olives > parmigiano cheese > \*\* We have the same list! Only things I must add are melanzana and zucchini. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/18 "2003-06-01T13:51:21Z")
Peanut Butter! Actually, there are none that I can’t do without. As a bacheler it is common for me to have almost nothing at all to eat in the house. ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/19 "2003-06-01T14:06:42Z")
Many of the above but the one thing I will not be without is family sized tea bags for preparing the eternal tea pitcher. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832/20 "2003-06-01T15:18:21Z")
Things I always have in the house: Milk Juice, usually OJ or grapefruit Olive oil Some kind of cheese (usually Cheddar and/or parmesan) Various canned tomato producs (crushed, sauce, paste, etc.) At least a couple of kinds of beans, both canned and dry Tuna Eggs Baking staples (flour, sugar, yeast, baking soda) Coffe/tea Various herbal teas, although I don’t go through them quickly enough to need to buy some every trip Pasta Onions Garlic Fruits/veggies in season (dpeends on what looks good) I almost never buy processed foods. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-food-item-cant-you-do-without-in-your-pantry/178832.md?page=2)