Shop Your Pantry and Save Money

Tony Staubach
Nov 25
2 min read

Wasted food costs the average family of four $3,000 a year. A major reason for that waste is poor inventory management at home. Remember to check your stock before you shop!

Shop Your Pantry:

Most of us are familiar with making a grocery list. You come up with recipes you want to make, create a list of ingredients, and then shop. However, in your cabinets, pantry, and refrigerator, you likely have many of the ingredients needed to make delicious, wholesome meals. Cooking is as much an art as it is a science- don’t be afraid to get creative with what you've got before you shop.

Store Food Safely:

You’re in a rush, you get home from the grocery store, throw your produce in the fridge and the cabinet, and come back a few days later to find moldy produce or mushy fruit?

Slow down! The first step to properly storing food is to take time to learn what works. The second step is to take time to do it! We have a handy Food Storage Guide available on this website!

Share the Bounty:

Shopping your cabinets is a fun, family-friendly way to learn about food. Our partners at the Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council and Green Umbrella shared one of their favorite recipes from their Farm to School partner, Feed Our Future!

Cowboy Salsa is a simple recipe that you can modify based on what you had in your cabinet.

Cowboy Salsa (With Possible Modifications):

Ingredients

· 1-2 Cups frozen corn

o use part of a leftover bag or a whole bag

· 1-2 Cups canned black beans

o or use any bean you have on hand

· ½ Cup diced tomato

o any variety, using more than half a cup might make your salsa a little runny

· ¼ Cup Italian dressing

o or make your own “dressing” with

lime juice