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Dear Cath - June 2016

Q. Dear  Cath,
I would like to know what you consider staples, besides, flour, sugar, salt and pepper. Thank you, a newbie,
Barbara Jackson
A.  A well-stocked pantry is essential if you want to eat well  and stick to your grocery budget. It takes time to build your pantry, but it is well worth taking the time and making the effort to choose ingredients you'll use that are also multi-purpose. Set aside a portion of your grocery budget each shop so you can buy one or two of the pantry basics on your list and before you know it you'll have a fully stocked pantry.

The absolute minimum in my pantry would be:

Flours - plain, self-raising, wholemeal, gluten, cornflour
Sugar - just white. You can make castor and brown sugar very easily.
Rolled oats
Rice - white. Basmati as it's a lower GI and slightly better than other rices
Pasta - easy as it is to make, it's just as cheap and easy to buy. Spaghetti, lasagne, twists or shells.
Dried fruits - mixed fruit and sultanas, glace cherries and ginger, apricots, dates, prunes
Dried beans and lentils
Nuts - peanuts for peanut butter, almonds, walnuts
Spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, turmeric, paprika, coriander, cumin, mixed spice, vanilla beans, vanilla extract 
Herbs - mixed herbs, basil, oregano, rosemary, dill, dried onion, garlic powder, sage, thyme, 
Powdered milk - skim and full cream
Vinegar - white, brown, balsamic, apple cider
Sauces - soy, oyster, tomato, barbecue, sweet chilli
Oils - olive, safflower, sesame
Yeast
Tinned tomatoes
Tinned pineapple
Baked beans
Eggs 
Butter
Cheese - tasty, parmesan
Potatoes
Onions
Carrots
Celery
Zucchini

I do have other foods in the pantry, but those above are the bare basics. With those ingredients and a little beef, chicken, lamb or fish I can feed the family for months before repeating a recipe.