40 recipes using pantry ingredients, covering breakfast lunch and dinner. If you have a hefty stock of pantry items but are low in fresh produce, youโ€™ll love these easy nutritious recipes using staples.

40 Healthy Recipes Using Pantry Ingredients from The Roasted Root

 

Many of us keep a hefty stock of pantry items but donโ€™t always have access to fresh produce. Coming from a small mountain town where it can snow non-stop for days, Iโ€™m very familiar with pantry cooking. 

When we donโ€™t have control of mother nature, we can make the best of our food situation by whipping up delicious meals using ingredients we always have on hand.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with spinach, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, feta, and lemon vinaigrette - a healthy vegetarian meal or side dish!

Youโ€™d be surprised what you can do with a can of beans. I mean, Double Chocolate Chickpea or Black Bean Brownies, anyone? Suddenly being stuck at home doesnโ€™t seem so bad.

Some of the recipes in this post include ingredients I would consider to be staples. For instance, I personally always have a supply of ground turkey, chicken, and/or sausage in my freezer, and keep bananas, potatoes, carrots, garlic and onion on hand.

Instant Pot Lasagna Soup - a delicious mashup of classic lasagna and tomato soup! Quick and easy pressure cooker recipe | TheRoastedRoot.net

If you are fresh out of anything on any of the ingredient lists, feel free to comment below, and I will do my best to provide substitutions! Here are some common substitutions you can employ when in a pinch:

Easy Substitutions:

  • Meat: You can always replace meat with rice and beans for a complete protein. If you’re making soup that calls for meat, swap it for black beans and brown rice.
  • Potatoes: Most potatoes can be used interchangeably, and butternut squash is a great replacement for potato.
  • Carrot: Grated sweet potato, butternut squash, or regular potato can be used to swap out grated carrot.  Carrot and zucchini are interchangeable in baked recipes.
  • Sweet Potatoes/Banana: You can often substitute applesauce for mashed sweet potatoes in breads or baked goods using a smaller measurement. For instance, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of mashed sweet potato, use ยฝ to โ…” cup applesauce. Mashed banana can be used to replace mashed sweet potato and vice versa in a 1:1 change.
  • Tomatoes: If a recipe calls for tomato sauce and you donโ€™t have any on hand, you can blend up diced tomatoes. Similarly, you can often substitute tomato sauce for diced tomatoes if you are fine with a smoother versus chunky texture.
  • Nut Butters: Use peanut butter, tahini, almond butter, and cashew butter interchangeably.
  • Dried Fruit: Raisins, dried blueberries and cranberries can be used interchangeably. 
  • Oil/Butter: Most cooking oils are interchangeable, and butter can almost always be used to replace oil and vice versa. Where I donโ€™t suggest using olive oil is in sweet baked goods, unless you are okay with the olive flavor coming through.
  • Dairy-Free Milk: Non-dairy milks such as almond milk, oat milk and coconut milk can be used interchangeably and can often be used to replace cowโ€™s milk.
  • Cream: Cream can be replaced with full-fat canned coconut milk.
  • Sweeteners: All liquid sweeteners are interchangeable, but be sure to keep a watchful eye on a baked good that uses honey instead of pure maple syrup, as honey burns at a lower temperature.
  • Sugar: Coconut sugar + a touch of pure maple syrup can be used to replace brown sugar, and vice versa.
  • Eggs: If you donโ€™t have eggs on hand, you can replace 1 egg with ยผ cup of something else. For instance, ยฝ of a banana, ยผ cup of mashed sweet potato, applesauce, and/or flax or chia eggs. To make 1 flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water and stir well. Allow the mixture to sit and thicken for 10 minutes, then use it as you would a regular egg. 

Grain-Free Morning Glory Muffins made with almond flour and coconut sugar. These healthy muffins are a great breakfast or snack. | TheRoastedRoot.com #glutenfree

These easy, nutritious recipes will not only keep you satisfied, they make for fun cooking projects at home! Leave a comment telling me which ones you try, and enjoy!

xo

Grain-Free Protein Pancakes made with almond butter and almond flour | TheRoastedRoot.net #healthy #breakfast #recipe #glutenfree

Breakfast:

Southwest White Bean Veggie Burgers with black bean and corn salsa - a flavorful plant-based vegetarian dinner recipe!

Lunch:

Turkey, Black Bean, and Sweet Potato Rice Enchilada Skillet - a filling meal packed with vegetables and lean protein!

Dinner

More Resources:

Looking for even more pantry meals? Here are some more roundups you can check out:

22 Pantry Recipes You Can Make With Ingredients You Already Have On Hand from Diethood

14 Legitimately Easy Dinners Made with Pantry Staples from Tasty.Co

25 Cheap Instant Pot Meals Under $10 from Recipes From A Pantry

Julia Mueller
Meet the Author

Julia Mueller

Julia Mueller is a recipe developer, cookbook author, and founder of The Roasted Root. She has authored three bestselling cookbooks, – Paleo Power Powers, Delicious Probiotic Drinks, and The Quintessential Kale Cookbook. Her recipes have been featured in several national publications such as BuzzFeed, Self, Tasty, Country Living, Brit.co, etc.

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Questions and Reviews

  1. What a great post. With many items not available at the store, this is very helpful. We have rice and beans at home. I never really thought about substituting meat, since we are not vegetarians. Thank you!