As a freshman who lives in a traditional dorm and relies on food from the dining hall, I haven’t thought about home cooking for a good few months. But as my sophomore year is getting closer, so is the life of living in an apartment with a kitchen, something that I am so ready for.
If you can’t tell how excited I am, let me tell you how the other day I stopped by Trader Joe's (which is just 5 minutes away from my dorm…), thinking I was going to just grab a snack to munch on and instead spent over half an hour planning which foods I would have in my pantry for next year.
Anyway, since I’m a college student who’s on a budget, I thought I’d share my list of some of the essential foods that I’ll have in my kitchen next year, hopefully helping other people who won’t be relying on the dining hall as much.
Oils + Condiments
- Coconut oil
- Vegetable oil
- Olive oil (if you’re really extra)
Pantry
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Flour
- Vanilla extract
- Chocolate (for those deserts y’all)
- Almond flour (again if you’re extra/an actual baker)
- Chia seeds
- Sunflower, pumpkin, flaxseed
- Oatmeal/steel cut oats
- Dried fruits (mangos, golden cherries, cranberries, raisins [if you’re into that…], bananas, coconut shavings,
- pinto/black beans (honestly, the best advice that I can give is to buy them dry!! Don’t go for that canned foodstuff, I swear boiling them yourself is so much better in terms of taste and plus it doesn’t take a lot of effort!!)
- Tuna (if you’re into canned food, plus it's a simple, cheap ingredient that could be used for a quick lunch...just make sure you brush your teeth after…)
- Pasta (or make your own with flour and eggs, real simple and cheap!)
- Brown and granulated sugar
- Honey
- Lentils, soybeans
- Rice
- Nuts (almonds, peanuts, pecans,etc.)
Fridge
- Eggs
- Milk (including substitutes!)
- Butter
- Cheese (duh…)
- Yogurt
- Tofu (or any other meat)
- Water (but y’know, in a Brita)
Fruits/Veggies
- Honestly stick to whatever’s in season--it’ll be cheaper and you’re helping the environment a bit….
- Make sure to have some greens though like spinach, romaine lettuce, etc.
- Things you should always have though: some sort of green (spinach, lettuce, etc.), onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes etc.
Spices/herbs
- It’s really easy to have a mini garden and grow your own herbs! Essential ones that you should have: cilantro, parsley, dill, mint,
- Dried herbs: bay leaves, thyme (if you’re not into growing it), oregano, rosemary
- Spices: pepper, salt (I know, not a spice, don’t at me), cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, cayenne, Herbs de Provence (again if you’re extra like me), allspice, cinnamon, coriander
- Spices and dry herbs are also a pretty good investment since they can last for a few months!
Freezer
- Dried fruit and veggies
- Ice cream (duh)
Condiments
- Mayo,
- Mustard,
- Ketchup,
- Oil,
- Soy sauce,
- Hot sauce