Regardless of blue-sky solutions to the ever-present problem of an unbalanced pantry, starting fresh allowed me the opportunity to evaluate how to get the most out of a trip to the grocery store. The list below is actually what I purchased tonight. More importantly though are the categories I separated them into. From that, it’s a bit easier to see how buying things that are more modular/generic can actually provide more variety. Of course, you’ve gotta have some spices/oils and know-how lying around as well…

Protein

1. 18 Large Eggs
2. Baked Beans [2 large cans]
3. Chicken Drumstricks [3 lbs.]
4. Pork Chops [1.5 lbs.]

Vegetables

1. Frozen Vegetables [2 pkgs.]
2. Hashbrowns [1 pkg.]
3. Potatoes [3 lbs.]
4. White Onions [1.5 lbs.]
5. Peeled Tomatoes [2 large cans]
6. Tomato Sauce [2 small cans]

Starch

1. Pasta [3 pkgs.]
2. Short Grain Brown Rice [2 lbs.]
3. Wasa Multigrain Crackers [2 pkgs.]
4. Wheat Bread [1 loaf]

Total Price

1. $46.23

I left out a few things, like the bananas I bought and the 18-pack of microwave popcorn. I don’t buy a lot of fruit, probably because I don’t dig on sweets much, but also because they tend to spoil pretty quickly. The vegetables I bought keep for awhile in the fridge and the others are frozen, so I’m pretty well off in that respect. Nonetheless, there’s a pretty even smattering from the three key food groups in my life. The pasta could be a side with a stir fry of the vegetables, or I could use the peeled tomatoes for marinara. The rice can go with just about any of the vegetables/protein combos either as a side or as fried-rice + eggs and so on…

I’m pretty excited about this venture. I’m guessing these groceries should feed me lunch and dinner for about 2 weeks, maybe longer. As for breakfast, that’s what the bananas are for. When those run out I’ll probably pick up some yogurt or just skip breakfast all together. I never have much of an appetite right after I wake up anyway. The take-away here is that eating cheaply doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice nutrition, stock your cheeks full of additives/preservatives and synthetic food-stuffs, or sell your soul to Ronald McDonald. Try to focus on all the different ways you can work with a single, versatile ingredient like the potato. Once you have all those under your belt, cross-breed them into masterpieces!