Why your pantry can save your life.

The black-eye Peas may have sung about a DJ saving their life. But I’m pretty sure said DJ couldn’t have possibly got food on the table and saved them from starvation as often as my pantry has rescued me.

I grew up in the country and the closest supermarket was a 40 minute drive away. So the concept of a well stocked pantry is something that comes naturally to me.

And even though I’ve lived in cities for ages, I still keep my pantry at the ready for emergencies. Like when I just want to go home and be able to put something nutritious on the table, without fighting my way through the traffic and the check-outs.

For me, just the knowledge that I am prepared saves a heap of stress. And there’s also the little bit of domestic pride I feel every time I look inside my pantry. Bliss.

But in case you’re not convinced, here are even more reasons why your pantry can save your life, or at least make things a bit easier…

§ You’ll always be ready to whip up a meal at short notice.
This is the biggest plus. And as you’ll see from the recipes, your pantry isn’t just for bland staples. It’s possible to pull together some really delicious, nutritious meals.

§ Less trips to the grocery store.
Each trip to the shops takes up valuable time. By batching your shopping and doing larger, less frequent shops you’ll be saving yourself time and exposing yourself to less.

§ Less waste.
The more organised yoour pantry, the more likely you are to use things before they pass their best before dates.

§ Save time finding ingredients.
When you’re in a hurry it’s no fun trying to dig through a mess trying to find the ingredients you’re looking for. A little time spent organising will save much time later.

§ Save you time writing shopping lists.
By organising my pantry ingredients into different sections, and mostly keeping things in the same place, I can tell at a glance if we’re low on one thing or not. This saves time when it comes to writing shopping lists.

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