Keeping a well-stocked pantry and a dialed-in grocery budget is kind of my thing.
To be fair, I like the challenge of creating something out of nothing.
So I rolled up my sleeves and got started taking stock of my pantry shelves.
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How the Pantry Challenge Works
Theres no right or wrong way to do a pantry challenge.
But the idea is to reduce food waste by eating down the contents of your pantry.
This means no grocery shopping during the entire challenge.
Lets just say the light was on but not much was home.
Here are a few things we learned along the way.
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
Start With Protein
As vegetarians, our protein sources can be a tricky balancing act.
I discovered some good stuff wed forgotten about and reduced inevitable food waste.
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3.
Make a Menu
Our family eats most meals at home, with the exception of when we pack lunches.
And we have a regular rotation for breakfasts.
I was able to take our standard menu (oatmeal Mondays, cereal Fridays) and adapt it.
The hard part was finding homemade dinners that werent just tolerable but tasty.
Mondays Pantry Challenge Meals
Oatmeal Monday started rocky because we were out of oatmeal packets.
But as I reminded my kids, the rolled oats on our baking shelf are whats in oatmeal packets.
Throw in a bit of sugar and add hot water, then a handful of nuts or dried fruit.
We found a few sweet potatoes on a pantry shelf.
you could also do a Mexican variation on this recipe idea with black beans and salsa.
I blended the wilting arugula, frozen mango and some more coconut milk.
We didnt have bananas, so I used protein powder as a thickener and tossed in some chia seeds.
Making a slurry of soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch added plenty of flavor.
This meal is one of my favorite things to do when supplies run low.
Verdict: The adults were happy with the smoothies.
The kids, not so much.
Wednesdays Pantry Challenge Meals
Hear me out on this one.
You know why we didnt have eggs?
Because my daughter decided she had to use half a dozen over the weekend to make lemon bars.
Close enough for me.
Lemon bars for breakfast.
We didnt have bread left at this point, but we did have a few tortillas.
I made peanut butter and jelly tortilla wraps, cut them and stuck a toothpick through.
Whoever said necessity was the mother of invention obviously had the right idea.
We had a half-used box of risotto in the pantry.
Verdict: As expected, the kids were enthusiastic about having dessert for breakfast.
The adults loved risotto, but the teen suddenly had someplace to be once dinner started.
Thursdays Pantry Challenge Meals
I know what youre thinking.
Well, for pumpkin pancakes, thats no problem.
Pumpkin is actuallya good substitute for eggs in baking.
The pancakes turned out a little thicker but a perfectly acceptable partner for the last of our maple syrup.
It was delicious, and I have no regrets.
Got a jar of green salsa in your fridge and some beans in your pantry?
Then you have the fixings for chili.
Meat eaters can also use leftover chicken, pork or turkey.
Fridays Pantry Challenge Meals
I made a horrifying discovery when taking stock of the pantry.
We were out of cereal.
Fortunately, we still had some of those rolled oats and pecans from Thanksgiving.
So I threw together thiseasy homemade granolawith some dried ginger pieces instead of fruit.
I spotted some edamame in the freezer and decided to make veggie burgers.
Verdict: I thought dinner was pretty inspired, but the kids disagreed.
I drained and pressed it, then crumbled it.
The family was happy to have made it and discovered some frugal recipes in the process.
Can You Save Money With a Pantry Challenge?
As far as money-saving ideas go, pantry challenges are a pretty good idea.
They help households eliminate food waste and stretch that grocery budget a little more.
Id say we saved about $100-$150 by shopping our own pantry and freezer.
Youll lose some convenience and choice in the process and spend more time in the kitchen.
And who doesnt want to eat that kind of challenge for breakfast?
Kaz Weida is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
When you log into your bank account, how do your savings look?
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
