Skip to content

Top Navigation

Parents Parents
  • GETTING PREGNANT
  • PREGNANCY
  • BABY NAMES
  • BABY
  • TODDLER
  • BIG KID
  • FUN
  • HEALTH
  • PARENTING
  • FOOD
  • HOLIDAY
  • News
  • THE STAY AT HOME GUIDE
  • SHOP
  • OUR MAGAZINES
  • MORE

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Your Profile
  • Your Profile
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Parents

Parents Parents
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 22 Chore Ideas for Every Type of Kid

      Find a chore your kid loves to do, and start a habit of wanting to help out that'll last a lifetime. Read More Next
    • Top 5 Mom Friend Problems—And How to Fix Them

      Parenting is so much easier with good pals. Learn to overcome friendship hurdles and bond with women who get you. Read More Next
    • How to Sleep Train Toddlers and Big Kids

      I’m a pediatric sleep specialist who has seen it all, and I’m here to tell you that it’s not too late to get your child to (happily) stay in his own bed all night long. Read More Next
  • GETTING PREGNANT

    GETTING PREGNANT

    See All GETTING PREGNANT

    Your Chances of Getting Pregnant Every Day of the Month

    When sex coincides with your most fertile ovulation days, you'll increase the chances of conceiving. Get to know each phase of your cycle to get pregnant faster.
    • Ovulation
    • Reproductive Age
    • Maximizing Your Fertility
    • Pre-Pregnancy Health
    • Trying to Conceive
    • Dealing With Infertility
    • Genetics
  • PREGNANCY

    PREGNANCY

    See All PREGNANCY

    Signs of Approaching Labor: How to Tell Your Baby is Coming Soon

    Anxiously awaiting your baby’s arrival? Learn to recognize the first signs of labor approaching, which signal that your little one might make an appearance soon.
    • Signs of Pregnancy
    • Pregnancy Week-by-Week
    • Giving Birth
    • Labor & Delivery
    • Pregnancy Symptoms
    • Due Date Calculator
    • Pregnancy Complications
    • Fetal Development
    • Gender Prediction
    • Baby Showers
  • BABY NAMES

    BABY NAMES

    See All BABY NAMES

    These Are the Most Popular Baby Names of 2020

    Curious which baby names stole the show this year? From new classics like Noah to tried-and-true faves like Ava, here are the top boy and girl names of the year so far, plus more naming trends to consider.
    • Baby Girl Names
    • Most Popular Names
    • Names by Origin
    • Twin Names
    • Baby Boy Names
    • Names by Religion
    • Celebrity Baby Names
    • Baby Name Quizzes
  • BABY

    BABY

    See All BABY

    How to Decode Your Baby's Cough

    Caring for a baby with a wet or dry cough? Listen for wheezing, hacking, or barking first, then read on to find out what's normal and when it's time to worry.
    • Newborn Care
    • Crying Baby
    • Health
    • Baby Development
    • Safety
    • Gear
    • Breastfeeding
    • Diapers
    • Sleep Issues
    • Feeding
    • Nursery
  • TODDLER

    TODDLER

    See All TODDLER
    • Preschool Activities
    • Behavior & Discipline
    • Toddler Development
    • Milestones
    • Potty Training
    • Starting School
    • Health
    • Safety
    • Childcare
  • BIG KID

    BIG KID

    See All BIG KID

    How to Deal With Bullies: A Guide for Parents

    Mean kids aren't just a middle-school problem. The trouble has trickled to the youngest grades. Learn how to spot it—and how to protect children of all ages from bullies at school.
    • Education
    • Health
    • Food & Nutrition
    • Bullying & School Problems
    • Child Development
    • Safety
    • Manners & Responsibility
  • FUN

    FUN

    See All FUN

    17 Budget-Friendly Kids’ Birthday Party Ideas

    A fun celebration doesn’t need to cost a pretty penny. Throw a memorable bash with these clever cost-cutting kids’ birthday party ideas.
    • Birthdays
    • Indoor Activities
    • Outdoor Activities
    • Arts & Crafts
    • Printable Coloring Pages
    • Kids' Entertainment
    • Best Toys
    • Holidays
    • Family Vacation Ideas
  • HEALTH

    HEALTH

    See All HEALTH

    All About Coronavirus COVID-19: A Concerned Parent's Guide

    Here’s everything you need to know about the disease that originated in Wuhan, China.
    • ADD & ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Autism
    • Cold & Flu
    • Coronavirus and COVID-19
    • Cough
    • Down Syndrome
    • Emergency Aid
    • Fever
    • Medication & Vitamins
    • Obesity
    • Rashes
    • Stomach Aches
    • Vaccines
  • PARENTING

    PARENTING

    See All PARENTING

    The Stay at Home Guide for Parents

    Everything you need to thrive at home as a family.
    • Positive Parenting
    • Parenting Style
    • Celebrity Parents
    • Family Dynamics
    • Divorce
    • Home
    • Adoption
    • Just for Mom
    • Money
    • Toy Recalls
    • Stroller Recalls
  • FOOD

    FOOD

    See All FOOD
    • Family Recipes
    • Baby Food
    • Toddler Finger Food Recipes
    • Hints & Tips
    • Healthy Eating
    • Birthdays
    • Holiday Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Meals
    • Food For Pregnant Women
  • HOLIDAY

    HOLIDAY

    See All HOLIDAY

    44 Fun Valentine's Day Crafts for Kids

    Spend an afternoon making these Valentine's Day cards, decorations, and edible projects for kids. Bonus: These craft ideas are perfect for preschoolers and the ideal homemade gift for a few special someones!
    • Christmas
    • New Year's
    • Valentine's Day
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Father's Day
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Hanukkah
  • News
  • THE STAY AT HOME GUIDE
  • SHOP
  • OUR MAGAZINES

    OUR MAGAZINES

    See All OUR MAGAZINES
    • Parents
    • Parents Latina
    • Ser Padres
  • MORE

    MORE

    • Newsletters
    • Contests
    • ParentsIRL
    • Adulting
    • First Year Playbook
    • Celebrate Your Way

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Your Profile
  • Your Profile
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Cozi Family Organizer this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Food & Recipes
  3. Cooking
  4. Kid Friendly Food
  5. 25 Best Pantry Staples to Add to Your Grocery List

25 Best Pantry Staples to Add to Your Grocery List

By Karen Cicero
August 07, 2020
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Illustration by Francesca Spatola; Amazon (3)

This year, we’ve never appreciated grocery essentials more, so we asked chefs, dietitians, food bloggers, and Parents editors to tell us what healthy pantry items they couldn’t live without—and then we gave the goods to families for a taste test. Here are the winning products that wowed busy parents and picky eaters alike.

Start Slideshow

1 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Olive Oil: Trader Joe's 100 Percent Greek Kalamata Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

SHOP IT

The well-priced TJ cult fave, a Greek import, “smells and tastes like fruity sunshine,” says Jason Goldstein, a Food Network Star finalist.

1 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Vinegar: Colavita Aged White Wine Vinegar

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

An all-purpose pick with a mild, fruity taste that even kids like. A splash tastes great on veggie sides and salads, and you can also use it to marinate chicken and fish.

2 of 25

3 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Marinara: Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

This landslide winner “tastes like from-scratch sauce and has the same ingredients: plum tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and herbs,” says Katie Morford, R.D., author of Mom’s Kitchen Handbook.

3 of 25

Advertisement

4 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Peanut Butter: Jif Natural Creamy

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

Easier to spread without stirring than other natural options and packed with flavor, this pick delivers for PB & Js and more.

4 of 25

5 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Pasta: Barilla

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

Even when you leave it on the stove a beat too long, it’s hard to ruin pasta from the classic blue box, says Silvia Baldini, a winner on Food Network’s Chopped. (No mushiness!) And the pasta maker’s from-Italy sauce line, Vero Gusto, can easily fancy up rigatoni night.

5 of 25

6 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Whole-Grain Side: Bob's Red Mill Tri-Color Quinoa

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

This mix of white, black, and red quinoa cooks quickly. “I toss it into salads, chili, and soups for extra protein and fiber,” says Victoria Shanta Retelny, R.D.N., author of The Essential Guide to Healthy Healing Foods.

6 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Cooked Rice: Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice Basmati

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

Pop this in the microwave, and 90 seconds later, you have a couple of cups of fragrant rice to join the main meal. (We like it with Tasty Bite Indian Madras Lentils for a near-instant dinner.)

7 of 25

8 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Canned Fruit: Del Monte Diced Mangos

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

Unlike the mango on your counter, these canned ones are always ripe and recipe-ready. “The chunks are the perfect size for salsa,” says one mom tester. “I added chopped red onion, a little cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. A few minutes later, the kids were scooping it up with tortilla chips.”

8 of 25

9 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Pancake Mix: Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

In terms of easy (and fluffy) flapjacks, it’s hard to beat this wheat- and barley-flour mix. Seriously—just add water.

9 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Ready-Made Side: Tasty Bite Indian Madras Lentils

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

A surprise hit with kids, this combo of lentils and kidney beans in a creamy tomato sauce takes just a minute to microwave. “The cumin makes it flavorful without being too spicy for kids,” says Andrea Mathis, R.D., who blogs at Beautiful Eats & Things.

10 of 25

11 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Canned Beans: S&W Tuscan Style Savory Sides

SHOP IT

“My kids asked for seconds,” reports one tester about these new fiber-packed white kidney beans that come pretossed with olive oil, garlic, and herbs.

11 of 25

12 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Tuna: StarKist Selects E.V.O.O. Wild Yellowfin Tuna with Lemon Pepper

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

Ready to eat straight out of the pouch and nicely seasoned, StarKist's E.V.O.O. Wild Yellowfin Tuna with Lemon Pepper is a new high-protein lunch that you can legit tuck into your diaper bag (trust us on this; we’ve done it).

12 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Soy Sauce: Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

Happily, 40 percent less salt doesn’t mean less flavor; there’s plenty of richness here. “This has become our family’s go-to soy sauce,” says one Parents staffer.

13 of 25

14 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Honey: Gold Emblem Spreadable Honey

SHOP IT

Creamed honey is a thing, and props to CVS for working it into its house line.“It spreads as easily as frosting,” says one tester, who uses it on her kids’ toast.

14 of 25

15 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Taco Mix: McCormick Original Taco Seasoning Mix

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

It’s all you need for taco night, with chili powder, paprika, and oregano. Says a Parents editor: “These are spices I would use myself, packaged in the right proportions.”

15 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Seasoning: Goya Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

The Latin and Caribbean staple is a known multitasker: “My wife introduced me to it, and I use it on chicken, steak, eggs, rice—anything, really,” says chef Kenny Gilbert, of Cut & Gather, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

16 of 25

17 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Dressing: Hidden Valley The Original Ranch

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

A spoonful makes the baby carrots (and cucumber circles) go down! "My four-year-old will gobble up any raw veggie when she can dip it in this Ranch—lettuce, bell pepper, cucumber, and tomatoes included—so we always have a bottle in our fridge," says Amy Palanjian, author of Food Play! and Yummy Toddler Food. Kid testers also point out that it’s creamier than other brands they’ve tried. 

17 of 25

18 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Finishing Sauce: Hellmann's Cilantro Lime

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

In a convenient squeeze bottle, this zippy sauce with hatch chiles, tomatillos, and avocado oil is begging to be squirted onto a taco. Do it!

18 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Broth: Better Than Bouillon Reduced Sodium Chicken

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

Add water, and one tiny jar yields 12 quarts of broth. A teaspoon also ups the flavor of soups, sauces, and stir-fries, says Stacie Billis, author of Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner.

19 of 25

20 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Fruit Chips: Bare Pineapple Chips

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

Unlike most just-the-fruit chips, these aren’t too hard for kids to bite into. Our testers reported that this item was “crunchy and sweet” and “tasted like pineapple juice.”

20 of 25

21 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Applesauce: Organic GoGo SqueeZ Happy TummieZ

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

This is elevated applesauce blended with other fruits or veggies plus gut-friendly fiber from artichokes. The kid testers called dibs on the apple-strawberry-pomegranate-spinach combo.

21 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Fruit Bars: Dino Bars

SHOP IT

Sold in three flavors, these organic fruit bars stand out for their cute dinosaur theme, novelty edible-paper wrapping, and soft texture. “It’s not as dry as the fruit leather I usually eat, and it doesn’t make my hands feel sticky,” said one kid tester, who gave a big thumbs-up to the mango-pear-banana variety. 

22 of 25

23 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Rice Bars: This Saves Lives Kids Mammoth Marshmallow Krisp

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

Produced in a peanut-free factory, these new puffed-rice bars (from the brand Kristen Bell cofounded) will give your kids classic marshmallow-treat vibes. They’ll never suspect that the snack contains a serving of fruit and veggies.

23 of 25

24 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Crackers: Goldfish Cheddar

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

Enticing kids for nearly 60 years, these orange fish are a no-fail snack for road trips, movie nights, and just ten minutes of peace and quiet.

24 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

25 of 25

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Best Nuts: Wonderful Roasted & Salted No Shells Pistachios

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon
SHOP IT

Perfectly seasoned, these greenish gems add flavor and B vitamins to trail mix, oatmeal, even ice cream. You’ll thank us if you buy them already shelled.

25 of 25

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Karen Cicero

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 25 Best Olive Oil: Trader Joe's 100 Percent Greek Kalamata Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 of 25 Best Vinegar: Colavita Aged White Wine Vinegar
3 of 25 Best Marinara: Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce
4 of 25 Best Peanut Butter: Jif Natural Creamy
5 of 25 Best Pasta: Barilla
6 of 25 Best Whole-Grain Side: Bob's Red Mill Tri-Color Quinoa
7 of 25 Best Cooked Rice: Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice Basmati
8 of 25 Best Canned Fruit: Del Monte Diced Mangos
9 of 25 Best Pancake Mix: Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix
10 of 25 Best Ready-Made Side: Tasty Bite Indian Madras Lentils
11 of 25 Best Canned Beans: S&W Tuscan Style Savory Sides
12 of 25 Best Tuna: StarKist Selects E.V.O.O. Wild Yellowfin Tuna with Lemon Pepper
13 of 25 Best Soy Sauce: Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce
14 of 25 Best Honey: Gold Emblem Spreadable Honey
15 of 25 Best Taco Mix: McCormick Original Taco Seasoning Mix
16 of 25 Best Seasoning: Goya Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning