NibbowlSign up free

Back to guides

How to cook from your pantry

Cooking from what you already have saves money, cuts food waste and ends the "what shall we have?" stand-off. Here is how to do it without a recipe for everything.

Know what you have

You cannot cook from your pantry if you do not know what is in it. Spend five minutes looking through the cupboards, fridge and freezer, and note down what needs eating soon. Put those things at the front.

Build meals around one main thing

Pick a protein or a hearty vegetable, then fill in the rest. Eggs, tinned beans or chickpeas, lentils, frozen fish, chicken thighs and halloumi all make a good anchor. Add a carb (rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, tortillas) and a vegetable and you have dinner.

A small stock of staples goes a long way

• Tinned tomatoes, beans, chickpeas and sweetcorn
• Rice, pasta, noodles and oats
• Eggs, onions, garlic and potatoes
• Stock cubes, olive oil, soy sauce and a few spices
• Frozen peas, spinach and berries

Meals that are easy to improvise

• Fried rice: leftover rice, an egg and whatever vegetables you have
• Omelettes and frittatas: eggs plus odds and ends
• Soups: onion, stock and any tired vegetables
• Traybakes: chopped vegetables, a protein and one flavour
• Wraps and jacket potatoes: a filling you can top with almost anything

• Pork and Veg Egg Fried Rice
• Tuna and Sweetcorn Jacket Potatoes
• Hummus and Veg Wraps

Let the app do the matching

In Nibbowl, add what is in your pantry and it shows which of your recipes use those items. If you want something new, Nibby can suggest meal ideas based on what you have. You choose what to cook, and anything missing goes straight onto your shopping list.

Restock as you go

When something runs out, add it to your list straight away rather than trusting you will remember. A pantry that is topped up a little at a time makes improvised meals much easier.