Teaching our children life skills is a key part of their growing up. It can be easy to take the things we do daily and weekly for granted, forgetting their our children might not have gained these skills. In order for our children to grow up, move out, and become fully functioning adults they need to be taught these life skills. Gathering essentials for stocking a kitchen and pantry are the first step in being able to cook for themselves when they are out on their own.

Essentials for Stocking a Kitchen & Pantry

In order to cook meals for themselves, our teens need to know what food items and what cooking tools are essential to have on hand, as well as how to cook with and use these items. Teaching them at home, before they move out and have to do it all, is a great way to help them prepare for life.

Essential Food Items

Pantry

• baking powder
• baking soda
• bouillon cubes (beef, chicken, vegetable)
• bread
• canned soups
• chocolate chips
• cocoa powder
• coffee
• cooking oil
• cornmeal
• cornstarch
• flour
•  honey
• hot sauce
• nuts
• olive oil
• past
• peanut butter
• rice
• rolled oats
• soy sauce
• spices and dried herbs (salt, pepper, paprika, basil, bay leaves, etc)
• sugar (white and brown)
• tomato sauce
• tuna
• vanilla extract
• vinegar

Refrigerator

• butter
• carrots
• celery
• cheese
• cucumber
• eggs
• jelly
• ketchup
• lettuce
• mayonnaise
• milk
• mustard
• sour cream

Fruits & Veggies (outside the refrigerator)

• apples
• bananas
• onions
• potatoes

Freezer

• chicken breast
• frozen vegetables (carrots, corn, broccoli, spinach, beans)
• hamburger (we more often have ground turkey instead)
• ice
• pork chops

Essential Cooking Tools, Appliances & Utensils

Pots & Pans

• skillet
• baking sheets (with and without rims)
• muffin tin
• stoneware or glass casserole dish
• saucepan
• large kettle
• bread loaf pan
• non-stick frying pan

Powered Appliances

• blender
• mixer (stand or hand-held)
• toaster oven (we found this to be a more versatile item than a standard toaster)
• food processor
• microwave
• crock-pot
• coffee pot

Knives & Utensils

• a large chef’s knife
• a serrated bread knife
• a paring knife
• steak knives
• corkscrew
• peeler
• whisk
• can opener
• pastry brush
• grater
• wooden spoons
• rubber spatula
• standard flat spatula
• tongs
• ladle
• large serving spoons
• scissors

Other Misc. Equipment

• large measuring cup
• measuring cup set
• measuring spoon set
• cutting board
• colander
• varied sizes of mixing bowls

The above list is a general overview and starting point for stocking both a pantry as well as a kitchen with cooking supplies. There are things you may add or delete based on your style of cooking and families needs.

Printable List of Essentials for Stocking a Kitchen & Pantry

I have created a printable list of these items for you to use in your home. You could print it and have your child see if they can find each item in your pantry and kitchen. If there are things not on the list you would include, add them and talk about why you think they are important to have.

Another way to use these is to print them out and have your children price out each list. Ask them questions like these:

• What stores are more cost effective?
• What features on appliances are more important than others?
• How can you save money on a particular item or list?

FREE Printable List

Click Essentials for Stocking a Kitchen & Pantry to download the entire list in pdf format!

Life Skills as High School Electives: Home Economics & Shop Class Series

Be sure to book mark this page as this is the landing page for all of them!

Welcome to my series Life Skills as High School Electives: Home Economics and Shop Class. Over the coming weeks I will be talking about essential life skills and how to incorporate them into your high school transcript as high school electives. {Each topic will be linked here as they are completed.}

1. Home Economics

• Essentials for Stocking a Kitchen & Pantry {This Post}
• Cooking Basics for Teens
• Sewing Basics for Teens
• Laundry & Clothing Tips
• house cleaning

2. Shop Class

• Essential Household Repair Tool Kit
• Basic Household Repairs for Teens
• Basic Wood Working Projects
• plumbing and electrical
• mechanical

More Life Skills

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