10 Foods You Should Make Instead of Buy

Last Updated on September 24, 2024 by Michelle

Pantry staples don’t have to be filled with ingredients you can’t pronounce.

The snacks your family reaches for can be nutritious choices, without breaking the bank or requiring lots of preparation time.

Let’s make some pantry staples

I’ve joined forces with fellow creators, on youtube and instagram, to bring you a long list of pantry staples you can make yourself, better, at home.

We’re sharing all our inside secrets on these delicious pantry staples right here. Just keep scrolling for links to the ingredients and videos to make the staples with us.

Take a second and find all of us over on instagram and youtube:

Michelle Visser instagram and youtube

Stacy Lyn Harris instagram and youtube

Amy Cross instagram and youtube

Chelsea, of Little Mountain Ranch instagram and youtube

Rachel (That 1870s Homestead) on instagram and youtube

What staples should you always have in your pantry?

While each family has different favorite meals and snacks, in general you want to keep all of these 3 areas of your kitchen well-stocked, when you can:

1. Pantry
2. Refrigerator
3. Freezer

While some items show up in more than one of these places (like fruit and veggies), for the most part you can keep a checklist of what items you need in these 3 locations and go grocery shopping with these lists in mind.

Go here to download my personal Pantry Checklist, filled with links and discount codes to some of my favorite pantry staples.

How to make your pantry healthier?

Homemade will always trump store-bought. While I want to encourage you to not let yourself get overwhelmed and try to do too much, too fast, with just a little effort you’ll find yourself loving the journey towards an improved pantry. (This Pantry Staples Summer Challenge is a GREAT place to start!)

How to create a well stocked pantry?

To have a well stocked pantry is easier than you might think. Especially if you learn to make the staples you use the most.

No better way then to join a friend in her kitchen and learn to make some staples, elbow to elbow. So that’s what we’re doing here, in the Pantry Staples Summer Challenge. Glad you can join us!

Pantry staples you can make

There are so many staples… easy meals and snacks and more that you can make yourself. To inspire you, we’ll be sharing some of our favorites right here in the weeks ahead.

We’ll be adding new ingredient lists and videos here often, so check back (and enter the giveaway daily while you’re here!)

Meanwhile, take a second to go and follow each of us on instagram and subscribe to our youtube channels, so you don’t miss a thing. (Just scroll up for all the links.)

Here to enter the giftaway? Just tap right here

Homemade Ice Cream

Specifically, let’s make Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream made with fresh mint (or dried, or extract) and zero refined sugars.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups fresh mint leaves (or 2 cups dried mint or 2-3 tsp mint extract)

2 cups milk

3/4 cup maple syrup (i highly recommend this syrup)

1 tsp vanilla extract (this is the only one I buy)

1/2 tsp salt (I use this salt)

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup cacao nibs, ground up (this is where I get mine)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO

Join Michelle in her kitchen to make this yummy mint chocolate chip ice cream (and find out why it almost failed).

MORE DETAILS

Get the full, printable recipe and more tips for making mint chocolate chip ice cream with no refined sugar right here.

Ranch Seasoning

INGREDIENTS

1/2 c dry buttermilk powder

1 TB dried parsley

2 tsp. dried dill weed

1 tsp freeze dried chives

1 TB garlic powder

1 TB onion powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO

Join Rachel in her kitchen to make your own ranch seasoning.

Homemade Yogurt

INGREDIENTS

4 cups milk

2 TB plain, organic yogurt

1-2 TB powdered milk (optional)

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO

Join Chelsea in her kitchen to make a batch of homemade yogurt right here.

Everything Seasoning

INGREDIENTS

2 TB poppy seeds

2 TB sesame seeds

1 TB minced garlic 

1 TB minced onion 

2 tsp. kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO

Join Michelle in her kitchen to make a batch of this seasoning right here, on youtube.

MORE DETAILS

Get the full, printable details for Everything Seasoning right here.

Maple Meat Rub

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup maple sugar (find out How to Make Maple Sugar)

2 tablespoons garlic powder

4 teaspoons onion powder

2 tablespoons coarse salt (this is the best! Use code SOULYRESTED)

2 teaspoons cinnamon (this is what I use)

4 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons pepper

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO

Join Michelle in her kitchen to make a batch of this seasoning right here, on youtube.

MORE DETAILS

Get the full, printable details for Maple Meat Rub right here.

Teriyaki Sauce

INGREDIENTS

water

5 TBs brown sugar

monk fruit/molasses substitute

¼ cup coconut aminos

2 TBs honey

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 TB fresh ginger, minced

1 TB arrowroot powder or cornstarch

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO

Join Amy in her kitchen to make teriyaki sauce right here.

Kombucha

INGREDIENTS

water

½ cup sugar

1 TB organic black tea (or 4 tea bags)

SCOBY & starter fluid

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO

Go here to start a batch of kombucha with Michelle Visser.

MORE DETAILS

Get the full, printable details for How to Make Kombucha right here.

Condensed Soup

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons butter

8 ounces cremini, portobello, or white button mushrooms, sliced

¼ cup flour

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¾ cup chicken broth

¼ cup white wine

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO

Go here to make this recipe with Stacy Lynn Harris. 

Trail Mix (without seed oils)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup mint carob chips

1 cup raisins

1 cup pumpkin seeds

Salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO

Go here to make this recipe with Michelle Visser.

MORE DETAILS

Get the full, printable recipe for this Trail Mix without Seed Oils or Refined Sugars right here.