A strategically stocked pantry is the secret to feasting on a budget. We’ve done the planning for you and created a list of items that are inexpensive, versatile, healthy and long-lasting. You can mix and match them to create meals; we’ve got dozens of inspirational ideas and recipes to get you started.

A note on pricing: Prices are included as a general guide and basis for comparison only. We’ve used standard prices for the least-expensive brand at major supermarkets in a statistically average area. Prices vary considerably by region and outlet and fluctuate over time. And remember that buying in bulk at warehouse clubs or buying items on sale could lower these prices considerably.

It’s the most popular food on the planet, so you’re bound to find delicious things to do with rice no matter what cuisine you’re cooking for dinner. And at about 8 cents per ounce for both medium-grain white and brown rice, 12 cents for jasmine or basmati, it’s one of the cheapest staples out there. Whole grains like quinoa (32 cents per ounce) and farro (29 cents per ounce) are a bit more expensive, but they offer even more fiber and nutrients. Cook up a large batch of rice or other grains and freeze the extras in 2-cup cooked portions in resealable freezer bags to use in fried rice, soups, salads and more. Almost every family has a favorite version of a one-skillet chicken-and-rice dinner; arroz con pollo is a classic and uses budget staples like chicken thighs, carrots and frozen corn. Fried rice is about the best way to use up leftover meats like chicken or pork or make it vegetarian with inexpensive tofu or extra egg. And don’t forget dessert; rice pudding is pure comfort and calls for just a few household staples.

At about $1.09 per 15-ounce can, beans are a particularly cheap protein source, but they’ve got a lot of character and grace as well: Think of dappled cranberry beans in a salad, round chickpeas in a curry and black beans complementing yellow rice. And while canned beans are super-convenient, dried are even cheaper: At 12 cents per ounce, they cook up to be about half to a third the price of canned, and most agree they’re superior in flavor and texture. Simmering up a big batch? Freeze extras in 1 1/3-cup portions (that’s about how much a 15-ounce can is) for easy use in recipes. And don’t forget lentils, too, which are similarly inexpensive and cook from dry in about half an hour. Beans or lentils are the main event in chilis, curries like chana masala, pastas, soups, hummus and any number of rice-and-bean dishes from around the world. Or you can add heft to almost dish by stirring in a can of beans — salads, casseroles, grain dishes and more. Sometimes just a cup or two of beans is enough to turn a side dish into a main course.

Unique colors, small sizes and quirky shapes are trendy, but if you’re looking for bargains, you’ll probably want to skip these potatoes. Brown russets (80 cents per pound), waxy red-skin or golden potatoes (about $1.12 per pound) and sweet potatoes (about 80 cents per pound) are typically the best deals and just as delicious as flashier models. And they’re the most versatile: Bake them whole or use them in mashes, curries, stews, casseroles, soups, fries, pancakes, salads and much more. Add them to channa aloo for a bargain main course. Or turn them into a crispy fried delicacy: patatas bravas is crispy and irresistible and latkes are traditional at Hanukkah but make a cravable side dish year-round. Potatoes have an enviable shelf life compared to most veggies, meaning buying them in bulk (always cheaper) is the way to go. Store them in a cool, dark place for weeks. If any sprout, no worries: Just cut out the sprout when you prepare them; do, however, take a pass on any spud with a greenish hue, the sign of a mild toxin.

One budget veggie you should always have in your crisper? Carrots! Clocking in at about $1 per pound almost year-round, they’re culinary workhorses with exemplary nutritional cred from antioxidants, beta-carotene and tons of fiber. They’re as versatile raw as cooked, and they’re almost impossible to overcook. Thanks to their cheapness, availability and storage chops, they’re found in just about every cuisine on earth: Think tzimmes, gado-gado, North African–spiced carrots, tajines and so many other delicious dishes it’s hard to imagine dinner without. Feathery carrot tops have an enticing parsley-like flavor and aroma, so if yours come with them, don’t throw them out: Use them in chimichurri or pesto, or chop them and sprinkle them like herbs and get even more value from your carrots. And don’t forget to mix it up with the sweet side of carrots: Carrot cake, carrot muffins and carrot halva just to name a few. Sturdy carrots keep refrigerated for weeks, so save the most by buying the biggest bag that’s reasonable for you to store.

A head can last for weeks in your fridge, it’s readily available year-round and at about $1 per pound for green, a bit more for red, it’s the go-to member of the brassica family to stock up on. Other vegetables in this nutritionally powerful family include bok choy, choi sum and broccoli, so look for these too when they’re in season or on sale. Go with shredded red cabbage to add color and crunch to dishes like tacos, slaws and salads. Green cabbage or napa cabbage are excellent for sauteing, stir-frying or braising. And cabbage can even be the main event when used as a wrapper for cabbage rolls or braised for a filling meat substitute. As a bonus, probiotic fans can turn this veggie into two of the most powerful sources of this good bacteria with a little patience: Homemade sauerkraut and kimchi are easy to mix up and ferment at home and cost a fraction of store-bought versions. Just be sure to give them a few weeks to reach their potent peak.

Buying frozen is a great way to avoid waste, so it’s particularly economical. You can use just what you need, then toss the rest back in the freezer. Expect to pay anywhere from $1.79 to $2.39 for a 16-ounce bag of vegetables, a phenomenal bargain for anything out of season, plus the veggies come trimmed and ready to use so you’re not paying for scraps. Some vegetables take to freezing outstandingly, with minimal loss of flavor or texture: Peas, spinach, corn, kale, collards, butternut squash and edamame are excellent, with broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and okra also being pretty good substitutes for fresh, but you probably have your own favorites. When it comes to fruits, berries, peaches and cherries are ideal to have on hand for smoothies, yogurt bowls, pies and more. And it’s easy to freeze fresh produce yourself if you have a seasonal bounty heading to overripe.

For less than $2 per can for a big 28-ounce can, you can make delicious homemade pasta and pizza sauces, or use canned tomatoes in an endless variety of dishes like shashuska, minestrone, Mexican rice, tikka masala, chili and much more. Not only are tinned tomatoes typically cheaper than fresh, particularly out of season, but also for cooked sauces and other dishes, they’re usually preferable to supermarket tomatoes. Canning preserves tomatoes at the peak of flavor and nutrition, and the meaty varieties used (such as San Marzanos) are the best for sauce making. Tomato paste (about $1 per can) is also a bargain for bringing big, concentrated flavor to many dishes; just make sure you store the leftovers from a can properly by refrigerating it or freezing it so what you don’t use doesn’t go to waste.

Skip expensive boxed cereals and granolas. At about 24 cents per ounce, old-fashioned rolled or quick oats are the perfect budget-friendly, filling breakfast on their own or in easy homemade granola or muesli. Plus, you can also control the amount of sugar or sodium you’re getting each morning when you mix it up yourself. And oatmeal’s versatility doesn't stop after breakfast. Pulse it in the food processor for homemade oat flour, use it to bulk up beef or veggie burgers or blend it into smoothies. It’s also the perfect mix of nutty flavor and excellent nutrition for cookies, muffins and homemade energy bites. Need a grab-and-go breakfast or snack that’s filling and cheaper than any fast food? Try making up a few jars of overnight oats to grab as you head out the door.

Look for a larger bag of tortillas and you’ll find a real bargain: A bag of 30 corn tortillas is just 9 cents per wrap. Larger flour tortillas are typically a bit more expensive at 20 cents each but still a fantastic buy. A bonus is that tortillas have more staying power than staples like sandwich bread so you’re less likely to have to toss them because of mold or staleness: They’ll generally keep a week on the counter, several weeks in the fridge and up to 6 months frozen. Besides being affordable, they’re incredibly versatile. Everyone loves tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas, of course, but you’ll get a lot of value from branching out. Use them for sandwich wraps, as a base for quick pizzas or to make hearty and delicious casseroles. You can also fry them for crunchy DIY snack chips, or pan-fry strips with eggs for the delicious breakfast dish chilaquiles.

It’s originally from Japan, but ramen has pretty much conquered the world, and with good reason: these noodles delicious, and ramen soup packets starts at 25 cents per serving, making them unbelievably inexpensive. They’re so popular that most of us know the 3-minute recipe for preparing them by heart. But instant soup packets aside, there are any number of inexpensive varieties of ramen available at supermarkets specializing in Asian ingredients, so visit one for further exploration of this iconic noodle. Delicious ramen meals can be as easy and cheap as adding some frozen mixed vegetables and a hard-boiled egg or tofu cubes to ramen and broth, maybe with a hit of kimchi added. Or branch out with more complex recipes that are still about as inexpensive as they come. Go beyond soup and serve ramen as a substitute for rice with your favorite stir-fry or teriyaki dish, or try ramen noodle salads or peanut noodles for a light, portable lunch.

Home cooks worldwide know noodle dishes are hands-down some of the cheapest, easiest and fastest dishes to prepare. Italy’s pastas are a fan-favorite, and at about $1.29 for a 1-pound box that’s just 16 cents per serving. You’ll find the best value in house-brand domestic brands that feature durum wheat, but for a little more you can explore interesting imported brands and unexpected shapes. Make your own tomato sauce with budget-friendly canned tomatoes, and you’ll have a crowd-pleasing meal for a pittance. Add a low-cost protein like ground beef or turkey to your sauce for a hearty meal, or keep it meatless with a recipe using beans, eggs or cheese. And think beyond the standard image of a spaghetti dinner to expand your thrifty repertoire: Add small pasta shapes to soups and stews to make them into a comfort main course, explore pasta-based casseroles, make pasta salad your go-to potluck or picnic dish, or use leftover noodles in frittatas or stir-fries.

When it comes to chicken, the best value in both flavor and versatility can be found right at the bird’s meaty thighs. At about $1.89 per pound in 5-pound packs, thighs are typically half the price of blander breast meat and have a better meat-to-bone than drumsticks and wings. You can throw them in the freezer, and you’ll find nearly endless ways to use them. A higher amount of connective tissue gives thighs deep flavor and makes them less prone to overcooking than cutlets. A modest amount of skin draped on one side of each thigh means you can have a crispy layer on your chicken if you want it for adobo, fried chicken or grilled chicken. But you can also sub skinless, boneless thighs for almost any recipe for expensive breast meat or even for turkey or pork cutlets. When shopping, keep in mind that bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are typically a better value than boneless skinless ones, and removing the single bone and skin is easy: Use a paring knife to cut along both sides of the bone and lift if out, then use your fingers to tug off the skin. The cost-benefit breaks down about like this: If boneless skinless are less than a third more than regular thighs, they’re a good buy, otherwise consider spending a few minutes doing the work yourself.

Having ground proteins in the freezer is ideal if you’re looking for budget meals: Ground beef ($4.39 per pound), turkey ($4.79 per pound) and pork ($5.19 per pound) are the backbone of some of the easiest and most popular dinner recipes. That means these staples are often on sale, making stocking up your best strategy: You can almost always substitute one ground protein for another in your recipes so you’re sure to use them up. Use any of these in dishes like Bolognese sauce, picadillo, cabbage rolls, bobotie and shepherd’s pie. And swap them in and out for endless burger, meatball or meatloaf variations; just remember that leaner turkey may need a moisture boost from some minced onion or soaked bread to stay juicy. Got a recipe for a more expensive ground meat like lamb or veal? Try substituting ground beef for lamb and ground pork for veal; we bet you’ll be happy with the results and dinner could be half the price.

At about $1.99 per 14-ounce container, it’s easy to see why this plant-based protein has been a staple in much of Asia for 2,000 years. An unopened package of tofu will keep a couple months in the fridge and shelf-stable packages will last in your cupboard for up to a year. As well, after opening packages, you can freeze leftover tofu. It’s probably a shopping-list standard if you’re vegetarian or vegan, but anyone looking to cut meal costs should get to know it better. Consider subbing tofu in for more expensive animal proteins in stir-fries, pad thai, curries and more. Also try recipes developed specifically to show tofu at its versatile best; barbecued tofu, breaded tofu cutlets and crispy tofu aim to woo even devoted meat eaters. And because of its mild flavor and creamy texture, tofu can often stand in for more expensive (and higher fat) ingredients like sour cream, cream cheese or butter in baking, dips, spreads and more. Some favorite tofu recipes include tofu scramble, mapo tofu, tofu bahn mi and vegan cheesecake.

Despite the buzz around price rises, at around 21 cents per large egg, these nutritional powerhouses are often the easiest way to add cheap protein to meals, and far beyond breakfast. Keep a container of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for snacking on, tossing into salads, making a quick egg-salad sandwich or cracking over a frozen pizza before you bake it. You can whisk them into a frittata, an ideal dish to use up a week's worth of leftovers (rice, pasta, veggies — toss it all in). Shakshuka is one of the most popular and economical vegetarian main courses we know, and dishes like egg curry and the Japanese rolled omelet known as tamagoyaki are deliciously impressive for a budget meal. A bonus? Most egg-based main dishes are one-pan affairs, so cleanup is a cinch.

Fresh fish and seafood may have risen steeply in price, but tinned salmon and tuna have stayed a relative bargain at about 38 cents per ounce for solid white tuna and 48 cents an ounce for boneless skinless salmon. Salad sandwiches may be what you think of first for these protein-rich staples, but having them on hand also means you can whip up hearty meatless entrees like fish cakes, niçoise salad, noodle casseroles and pastas. Broaden your pantry stash with canned clams (32 cents per ounce) for chowder or pasta con vongole, or sardines (29 cents per ounce) for toasts, pastas and spreads. Check out our collection of canned seafood recipes for more inspiration.

At about 90 cents for a 6-ounce serving, it’s one of the least expensive and most versatile dairy products in the case. Plus, it’s a particularly good source of calcium, protein and (yes!) probiotics. Stick to buying large (32-ounce) containers of plain Greek yogurt for the best price and most usage options. Love it for breakfast? Top it with fresh fruit or your favorite jam, add nuts or granola or just drizzle it with maple syrup. It’s also ideal blended into morning smoothies. You can use it place of more expensive sour cream in dishes like dips and sauces, marinate and tenderize dishes like chicken tandoori with it and spoon it over spicy curries or stews for flavor and protein. It’s the creamy key to cold soups like cucumber soup, or you can dollop it on just about any hot soup for richness and protein. All that, plus almost infinite options for inexpensive desserts: Just drizzling it with honey might be enough, or layer up fruit parfaits or dive into more complex desserts like yogurt cheesecake or yogurt pops.

Buying larger containers and sticking to store brands (16 cents per ounce for a 40-ounce jar) is the way to make this sandwich, baking and snacking staple affordable. Peanut butter and jelly may be the most recognizable use for this protein-packed spread, but don’t stop there. Dishes like noodles with peanut sauce, West African peanut soups and stews, curries and chili recipes take advantage of its many culinary strengths: It thickens, adds richness and protein and brings deep flavor and irresistible nuttiness to dishes. A protein-packed snack is no more complicated than spreading it on apple slices or crackers, spooning it onto celery stalks or mixing up a batch of no-bake protein balls. And when it comes to desserts, you’ll have more savings: Its high fat content means it can take the place of some or all of more expensive butter and add unbeatable flavor (especially with chocolate!). Concerned about peanut allergies? The next most affordable nut butter is usually almond (53 cents per ounce), and you can sub it 1 to 1 in most peanut butter recipes.

Because they’re so concentrated, dried spices are a bargain when it comes to adding flavor to your food. Basics like cumin, ground cinnamon and turmeric average about 15 cents a teaspoon when bought in 2-ounce jars; buy larger jars of your favorites and the price drops significantly. That said, it can be expensive to buy an entire bottle of a spice for one recipe if you won’t use it regularly, so check substitution guides to see if you have a good stand-in on hand. Store your spices properly to keep them potent for up to a year: In a cool, dry place away from sunlight. And finally, making your own spice blends like pumpkin pie spice, Creole seasoning or garam masala can also save you a lot of money.

Fresh herbs add amazing flavor and aroma to even the simplest dishes, but they can be pricey at the supermarket (especially if you're spending $2 on sage when you need only a few leaves). Growing fresh herbs at home is inexpensive and easy, even in a kitchen window, and it ensures that you always have them available. But there are also some almost-free ways to use produce finds in place of herbs: Try celery leaves instead of parsley or dill; carrot tops instead of parsley; fennel fronds instead of dill; or green scallion tops instead of chives. In a pinch, use the tried-and-true formula of one-third the amount of dried herbs for fresh in cooked dishes: 1 teaspoon dried herb per 1 tablespoon fresh.

For less than 50 cents each (when you buy multi-pound bags), fresh lemon, lime or orange can brighten everything from a simple lentil salad to roasted fish or chicken to almost any pasta. Citrus is also great for flavoring water, something worth trying if you’d like to cut back on expensive canned or bottled drinks; just add a few slices to a pitcher of water and keep it in the fridge. And get the most out of your citrus by zesting it before you juice it; citrus zest adds enticing flavor and aroma to dressings, desserts, pastas, roasts, pancakes and smoothies and is a colorful and aromatic garnish for any number of dishes. If you don’t need the zest immediately you can freeze it for up to 3 months.

Sure, it’s just a condiment, but this powerful seasoning is such a bargain at about 25 cents per ounce (2 tablespoons) it’s a budget must. Not only does it add deep caramel notes and a complex layer of brininess, it’s also the most inexpensive source of umami, that savory, meaty flavor that’s best described as mouthwatering. Much of the world has known this for centuries, hence its prevalence in everything from stir-fries to soups to dipping sauces to teriyaki and Filipino chicken adobo. But just about any time you’re cooking you can think about whether soy sauce might be your ticket to more complex flavor: In meatloaf mix, marinades, barbecue sauce, salad dressing and more. Adding a splash of soy to vegetable broth is an easy way to make this often-bland staple instantly more flavorful while keeping it plant-based.

At 14 cents a tablespoon for domestic brands and about twice that for imported ones, it’s a bit more expensive than yellow hotdog mustard but still a great value. Dijon gets strong, unique flavor from a combination of pungent mustard seeds and white wine and vinegar, meaning a little goes a long way. It’s the key to delicious homemade vinaigrette that’s simple to make and costs a fraction of store-bought varieties. Combine it with honey for honey-mustard — the easiest and tastiest two-ingredient sauce, glaze or dip we know. Or try mixing it with maple syrup for another magical glaze excellent with chicken or salmon. It's also a key flavoring for easy pan sauces you can make after browning cutlets. And if you’re breading something to pan fry or bake (like salmon), try brushing it with Dijon and then rolling it in your crumbs; it’s easier and less messy than a classic breading and gives you amazing flavor.

Attention, budget-minded chocolate fans: Unsweetened cocoa powder is the key to the best flavor and price point for a multitude of luscious treats. At about 60 cents an ounce, it’s intensely chocolaty and far less expensive than baking bars. Plus, it’s simpler to use, mixing right into most batters, frosting and drinks — no careful melting required. Why’s it such a bargain? Regular bar chocolate is made from a combination of cocoa and other ingredients that may include cocoa butter, oil, sugar, milk and vanilla, and you’re paying for all that by the ounce. Inexpensive bar chocolate may have other things you don’t want, like stabilizers and preservatives. When you buy cocoa powder, you get pure, intense chocolate flavor, and you control the addition of fat, sugar and flavoring in your recipe. Use it in any number of sweet and some savory recipes: pudding, frosting, brigadeiro, Texas sheet cake and brownies of course, but also in rubs for meats, in chili or in place of Mexican chocolate in dishes like mole enchiladas.