Stock Up On These Kitchen Staples To Make Cooking More Accessible


Getting involved in the process of cooking is probably one of the best things you can do for your well-being. You don't have to be a top chef to get interested in preparing your own meals. Start with one meal a week—maybe it's dinner on Sunday—and see where that leads you. Cooking can be a great wellness practice, sparking creativity, reducing stress, and allowing you to slow down and reconnect with yourself.
My mom always teases me that I had no interest in cooking growing up, and now it's a big part of my lifestyle. The shift for me began when I hit a breaking point with the stress in my life and wanted to feel better. I committed to shopping for more fresh produce and healthy grains, and I started asking friends for recipe recommendations, along with researching new recipes on my own.
The key for me was simplifying these recipes as needed and swapping ingredients in and out to create my own unique versions that I loved. The freedom to start making recipes my own was what really got me excited about cooking. In order to give yourself the freedom to improvise, it's important to have a good stock of staples in your kitchen.
Beyond this, I recommend shopping for groceries weekly, depending on the specific meals you want to cook that week. Here is a list of my kitchen staples to aid you in your stocking up. When I have these items around, I can easily create a variety of meals for everyone, or something easy and quick just for myself.
Stock up on these kitchen staples.
Spices:
- Cinnamon
- Turmeric
- Ginger (fresh and ground)
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Cumin
- Coriander
Pantry
- Rolled oats
- Basmati rice
- Mung beans
- Pasta
- Rice noodles
- Black beans
- Cashews
- Almonds
- Peanut butter
- Honey
- Tea
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
Counter
- Apples
- Bananas
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Fresh bread
Fridge

Tara Stiles is the founder of Strala Yoga, a revolutionary approach to healing through movement. She's also the author of Clean Mind, Clean Body. Thousands of guides are leading Strala classes around the globe in partner studios, gyms, and clubs. Strala has been illustrated in a case study by Harvard Business School, and its philosophy of ease and conservation of energy are incorporated by business leaders, entrepreneurs, and well-being professionals.
Stiles teamed up with W Hotels on Fit with Tara Stiles—a program bringing Strala Yoga classes and healthy recipes to W properties around the globe. She collaborated with Reebok, working closely with the design team on their yoga lifestyle range, as well as developed a line of knitwear and homeware with Wool and the Gang. Stiles has authored several books including Yoga Cures, Make Your Own Rules Cookbook, and Strala Yoga, all translated and published in several languages. She has been profiled by the New York Times, Times of India, The Times.
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More from the author:
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Check out The Go-To Yoga Guide For Feeling Great During Your Pregnancy

Tara Stiles is the founder of Strala Yoga, a revolutionary approach to healing through movement. She's also the author of Clean Mind, Clean Body. Thousands of guides are leading Strala classes around the globe in partner studios, gyms, and clubs. Strala has been illustrated in a case study by Harvard Business School, and its philosophy of ease and conservation of energy are incorporated by business leaders, entrepreneurs, and well-being professionals.
Stiles teamed up with W Hotels on Fit with Tara Stiles—a program bringing Strala Yoga classes and healthy recipes to W properties around the globe. She collaborated with Reebok, working closely with the design team on their yoga lifestyle range, as well as developed a line of knitwear and homeware with Wool and the Gang. Stiles has authored several books including Yoga Cures, Make Your Own Rules Cookbook, and Strala Yoga, all translated and published in several languages. She has been profiled by the New York Times, Times of India, The Times.