Temperatures in a great swath of the country range from frigid to "it hurts to breathe"! And cities and towns throughout the eastern seaboard have just finished shoveling out from the most recent snow storm. On the days when it feels like your eyelids might freeze to your eyeballs or when icy snow pelts your face like little needles as you walk down the street, the last thing you want to do is bundle up and go to the grocery store. Sometimes you just need to make an easy dinner with what you have stashed in the pantry.

Of course being able to make something with pantry staples means regularly stocking those ingredients. Some things we like to keep on hand include:

• Garlic, onions, carrots, celery, leafy greens
• Bananas, apples, oranges
• Canned tomatoes, frozen peas, frozen corn, frozen spinach
• Canned peaches (in juice), canned pears (in juice), frozen berries, frozen pomegranate seeds
• Pasta, whole grain bread, brown rice, couscous
• Canned beans, dried lentils, frozen edamame
• Canned or pouch tuna or salmon, frozen shrimp
• Nuts
• Eggs, milk (dairy, soy, or almond milk are all great choices)
• Olive oil

In addition to being simple to use, canned or pouch seafood is a great go-to source of lean protein and omega-3s. Stocking up on canned and frozen vegetables, as well as canned or pouch salmon or tuna, makes pulling together lunch or dinner a cinch when you can't get to the store:

• Combine with red peppers, scallions, egg whites, and whole wheat bread crumbs and cook up some seafood burgers.
• Add to your favorite pasta sauce and serve with whole grain pasta and sautéed vegetables.
• Add to stir-fried vegetables and serve with brown rice.
• Mix with avocado or hummus and serve with whole grain bread or crackers.

Use the Oldways Mediterranean Diet Grocery List for more ideas for stocking your pantry before the next storm hits. Below are a few suggestions for easy meals using pantry staples. Join us on the Oldways Forum to let us know what you whip up when you can't (or don't want to) get to the supermarket.