Kitchen basics

Building up basic kitchen equipment and gradually stocking your food cupboard with some essentials, can help you get started.

Kitchen equipment

To prepare and cook food you need a few basic kitchen tools, including:

• cooker
• fridge freezer
• 1 or 2 saucepans
• 1 sharp knife
• 2 chopping boards
• 1 oven tray
• plate and bowls
• utensil set - cutlery, ladle, a tin opener, wooden spoon, serving spoon and scissors

A whisk, spatula, mixing bowls, masher, grater, vegetable peeler and kettle can all be handy too.

Some items to make food storage easier include:

• reusable food storage containers - if you have recently had a takeaway, you can re-use plastic containers to store food in the fridge or freezer
• tin foil
• food or freezer bags

Building up a good collection of storage containers is better for the environment than relying on single-use food bags.

You can make a wide range of meals from quite a small number of ingredients. Most of these ingredients have a long shelf life and can be used to prepare many meals. If you've room to store items, a basic list for your food cupboard could include:

• cooking oil such as vegetable oil
• salt and pepper
• dried herbs and spices
• stock cubes – low salt stock cubes are a healthier option
• frozen and tinned fruit/vegetables
• pulses such as lentils or kidney beans
• low fat coconut milk
• pre-made sauces or pastes such as tomato puree or pasta sauce

Some items, like pre-made sauces and pastes, need to be stored in the fridge once opened and eaten within a set time. You can write the date on the tube or packet when you open them, so you know when they should be thrown out.

Wholegrain varieties of these foods are a healthier choice:

• packets of dried pasta, rice and noodles
• bread
• breakfast cereals

Checking the food labels of packaged foods can help you choose those lower in fat, salt and sugar.

Herbs and spices allow you to cut down on salt, as you won’t need so much (or any) for flavour. If you are new to using herbs and spices, pick one or two to begin with.  Jars of herbs and spices can last a long time, so you don’t need to buy them often. They will have “best before” dates, but this is about quality, and they can still be used safely after this date.

Spice mixes, such as those in meal kits, are more expensive than using jars of herbs and spices and often contain a lot of salt. Supermarket own brand ground herbs and spices are often as good as branded and cost less.

The following spices and herbs can be used to flavour loads of different meals:

• cumin
• paprika
• chilli
• mixed herbs
• oregano
• garam masala
• ground coriander

Don’t worry about going out and buying these right away. It’s easier and cheaper to buy them as and when you need them for different dishes.

Recipes

There are thousands of recipes out there and it can be difficult to have every ingredient on hand. Recipes are just a guide - ingredients can be swapped based on what you have. You might have something in the cupboard or fridge needing used up or that you could swap instead – use this as a chance to make it your own way.

Unlike cooking, where you can often adjust ingredients and improvise as you go, when baking, it is recommended to follow the ingredients and instructions as closely as possible.

Eatwell Everyday provides a weekly menu to help you to plan meals. 

Parent Club has lots of easy, cheap and tasty family-friendly recipes and cookalong videos to try.