What does a well stocked fridge / cupboard look like

[FridgefillIng]

My DSis has split from her partner and moving into a new place

She has furniture but not a lot of spare cash. I’d like to help out by stocking her cupboards and fridge/ freezer with complete essentials.

what should I buy for each?

Mine would have ingredients for baking, good coffee, jars of pesto, tomato paste, butter, cheeses etc. That would be wasted on someone who might prefer some ready meals, range of tins ... what does she like to cook and eat?

Take her shopping tell her to fill the trolley and your paying

I don't know why but that has made me tear up,it's the kind of loving gesture my mum would have done.

I would start with a students essential list, so oil, dried herbs and spices which complement what she likes to make, maybe some curry sauces.

Then tinned stuff, tomato puree, tinned tomatoes, tinned sweetcorn, beans (chickpeas, baked beans, kidney beans), a few cans of tuna and soups.

Then other dried goods, rice, cous cous and pasta.

Sauces, mayonnaise, tomato ketchup.

For the freezer, I'd be tempted to do something like Donald Russell freezer box which has loads of mince, burgers and fillets, or keep away from meat and do frozen chips, peas).

That's going to be a very personal choice.
can you ask her to do herself a shopping delivery at a supermarket and you pay for it rather than second-guess what she needs? Or just give her vouchers/cash for it

does she cook from scratch or prefer convenience foods?

If I’ve got the following in my cupboards I’m sorted:

Tea & Coffee
pasta, noodles, rice
tinned tomatoes or pasta sauce
basic spices & curry powder
basic herbs
stock cubes
salt & pepper
A few tins of beans/pulses - chickpeas, green lentils etc
A few tins of veg - sweetcorn
flour, cornflour, baking soda - a few basic baking bits
Oats, cereals
apreads - honey, jam, marmite etc

I also keep a few quick, convenience things in e.g. fajitas kit, seasoned ramen noodles packets

If you’re thinking of a few extras, too:

hot chocolate
Tin of biscuits
Dried fruit & nuts
savoury crackers

Good coffee, spices I use frequently, salt and pepper, olive oil, tins of tomatoes, pasta, peanut butter, marmite (😀), chocolate.

For the fridge: eggs, milk, butter, maybe some fresh juice or some jam, potatoes (I controversially keep these in the fridge!) as good for an easy meal, apples.

For the freezer: I don’t put much in there, but maybe some frozen peas (always useful), and some yummy ice cream?

Definitely ask her. Guessing what someone else wants is wasteful because we all have different essentials and likes and dislikes - lovely thought though!

Lovely gesture :)
I might not bother with the freezer as what people will eat varies a lot, but for the cupboard things like tinned tomatoes, herbs, ketchup and sauces, pasta, rice are pretty ubiquitous.

This is a truly lovely thing to do, you are so kind!
For me it would be this for the cupboard:
Tea, coffee, packet of biscuits, sugar, box of breakfast cereal, tins of soup, tins of beans, rice, flour, salt, pepper, a few jars of dried herbs, tins of tuna/sardines/other oily fish (I love these on toast!, eggs, bread.

And then for my fridge: Milk, fruit juice, butter, cheese, fruit and veg, yoghurt.

Maybe just give her a supermarket voucher, or Gousto or similar as one person's essential is someone else's 'will sit in the cupboard for years until it gets thrown away'

You are lovely.
I would go for multiples of real basics that everyone uses, and pass on anything unusual.
Rice, pasta, tinned soup etc

Well my fridge snd freezer probably looks completely different to yours. Why not take her shopping or do an online shop together?

Spice rack: mixed herbs, five spice, ground cumin, paprika, white pepper, stock cubes, salt, black pepper.

Oils: Olive oil for cooking, vegetable oil for frying, extra virgin olive oil for dressing.

Sauces/bottles: light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, Xiaoxing wine, Chinese black vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, red and white wine for cooking.

Dry goods: Jasmine rice, sushi rice, red lentils, pasta, breakfast cereal, brown and white sugar, plain flour, cornflour, breadcrumbs, sesame seeds.

Tins etc: Tinned tomatoes (chopped and whole), tinned beans (black, borlotti, kidney, cannoli), curry cubes, peanut butter, jam.

Fridge and freezer: butter, milk, tomato puree, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, marscapone, cream, ketchup, mayonnaise, bread, frozen mixed veg, frozen chips.

Those are the things I use regularly.

It depends on her lifestyle, diet, taste and cooking preferences.

stiff that will last a while and are frequently used

cooking oil
salt
pepper
vinegar
tomato ketchup
tomato purée
gravy granules
oxo cubes
pasta
spaghetti
rice

some ready made jar sauces
tinned soups
baked beans

for the freezer
oven chips
steam veg bags (great for individual portions)
frozen rice individual bags
frozen fish
Ice cream (just because)

things like spices and basic baking ingredients could be a waster if she doesn’t use them.

Olive oil / cooking oil
Salt & pepper

Basic & often used Herbs & Spices if they cook.
Oregano / bay / Chili powder/ paprika / nutmeg /cinnamon / cumin / turmeric / seasonings etc

Cupboard: tinned tomatoes / baked beans / tinned tuna / breakfast cereal / tomato purée / tinned sweetcorn / tinned pears maybe a curry sauce and an old El Paso type taco kit or similar / sugar / flour / oxo cubes / jam / marmite / peanut butter etc / dried pasta / rice / noodles / biscuits / crisps & snacks / ketchup / mayo/ soy sauce / rice vinegar / honey

Loaf of bread

Fridge: butter / milk / cheese / eggs / bacon / sausages / ready meals long shelf life / vegetables (onions / potatoes / carrots / cucumber / fruit / garlic) fresh chicken / mince / hummus

Freezer: frozen peas / chips or similar / fish fingers / goyzas / ice cream / frozen fruit

I think I could cook with that for a while.

My god - I forgot teabags!!!

I'd recommend a few of the dolmio stir in pasta sauces. Obviously not as good as home made, but perfect when you've had a tough day and don't have the energy to do proper cooking. I like the sun dried tomato one.

Also:

• tea bags
• coffee
• sugar (even if she doesn't have it in her tea/ coffee, it means she has it for when she has visitors)

• vegetable oil
• salt
• pepper
• pasta/ rice/ noodles depending on the type of food she likes
• ketchup
• soy sauce
• mayonnaise
• vinegar
• frozen peas
• tinned sweetcorn

If she cooks regularly, add dried herbs and spices, based on the type of things she cooks