Do you know what true food "staples" are?

Question

I am realizing people are quite confused as to what our needs really are these days.
When I have asked recently what staples are when it comes to food stuffs, there has been some confusion. Processed foods are the norm now, and it's hard to find a recipe that doesn't call for a can of cream of chicken soup, a can of biscuits, or velveeta cheese. Isn't there anyone who cooks with basic, whole ingredients anymore?
Now, to give you a fair shot, I am asking what your opinion is when it comes to true "food staples".

Thank you to the wiser generation for your input. In my opinion, you are correct in many things. I do know during your childhood days there was unrest here at home trying to deal with the wars overseas, recovering from the depression and the like. This is when margarine came into play and was a necessary invention. I admire you for living through that and I am thankful for your wise words! Keep them coming... ;)

Answer 1

"Staples" are the fundamental food needs, in plain simple form. Those items which give you the basics you need for life, and in general, are preservable so you do not have to collect every day or starve.

You need some carbohydrates, preferably complex. You need vitamins and minerals. You need protein, and you need bulk, the indigestible fibrous things. You do NOT need spices. Salt however may be an essential item, so would perhaps be a staple.

This is why "Staples" are often things like a bag of onions, a bag of beans or potatoes, flour, and often dried or fresh meat, and a bag of salt or salty earth., and water.

Sugar is often considered a staple but is not technically required per se. And sorry, coffee is NOT a staple! Though I known many folks who claim they would die if they did not have their coffee or their tea every day!

Occasional vegetables or fruits help a lot. But given the very basic staples you can live and work a long long time.

It is better to have a more varied diet, and spices make things livelier, as well as acting as preservatives to keep the staples from deteriorating, and staving off a number of diseases.

I do not grow my own grain and grind it on limestone for the calcium, and I buy milk and beef, rather than having my own cows, etc. I use prepared and processed foods when it is appropriate, and grow a lot of my own, or pick wild, when I am able. Still eating stored jams and jellies from years back when I had access to quantities of wild and tame berries and put up a lot.

I prefer many items which are not technically "staples" but make cooking and eating more fun and tasty. Recently took a tour in a nature park of "olden times", where blacksmithing was shown, and older weapons for hunting and trapping, old style clothes and leatherworking, and there was a large table showing what the pioneers and trappers and explorers took with them for food in this area in older days. Quite interesting. But the meals sounded very very dull!!

I do want to mention one item in passing. In the olden times,
washing was not often, and soap was a rare item. Therefore, the sunlight on exposed skin made a lot of Vitamin D and it had time to re-absorb well. Hence a lot less bone problems! A virtue of infrequent and incomplete baths!! And less fancy cover-up clothing!

Answer 2

I am a senior and have cooked from scratch and cooked with today's modern ways. I prefer today's modern ways.

Now what I am about to say does NOT include those exceptional cooks that could make mud taste good. I am talking about the average housekeeper many long years ago:

No matter how much some people want to go back to the old ways of cooking, if the truth be known it was not always good. Most cakes were so dry it took coffee to get it down. Baked in the oven roasts, chickens, and turkeys were usually dry and had to have lots of gravy on top of a slice of meat to make it taste good. Thank God in Heaven for salt and pepper.

Today's foods have a better flavor. More intense.

In the old days, there were many diners with stools at the counter. Many a husband would eat there before going home to eat wife's food. They didn't have the heart to tell their sweet wives that their cooking was not good.

Every woman thought she was a good cook in those days. Most were not. Daughters leaned to cook the way their moms did.....so the tasteless cooking just kept going on and on.

Yes, as a 70 year old senior I prefer today's foods and today's way of quick cooking. I use microwaves, crockpots and in-house electric grills. I buy pre-cooked meats such as roasts, chickens, ham, pork chops found in the cold section at the supermarket. I let the deli roast my chickens. I get the very best fried chicken at Ky. Fried Chicken, and etc.

Answer 3

I don't use anything processed. My food staples come from the produce department mostly. But a well stocked kitchen includes all your spices, buoillions,oils, flour, sugar, rice etc. Anything you would normally use in your recipe other than what has to be fresh should be a stock item. For the fridge items should include butters, capers, several mustards, chicken stock, eggs, lemon and lime juice concentrates. If you cook asian then the stock items should include soy sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, teriyaki sauce, and sesame seeds.

Answer 4

My staples would be: Potatoes, rice, sugar, coffee, fresh produce such as onions, garlic, tomatoes, and green peppers, lemons, olive oil and either a bag of tilapia or chicken or whatever meat is to my liking. Staples allow you to create anything....I remember watching my mom make spaghetti sauce when I was young, and it consisted of whole tomatoes, and her seasonings which boiled down all dawg gone day, I used to pray that she would come to her senses and just buy some Ragu....to no avail...but now as a mother, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Answer 5

Garlic. Onions. Potatoes. Fresh Herbs. Canned Broth. Canned Tomatoes. Pasta. Eggs. Sugar. EVOO. Canned and dried beans.

Answer 6

I don't use canned soups at all- the amount of sodium is outrageous. Velveeta creeps me out.
I always have:
in my pantry: rice (jasmin, arborio and brown), pasta (several different types), peanut butter, beans and lentils, canned tuna (no way around that), sugar, salt, flour (bread and AP), coffee, tea, canned tomatoes, pancake mix
In my freezer: frozen vegetables
In the fridge: soy milk, cheese, meat, veggies, fruit
I also have fresh veggies, fresh