30 Day Pantry-Only Meal Plan

When the power goes out or the grocery store shelves are empty, will your family have enough to eat?

At Ready & Prepped, we believe peace of mind starts in your pantry. Whether you're bracing for a storm, an earthquake, or unexpected financial hardship, having a solid food supply is one of the smartest preparedness steps you can take.

But storing food is only half the equation—you also need to know how to use it. That’s why we’ve created this 30-Day Pantry-Only Meal Plan, designed to help you feed your family for a month using nothing but shelf-stable ingredients.

 

Why Pantry-Only Meals Matter

Emergencies rarely give advance notice. When disaster strikes, you might not have:

• Power or gas to cook complex meals
• Refrigeration for perishable food
• Access to a grocery store

That’s where your pantry becomes your lifeline.

This meal plan includes meals using items that can be found in your pantry. You won’t need fresh meat, dairy, or produce—just water, a way to heat food, and basic pantry prep. At the end of this meal plan you’ll find a meal plan using long term food storage staples like rice, beans, wheat, and oats. 

WEEK 1

Day 1

• Breakfast: Instant oats, powdered milk, raisins
• Lunch: Lentil soup with spices
• Dinner: Rice + canned chicken + curry powder + canned veggies
• Snack: Trail mix

Day 2

• Breakfast: Granola + powdered milk
• Lunch: Tuna salad (tuna + mayo packet + relish) on crackers
• Dinner: Pasta + jarred marinara + canned mushrooms
• Snack: Dried apple rings

Day 3

• Breakfast: Pancakes from mix + syrup
• Lunch: Ramen with freeze-dried veggies
• Dinner: Chili (canned beans + tomato + chili powder)
• Snack: Peanut butter crackers

Day 4

• Breakfast: Instant cream of wheat + cinnamon
• Lunch: Black bean and corn salad with tortilla chips
• Dinner: Boxed mac and cheese + canned chicken
• Snack: Granola bar

Day 5

• Breakfast: Breakfast bar + hot cocoa
• Lunch: Hummus (powder or canned chickpeas) + pita chips
• Dinner: Spanish rice (instant rice + tomato sauce + canned beans)
• Snack: Applesauce cup

Day 6

• Breakfast: Muffins from mix (water only)
• Lunch: Split pea soup + crackers
• Dinner: Couscous + sun-dried tomatoes + canned sausage
• Snack: Popcorn

Day 7

• Breakfast: Oats + powdered peanut butter + honey
• Lunch: Canned soup + rice
• Dinner: Pasta Alfredo + canned peas
• Snack: Dried fruit + seeds

WEEK 2

Day 8

• Breakfast: Cold cereal + powdered milk
• Lunch: Ramen + scrambled powdered egg
• Dinner: Chicken stew over instant mashed potatoes
• Snack: Trail mix

Day 9

• Breakfast: Rice cakes + peanut butter
• Lunch: Chickpea salad with spices + crackers
• Dinner: Rice and beans + taco seasoning
• Snack: Fruit leather

Day 10

• Breakfast: Pancakes + powdered butter + syrup
• Lunch: Canned chili + tortilla chips
• Dinner: Spaghetti + lentils + tomato paste
• Snack: Pretzels

Day 11

• Breakfast: Granola bar + hot chocolate
• Lunch: Canned chicken salad wrap
• Dinner: Couscous + mixed veggies + spices
• Snack: Raisins

Day 12

• Breakfast: Cream of wheat + maple syrup
• Lunch: Tomato soup + shelf-stable crackers
• Dinner: Stir-fried rice (instant rice + canned mixed vegetables + soy sauce)
• Snack: Canned peaches

Day 13

• Breakfast: Muffin mix pancakes
• Lunch: Ramen with peanut butter + soy sauce (Thai-style)
• Dinner: Canned beef stew + bread mix
• Snack: Popcorn

Day 14

• Breakfast: Oats + powdered milk + cinnamon
• Lunch: Lentil soup
• Dinner: Alfredo pasta + canned salmon
• Snack: Nuts + dried berries

 

WEEK 3

Day 15

• Breakfast: Breakfast cookie (oat + nut bar)
• Lunch: Chicken noodle soup (canned chicken + noodles + bouillon)
• Dinner: Taco rice bowl (beans + rice + taco seasoning + canned corn + olives or whatever other toppings you may have on hand. Salsa can be stored on the shelf until it’s opened so make sure to use it after it’s opened so you don’t have to refrigerate it)
• Snack: Fruit cup

Day 16

• Breakfast: Granola + shelf-stable milk
• Lunch: Instant soup + bread mix
• Dinner: Jambalaya (rice + sausage + spices)
• Snack: Trail mix

Day 17

• Breakfast: Instant oats + dried apricots
• Lunch: Bean dip + tortilla chips
• Dinner: Pasta primavera (pasta + freeze-dried veggies + garlic)
• Snack: Applesauce

Day 18

• Breakfast: Cereal + powdered milk
• Lunch: Tuna and cracker stackers
• Dinner: Spaghetti + jarred sauce + canned meat
• Snack: Raisins + peanuts

Day 19

• Breakfast: Pancakes + canned fruit
• Lunch: Hummus + crackers + jerky
• Dinner: Tomato rice soup (rice + tomato paste + spices)
• Snack: Granola bar

Day 20

• Breakfast: Cream of wheat + honey
• Lunch: Lentil curry + naan (from mix)
• Dinner: Canned chicken + Alfredo + peas
• Snack: Dried mango

Day 21

• Breakfast: Breakfast bar
• Lunch: Soup mix + crackers
• Dinner: Rice + beans + hot sauce
• Snack: Popcorn

 

WEEK 4

Day 22

• Breakfast: Oatmeal + powdered butter + brown sugar
• Lunch: Chicken wrap (canned chicken + seasoning + tortilla)
• Dinner: Pasta + pesto powder + sun-dried tomato
• Snack: Fruit leather

Day 23

• Breakfast: Muffin mix
• Lunch: Bean and rice burritos
• Dinner: Couscous + canned veggies
• Snack: Applesauce

Day 24

• Breakfast: Granola + milk
• Lunch: Tuna pasta salad (pasta + tuna + dressing packet)
• Dinner: Tomato soup with rice
• Snack: Crackers + peanut butter

Day 25

• Breakfast: Instant oats + dried blueberries
• Lunch: Ramen with jerky bits
• Dinner: Chili mac (chili + macaroni)
• Snack: Trail mix

Day 26

• Breakfast: Breakfast cookie
• Lunch: Chickpea salad with seasoning
• Dinner: Canned beef + potatoes + green beans
• Snack: Popcorn

Day 27

• Breakfast: Pancake muffins
• Lunch: Canned soup + crackers
• Dinner: Alfredo pasta + salmon
• Snack: Fruit cup

Day 28

• Breakfast: Cream of wheat + cinnamon
• Lunch: Wraps with beans + rice
• Dinner: canned chicken or turkey + boxed stuffing + canned green beans
• Snack: Pretzels

Day 29

• Breakfast: Granola + powdered milk
• Lunch: Ramen with peas
• Dinner: Tomato pasta bake (canned tomatoes + pasta + herbs)
• Snack: Applesauce

Day 30

• Breakfast: Oatmeal + cinnamon + honey
• Lunch: Hummus + crackers
• Dinner: Rice + lentils + curry powder
• Snack: Dried fruit + nut mix

EXTRA:

The following meal plan includes one-pot and no-bake meals using long-lasting staples like:

• Rice
• Beans
• Wheat
• Oats
• Shelf-stable milk, canned goods, oil, and seasonings

You won’t need fresh meat, dairy, or produce—just water, a way to heat food, and basic pantry prep.

What You'll Need

To follow this plan, make sure your pantry includes:

• White rice
• Dried beans (or canned)
• Rolled oats
• Whole wheat or wheat berries (and a way to grind it)
• Canned vegetables and fruit
• Powdered milk
• Oil, salt, sugar, bouillon, spices
• A manual can opener
• A way to boil water (like a camp stove)

If you're missing some items, this plan can help guide your next shopping or storage goals.

Each day includes one filling meal, easily expanded with sides or doubled if needed.

Day 1: Rice and beans with cumin and garlic
Day 2: Oatmeal with powdered milk and honey
Day 3: Wheat flatbread with lentil spread
Day 4: Rice porridge with cinnamon and sugar
Day 5: Bean and oat patties with canned corn
Day 6: Wheat porridge with powdered milk
Day 7: No-bake oatmeal bars with peanut butter
Day 8: Rice with canned chicken and mixed vegetables
Day 9: Savory oatmeal with bouillon and dehydrated onions
Day 10: Simple bean soup with chili seasoning
Day 11: Wheat tortillas with refried beans
Day 12: Rice with canned beans and salsa
Day 13: Oat energy balls with powdered milk
Day 14: Wheat berry salad with oil and vinegar
Day 15: Instant bean soup using bean flour
Day 16: Rice and lentil one-pot meal
Day 17: Sweet oat porridge with canned fruit
Day 18: Wheat biscuits with honey or jam
Day 19: Rice and canned beef stew
Day 20: Bean mash with oat crackers
Day 21: Cold overnight oats with dry milk
Day 22: Wheat pancakes with syrup
Day 23: Bean chili with rice
Day 24: Rice pudding with cinnamon and milk
Day 25: No-cook wheat berry trail mix
Day 26: Rice and freeze-dried veggie soup
Day 27: Bean and wheat dumplings in broth
Day 28: Oat muffins (if you can bake)
Day 29: Wheat flatbread pizzas (with canned tomato and seasoning)
Day 30: Rice and bean stew with herbs

 

Final thoughts

When you know how to make nourishing meals from what you’ve already stored, you gain more than calories—you gain confidence.

Don’t wait for the next crisis to wonder what’s for dinner. Try a few of these meals now, and make pantry-only cooking part of your preparedness lifestyle.

Next Step:

• Share this plan with a friend
• Cook one pantry meal this week
• Review your food storage and fill in any gaps

Preparedness is peace of mind. Start in your pantry.

– The Ready & Prepped Team

Check out this article on how to use long term food storage.