Pantry plate builder: a printable checklist

Who it is for: anyone cooking fast weeknight dinners, including people who have been asked to watch their blood pressure or blood sugar.

How to use it: print this page and keep it inside a cupboard door or on the refrigerator. Tick what you have. To make dinner, pick one or two items from the vegetable list, one from the protein list and one from the grain list, then add flavor without salt.

The plate (about 9 inches across)

Stock list

Vegetables (half)

• Frozen broccoli
• Frozen green beans
• Frozen spinach
• Frozen cauliflower or carrots
• Frozen stir-fry vegetable blend
• Frozen peppers and onions
• Canned no-salt-added tomatoes

Protein (quarter)

• Canned or dried black beans, pinto beans or chickpeas
• Canned or dried lentils
• Canned salmon or sardines
• Tuna or chicken packed in water
• Tofu or frozen shelled edamame

Whole grain or starch (quarter)

• Brown rice (frozen, quick-cooking or regular)
• Whole-wheat couscous or bulgur
• Quinoa, oats or barley
• Whole-grain pasta
• Whole-grain bread or tortillas

Flavor without salt

• Olive or canola oil
• Garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, paprika, black pepper, dried herbs
• Salt-free seasoning blend
• Lemon or lime juice, vinegar
• Low-sodium broth

Before you cook

• The can says "no salt added" or "low sodium." ("No salt added" does not mean sodium free.)
• Canned beans and vegetables are drained and rinsed.
• The can is not bulging, leaking, deeply dented (or dented on a seam) or heavily rusted, and did not spurt when opened.
• Frozen vegetables are cooked the way the package directs.
• Broth, soy sauce, salsa and other sauces are low-sodium and added last, in small amounts.
• Leftovers go into a covered container in the refrigerator within 2 hours (1 hour if it is hotter than 90°F). Opened beans, fish and vegetables keep 3 to 4 days; opened tomatoes keep 5 to 7 days.

Tonight's plate

Half: ______________________ Quarter: ______________________ Quarter: ______________________ Flavor: ______________________

Ask your clinician or pharmacist first if you

• have kidney disease, take medicines that affect potassium, or have been told to limit potassium, especially before using a salt substitute;
• take insulin or a diabetes pill that can cause low blood sugar, and want to change when or how much you eat;
• take warfarin (MedlinePlus advises small, steady amounts of broccoli, leafy greens, garlic, and canola and olive oils from day to day and week to week);
• have been given your own sodium or fluid limit.

Limitations

This checklist is general nutrition and food-safety education. The method gives proportions, not amounts, and the page contains no tested recipes, nutrition values or costs. It does not replace advice from your own clinician, dietitian or pharmacist. Label terms follow the federal sodium labeling rule as of October 2026. The full explanation is on Quick heart-healthy dinners from the pantry.

Sources

1. What is the Diabetes Plate? — American Diabetes Association; accessed October 21, 2026.
2. DASH Eating Plan — National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, last updated February 25, 2026; accessed October 21, 2026.
3. Pantry Basics for Heart-Healthy Meals — American Heart Association, last updated August 28, 2025; accessed October 21, 2026.
4. Fresh, Frozen or Canned Fruit and Vegetables: All Can Be Healthy Choices — American Heart Association, last reviewed October 9, 2025; accessed October 21, 2026.
5. How Potassium Can Help Control High Blood Pressure — American Heart Association, last reviewed August 14, 2025; accessed October 21, 2026.
6. 21 CFR 101.61: Nutrient content claims for the sodium content of foods — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, current as of October 16, 2026; accessed October 21, 2026.
7. Shelf-Stable Food Safety — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service; accessed October 21, 2026.
8. Diabetes Diet, Eating, & Physical Activity — National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, last reviewed October 2023; accessed October 21, 2026.
9. Taking warfarin — MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, reviewed January 1, 2025; accessed October 21, 2026.
10. Botulism: Signs and Symptoms — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, April 1, 2024; accessed October 21, 2026.
11. Leftovers and Food Safety — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, last updated July 31, 2020; accessed October 21, 2026.