By Jana Mather, Marketing Manager, National Nutrition Foundation
By Jana Mather, Marketing Manager, National Nutrition Foundation
As a mum of two young girls, life is full and fast-paced. Between school drop-offs, work, after-school activities, and trying to fit in some family downtime, there are plenty of nights when dinner sneaks up on me and I don’t have the time or the energy for a full recipe. That’s where my secret weapon comes in: the Pantry Platter.
The Pantry Platter isn’t a recipe in the traditional sense. It’s more of a flexible, fuss-free way of pulling together a meal using whatever is in my pantry, fridge, or freezer. It’s quick, nourishing, and surprisingly popular with the kids (and my husband too!).
The beauty of this approach is variety. I mix and match depending on what I’ve got on hand, but my staples usually include:
I love having a mix ready to go: Mexican-style beans, lentils, black beans, or chickpeas. They’re protein-packed and super filling.
Corn, carrots, potatoes, or even mushrooms can all be jazzed up with herbs or a little dressing.
It’s a favourite in our house and adds great colour.
A few slices of cheese and fresh tomatoes (we always seem to have some lying around!).
They’re the base for little mix-and-match creations and great for little hands.
Quick-cook rice, quinoa, or chia blends make it feel more like a complete meal.
Fresh or canned!
A handful on the side adds crunch.
Apple slices, chopped banana, always a hit in our household.
Sometimes we feel pressure to cook elaborate dinners every night, but in reality, a nourishing meal doesn’t always mean hours in the kitchen. Having a few pantry staples on hand can make all the difference when life gets busy.
So, if you’re juggling work, family, and everything in between, don’t be afraid to embrace the humble Pantry Platter. It’s quick, balanced, and proves that nourishing meals don’t need to be complicated.
Jana Mather is the Head of Marketing & Communications at the National Nutrition Foundation, where she leads the organisation’s marketing, communications, brand, digital strategy and stakeholder engagement activities across multiple national health and nutrition programs.
With extensive experience in strategic communications, digital marketing and public health promotion, Jana works to translate evidence based nutrition initiatives into engaging campaigns, resources and partnerships that create meaningful impact for communities across Australia. She oversees content strategy, websites, social media, publications, media engagement and marketing campaigns, while identifying opportunities to strengthen partnerships, advocacy efforts and organisational growth.
Passionate about improving health outcomes through effective communication, Jana combines strategic thinking with a strong focus on innovation, user experience, accessibility and data driven decision making. At NNF, Jana also contributes to organisational strategy and supports initiatives that advance nutrition education, food literacy and chronic disease prevention across Australia.
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