In a recent episode of their podcast "Always Hungry," Bobby Flay and his daughter Sophie discussed meal prepping, and he revealed the two ingredients to always have in the pantry — rice and pasta. Rice and pasta have a long shelf life and can form the base of a lot of different meals.

"Anything that you have in your refrigerator, if it finds pasta and rice, you can make it taste delicious," says Flay. As for suggestions, he had arroz con pollo — Puerto Rican chicken and rice — on the brain, and he also advises using leftovers to make a meal for the next day.

Flay suggests making a big batch of rice for meal prepping, as it is an easy way to get your daily grains. However, it’s important to refrigerate rice promptly and reheat it sufficiently, as improperly stored leftover rice could lead to food poisoning.