Your pantry must-have — nutritious, affordable, award-winning Southern goodness — Camellia beans, etc.

If there’s a delicious food, doesn’t there always seem to be a catch? It’s seasonal or fattening, hard to find, not healthy, expensive, hard to prepare? Have you been calling the food delivery services too much for the figure and pocketbook? Not getting your macros in? New Orleans family created Camellia pantry products just won #1 in Southern Living’s Southern Food Hall of Fame 2026, getting readers’ top grades for the “Stock the Pantry” category. They’re celebrating their 100th anniversary. So, even if you’ve never crossed the Mason-Dixon line or are as my mom once put it, “I was a ‘ponytail girl’, not a ‘bouffant girl’,” as to why she didn’t go to Ol’ Miss for English, you will be instantly authentic. I was happy to be hosted to experience it!

For just a few dollars a pound, if you can simmer water, you can have delicious, nutritious meals for your whole family or for a party. And the shelf life is great! The beans have serving suggestions and simple recipes on the bag. They give instructions for a creamy, softer texture – like refried beans – and also, for more al dente. I like al dente, so that’s how I fixed it.

And, if you’re out of decision making capability, Camellia has flavor infusion packets for sale!

So, people can be hesitant about seasoning mixes for good reason: they can be salt bombs and that’s not good for you. But a serving of Camellia flavor infusions only has 150 mg sodium! That’s pretty low for a savory food, folks.

Here’s an additional flavor tip: swap half your cooking water for no-sodium broth, even leftover soup. You can garnish it with some smoked sausage bits, like I have here.

If you do fix your beans al dente, the next day, you can add a teeny bit of vinaigrette or mayo for an instant easy bean salad! Take that to the potluck dinner.

Now, in case you think all beans are alike, that’s where you’re wrong. When I was a kid, on the way to Wednesday orchestra rehearsal, mom would fix me a can of one of those national brand of beans for quick, cheap protein. I hated it, I hated the way it landed, as the kids say today. Now, I would more accurately describe the feeling as bloated and lethargic, with ill-at-ease digestion.

When you grocery shop, do you always read the labels? I do! There are macros I have to hit and macros I have to quit. The flavor infusions are strictly straight off the farm, no ingredients you can’t find at a grocery store. That’s impressive.

Lentils are actually a little less carby than a lot of other legumes, so that’s something to stash away. Lentils are little and delicate, kind of a fun mouth texture. The Spicy Lentil flavor infusion has heat, but isn’t OTT spicy. Lentil stew is a traditional French favorite. I’m sure some minced, barely cooked carrots would be perfect, along with either a meat or vegan broth.