It’s food prep day again; you’ve been hunting down your red lentils for ten minutes. Wouldn’t it be easier if you could develop a system to make your meal prep a cinch? Here are six recommendations to help you have a more organized pantry.
Start With a Clean and Declutter
It’s best to start your organization process with a blank slate. Take everything out of your pantry and place it on your kitchen counter or table. This might seem overwhelming, but seeing everything at once is crucial for the organization process, kinda like the “Maria Kondo” process, but for your pantry!
Group Similar Things Together
After decluttering, the next step is to group similar items together. This will help you know exactly where to find what you need. Think about how you use your pantry. You might prefer canned goods at eye level since you use them more often, while you’d have niche baking ingredients higher up or further back. You can make your pantry work for you, but only you know what that really looks like!
Clear Containers and Labels Are Your Best Friend
Clear containers and labels are basically a must for those who want an orderly pantry. This allows you to see what’s in each container at a glance without ever needing to open anything. Invest in a variety of sizes to accommodate different types of food. For example, large containers can hold pasta or cereal, while smaller ones are great for nuts and seeds. You can also include expiration dates on the label to know when it’s time to pitch something in the trash.
Personalize As Needed
Every person will use their pantries differently. If you have young kids, for example, you might want to have a snack shelf where they can easily grab healthy snacks on their way out the door. Or, conversely, it could be wise to put those snacks where they can’t reach it instead; it’s really up to you. Either way, adding additional organizational elements like a chalkboard to keep track of what you’re running low on can help you keep up with your pantry maintenance.
Don’t Forget About Vertical Space
Even if you don’t have a massive walk-in pantry, you can still make the most of what you do have. Consider adding additional shelving or using stackable storage solutions. Shelf risers can create extra layers for storing cans or jars, using the vertical space between shelves. Another great option is hanging organizers or hooks inside pantry doors. These can hold small items like seasoning packets, snacks, or kitchen tools.
Maintain Your Efforts
You don’t need a time-consuming regimen to keep your pantry organized. But you do need to schedule time periodically to check in on your pantry and get things back in order. We recommend taking just a few minutes weekly to put items back in their place, wipe up any spills, and take inventory.
Trust us, you’ll be glad you spent five minutes on this, so you don’t have to do a total overhaul again!
12 Kitchen Gadgets That Are a Waste of Money
It’s surprising how many kitchen tools seem handy but end up collecting dust in a drawer. From gadgets that promise to make tasks easier to items that are just plain unnecessary, here are some of the most useless kitchen tools.
12 Kitchen Gadgets That Are a Waste of Money
12 Everyday Foods Some People Just Can’t Stand
When it comes to their foods, some people are just picky eaters. It’s surprising how certain popular foods can be so divisive. While many people love them, others can’t stand the taste, texture, or even the idea of eating them. Here are some surprising foods that some people just can’t stand.
Leave a Reply