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As we step away from BBQ season and toward holiday entertaining season, it’s a good time to put a little focus and attention on the pantry. It’s is one of the highest traffic zones in the home because it is used most frequently.
Tidying and organizing your pantry not only helps you maximize space and create function and flow, it also helps you save time, eliminate over-purchasing, make sound nutritional choices, teach children independence and feel less stressed.
Here is a 6-step system anyone can do to organize their pantry.
Purge and declutter
Go through your pantry and pull everything out so you can see what you have. Toss any expired food and set aside any unopened foods that you have no intention of using and donate to a food bank.
Make sure you are giving yourself an adequate amount of time for this task as it tends to create a mess. If you are strapped for time, start small by only purging one shelf or cupboard at a time.
Group and zone
Begin grouping all ‘like with like’ food categories into piles on your kitchen counter and table. This will help you know what you have on the go and eliminate the pesky habit of over-purchasing and under-using.
This also will assist with the next step – you need to know the standard quantity you have in each food category before you purchase containment. Categories you may have include: breakfast, syrups and spreads, salty snacks, sweet snacks, school snacks, pasta and grains, baking, canned goods, condiments & sauces, oils & vinegars, dinner, etc.
Contain
Containing your items is critical, it gives your brain a visual cue that things have a specific spot to live and serves as a great accountability partner. When items are free-floating on shelves it is an open invitation for more items to join and this is how chaos is created!
There are a few wonderful ways to contain pantry items: turntables, bins, individual containers. This truly depends on your space and personal preference of storage.
Label
Learn to love your labels! The system is not complete without a label attached. Labels help everyone in the entire family know where to find items and where to put them back. They also add a nice aesthetic to the space – like the cherry on top of your dessert. Whether you’re writing the label on the jar yourself or using vinyl labels, they help with the longevity of organization.
Backstock zone
If you are a large family, chances are you are shopping in bulk which means you need storage for those excess items. Ensure you create a backstock zone for the extra packages and pantry items. A backstock zone should be a cupboard or shelf or drawer that is separate from your pantry itself. It is where all the ‘extras’ go and where you should source food items first before heading to the grocery store.
Maintain
Go through your pantry with this same 6-step system every month to ensure you are keeping up with the organization. Schedule it into your calendar as if you have an important business meeting so you do not leave this as an annual chore.
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