Today we’re going to give you one of the most powerful tools from the Table365 Feeding Your Family System – the Organized Pantry! Mapping out your meal plan for the week will have you prepared, but as we all know things don’t always go as planned. This is when your organized and stocked pantry will make all the difference in making lunch or getting dinner on the table.
- Clear out pantry: Throw away anything expired; donate foods you haven’t used in over 3 months to a food pantry; move older foods to the front of the shelves.
- De-clutter: Your cupboard should only be 80% full — remove the crackers that you bought for entertaining, but never used; take out the partially used packages that you won’t finish.
- Label containers: Keep your label maker in the kitchen for storage containers (see our Pinterest site for creative ideas of how others organize their pantry). Use a black sharpie to write purchase dates on packages or use dates on containers to track expiration.
- Clean: Wipe down and line shelves with a ribbed liner to contain food and pests.
- Organize: See our Top Ten Pantry Basics below for grouping and organizing your pantry.
Top Ten Pantry Basics
Organize your pantry by these basic groups, and you’ll always be able to create meals on short notice using some of these items plus a few other basic ingredients.
- Grains and Pasta: Rices, quinoa, barley, various pastas (including whole wheat pastas), oatmeal,cereals, and bread crumbs (Italian style and Panko).
- Oils and Vinegars: Olive oil, canola oil, sesame oil, white vinegar, white wine vinegar, and balsamic vinegar.
- Spices: Pepper, kosher salt, chili powder, cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, oregano, thyme, lemon pepper, and cinnamon.
- Canned goods: Beans (black, kidney, garbanzo, white), whole peeled tomatoes, and chunk light tuna packed in water.
- Beverages: tea (caffeinated and herbal), coffee.
- Stocks: Vegetable, Chicken, Beef – whatever kind your family prefers.
- Baking: Flours (all-purpose and whole wheat), sugars (brown and granulated), baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch.
- Condiments: Ketchup, mustard (yellow and Dijon), mayonnaise, soy sauce, and honey.
- Dried Legumes: Beans, split peas, and lentils.
- Dried Fruits: Raisins, cranberries, apricots, and cherries.
Happy Spring Cleaning!
Hey ladies! Love the posts. Thought I’d pass on a couple of kitchen organizing tips that my ultra organized super mom neighbor shared with me. She keeps a few of each basic item in the pantry and then has a second pantry downstairs as back up for dried goods, canned items, etc. For snacks or individual lunch items (baggies of pretzels, fruit bites, etc)she has stackable bins she keeps full and sorted thereby getting boxes and such out of the pantry. This also makes lunch packing a snap and grab and go snacks super accessible. I also use these bins (which I purchased from the dollar store) to hold bagged items. I have implemented all of these and my pantry is so much easier to use. I’m going to use your list as a good inventory. Thanks again!
Laurie, Thanks for the great tips! I use bins for some of my bagged items as well, but I love the idea of keeping snack and individual items in bins too. I can see how that makes lunch prep easier and will definitely try it out.