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Pantry Organization Tips

by The Diet.

February 07, 2024

1. Do a Pantry Edit, and do it Often

First things first: Pantry organization always starts with assessing the items you already have.

Start by tossing any old or expired food and put the items you’re keeping off to the side. Going through and removing items you’re not using will keep clutter at bay, but it will also help with overspending and buying duplicates. In fact, you should do a mini version of this before heading out to the store.

2. Create Zones

Once you have all the pantry items you know you’re keeping, the next step is organizing them into groups. Keep things in categories, like breakfast, snacks and baking.

Organizing your items by category and creating zones in your pantry for where each category will go will make it much easier to assess what you have, and if you’re low on an item and need to purchase more. Zones can make up an entire shelf or drawer, half of one or even a specific section of your pantry—whatever works for you.

3. Get Rid of Packaging

This tip is especially handy when it comes to baking items like flour and sugar, especially if you’re going for a more aesthetically pleasing look. Clear storage containers look very sleek on a shelf while maximizing your space and allowing you to see when you may need to borrow a cup of sugar.

4. Use Turntables and Can Risers

It’s essential to have all of your pantry items visible and easily accessible, and turntables and can risers can do just that. Both are perfect for storing things like condiments and canned goods. Turntables in corners really utilize that corner space.

5. Utilize Depth

Make sure anything you use like a bin or basket is deep enough to fill the entire shelf so you’re getting the most out of the space. You don’t want any shelf space to go to waste, and having a basket with full depth will also make it easy to pull it out to see what you have, just like a drawer.

6. Try Drawer Dividers

Drawers and dividers are great for everything, including plastic food storage containers, cleaning supplies and small snacks. They create a natural separation between items, allowing you to see everything you have and making everything look tidier.