How To Organize Your Pantry
It’s easy to close the door and ignore your pantry, but I couldn’t neglect my pantry anymore. I had to organize it because I have been convicted about food waste and time management. Plus, it was overflowing with candy and junk food from the holidays.
1. Take Everything Out
Take every single item out. That’s right, every can, appliance, and crumb needs to come out. I put the food into categories on the floor. Here are my categories I had listed below.
- Appliances
- Baking
- Canned foods
- Chips
- Spices
- Snacks
- Kids/Baby Food
- Vegetables & Fruit
- Dinner (Pasta, Bread, etc)
- Breakfast (Cereal, Oatmeal, etc)
After you take everything out of your pantry, give it a good cleaning by sweeping the floor and wiping the shelves down. Maybe even put shelving paper/liner on the shelves if you would like!
2. Throw Away, Give Away, or Donate
On every single food item, make sure to check the expiration date and throw it away if it’s expired.
If there are food items that do not meet your life style, throw away, give away, or donate them. For example, if you want to eat healthy then get rid of all of your junk food.
Canned items can be donated. I like to donate my candy to school teachers so they can use them as prizes š
3. Put Away by Category
It’s important to group your food items in categories so you are aware of how much you have. As I grouped the canned items together my husband was surprised how much we had.
My husband likes to get extra (especially canned goods since they last awhile), but it is so easy to forget about them. We ended up having to throw away some canned items because they were expired.
Designate a shelf per category. I have a breakfast shelf where I keep oatmeal, cereal, and fruit. I also have a dinner shelf where I keep pastas, bread, and rice.
4. Spices
There are different ways to sort your spices, but I like to organize mine alphabetically. My MIL organizes hers by the type of spice which works perfectly for her.
Personally, I use a wrack that hangs on the pantry door and that is where I store my spices. I know others who like to store them in a drawer or in the cabinet.
5. Use Baskets and Crates
Baskets and crates helps with organization and looks visually appealing. You could even label the crates so everyone knows where everything is.
Currently I only have a few baskets and crates, but would like to get more eventually. I have a crate for baking stuff (cupcake liners, sprinkles, food coloring), chips, snacks (I also put gum and mints in here), and baby food (jars and snacks like puffs).
Before 
After
How To Stay Organized
My biggest secret to keeping my pantry organized is to meal plan. We shop once a week for everything we need for that week. Don’t buy extra unless you have planned it out in your upcoming meal plan for the week or the next week.
By meal planning we save money and cut down on waste! We shop intentionally and everything we buy has a purpose. By planning ahead you can keep your pantry neat too!
What are some ways you like to keep your pantry organized?
I love these tips!! I just did my pantry, and I love it!! The only thing that would make it better is bins for certain items. Thank you for sharing this! šā¤
You are welcome! I hope it helps with organizing your pantry š
Wish I had seen your post before I did my pantry!! šš¤£
What a great way to get organized. I love the meal planning idea. I definitely need to institute that into my life!
Thank you! Meal planning definitely helps me stay organized š
These are really great tips! And what a great time to clean out our pantries then in the middle of winter when we are stuck inside. What a great reminder at a great time! I’ll be tuning in for more š
Thank you! š Haha Great project for cold weather š
My husband and I were JUST trying to get a game plan for this. Our whole kitchen is needing some attention! These are great tips. Especially to literally take EVERYTHING out. When you just try to move things around and straighten, you end up with the same junk. When we take everything out we realize all the stuff we have that doesn’t belong.
I need to work on our kitchen as well! It is really helpful to take everything out and actually see just how much we have. I hope this encourages you to organize your pantry and kitchen š
Thanks for the tips! Iām about due to reorganize my pantry so thanks for increasing my motivation:)
No Problem š Hope the organizing goes well!
Thanks for the tips! Iām about due to reorganize my pantry. Thanks for increasing my motivation:)
I love these tips! I just moved into a new house with a bigger pantry, and I’ve been struggling to keep it clean and organized. I definitely need to get some bins or crates to keep items in. Thanks for the tips!
You are very welcome! One thing to remember too, just because you have more space does not mean you need to completely fill it up. I know when you move into something bigger, the tendency id to fill it up. Just another tip š
Great tips! I love organizing like this – feels great when you are one!
It really does make you feel great after organizing š
Useful tips! I need to organize and clean out my pantry and my fridge!
Thank you! The fridge is another great project to organize too š
You have some great ideas that I need to do again. It’s amazing what we accumulate when we don’t look too often. Thank you for all of the great tipes.
You are welcome! š It is definitely easy to accumulate! It takes an effort to consistently keep organizing and knowing what we have, but it does feel good when it is decluttered and organized.