Not only can a disorganized pantry be frustrating, but food can get lost between the bags of chips and cereal boxes and ends up going to waste.

Keeping your pantry neat and in order will help you use up food before the expiration date and will make it easier to find what you are looking for. A few simple tricks can help you get everything in it’s proper place. Planning meals and restocking will be a breeze when you can actually see what you need to buy.

Let’s take a look at the following tips you can use to organize the pantry in your home:

1. Throw It Out

The first thing you need to do is get rid of all of the expired and stale food.

Grab a trash can and start purging the unusable food one shelf at a time. Set aside the items that you are keeping and be sure to wipe down the empty shelves and vacuum the floor.

2. Contain It

Use air tight containers to store pasta, cookies, loose candy and other goods that tend to get quickly get stale. Canisters work well to store flour and sugar. Baskets and trays are handy to keep similar items together, such as spices and paper products.

3. Zone It

An article in Better Homes and Gardens suggests to organize your pantry in specific zones.

Below are some of the zones you may want to incorporate into your pantry:

• Paper and Plastic Goods: This area should be used to store paper napkins, paper towels, paper plates, disposable cups, plastic forks, etc.

• Baking: All of your baking ingredients, including any cake mixes and ready made frosting should be stored in this area. You will also want to store your birthday candles and any cake decorating supplies in this section as well.

• Breakfast: All cereals, oatmeal, granola bars, etc should be stored together. Mornings are usually hectic for most people, so make it easier by having everything in one place without the kids rifling through the entire pantry trying to find a cereal bar.

• Canned Goods: One of the best ways to be able to see all of your canned goods is to use a stair step shelf to store them on. These shelves will allow you to see what is in the back, so it doesn’t get forgotten.Group common cans together, such as fruit, veggies and all of the sauces and gravies. Place them on the stair step shelves with the closest expiration date in the front and work your way back.

• Heavy Items: Large, heavy items such as jugs of oil and two liter soda bottles, should be stored on the lower area of the pantry. This will make it easier to take out when you need to use it.

• Eye Level Items: The items that you tend to use daily should be kept at eye level. For example, your coffee and coffee filters, pet food, and snacks that you usually grab on the go should be easy to see.

Conclusion

The pantries of today are not simply just a closet with shelves. Consider adding a custom pantry to your home that coordinates with new cabinetry and counter tops. It will give your kitchen a new appearance and will make your space more functional as well.

If you are thinking about updating your current kitchen or building a new home, be sure to talk to an experienced professional who can assist you in creating the kitchen of your dreams.

For further reading, be sure to check out: Kitchen Storage Part 1: Optimal Layouts For Cabinets and How To Add Interest To Your Kitchen’s Ceiling.

Image: EatLiveGrowPaleo.com via Visual Hunt / CC BY