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If you are like most people who understand the meaning of a healthy diet, you probably prefer homemade meals over fast foods, takeout orders, and everything else that today’s busy world has forced a larger part of the planet into.
This is because homemade meals are largely considered healthier, economical, and environmentally friendlier whether you have a beautiful backyard or not.
But more often than not, making a healthy, flavorful meal from home depends on the ingredients you stock in your kitchen cabinet or pantry, and keeping it organized can be even more beneficial!
Benefits Of Keeping Your Pantry Organized
An organized kitchen pantry provides a ton load of benefits to any cook, chef, or homeowner. For instance, it makes it easier to conveniently access certain supplies, ingredients, or foods when you need them most during food prep and serving.
It is also a good way to ensure your herbs and spices stay fresher for longer, thus reducing unnecessary food waste. Moreover, keeping things tidy in the pantry reduces the chances of attracting food poisoning bacteria as well as pests, thus guaranteeing a healthy meal.
This also helps save the time and effort spent in the kitchen anytime you need to make a sumptuous and healthy meal for yourself, guests, or the whole family.
Types Of Pantry and Organizers
From built-in cabinets to freestanding options, walk-ins, slide-outs, and on-wall versions, there are many different types of kitchen pantries.
Each of these has its own merits and demerits, with the walk-in pantry being the most spacious and easy to manage among them all.
Nonetheless, all of them serve the same purpose: storing foodstuffs, groceries, and kitchen supplies.
Tips to Keep the Pantry Organized
Now that we’ve covered some solid reasons you should keep the pantry organized, alongside several options on pantry types, let’s go through some tips you might find beneficial for keeping it organized and tidy.
1. Make Sure the Pantry Is Secure:
Whether your pantry is the walk-in type, a freestanding, or a set of built-in cabinets, one thing is for sure. Unwanted “guests” such as – pets and kids – might gain access if the doors are not secure or left unlocked.
And the last thing you want is for your innocently curious toddler to end up smearing an entire bottle of chilly powder on her delicate face, right? This is all the more reason to assess your pantry’s door and lock security regularly.
If the locks are not functioning or the hinges need a revamp, you can always consult with a specialist in hardware for residential doors for the solutions you need.
2. Contain Like Things:
One of the steps when organizing your pantry is to make sure you can identify items easily. You can do this by placing them in baskets and bins, making it easy to quickly find what you’re looking for when cooking or baking.
For example, if all of your baking supplies are in one basket, all of your canned goods in another, and all of your spices in yet another, then it will be easy for someone who knows nothing about cooking to get what they need from the pantry without making a mess.
Don’t forget to clearly label bins and shelves with the contents, so you know what’s inside them at a glance.
3. Use Clear Containers:
As far as health and diet are concerned, staying organized helps you stay focused and motivated. This is especially true when you’ve decided on creating a diet plan that you can stick to and enjoy its benefits.
And on this note, using clear containers as storage for various items can be a great way to keep your pantry organized. When doing so, make sure to use containers that are the same size, stack well, and are easy to access.
The containers you choose should also be easy to clean, so as to keep off any food spoilage microorganisms.
4. Label Your Food with Expiration Dates:
Whether you use permanent markers or stickers, it is crucial to write down the date of purchase and the date of expiration. You can also just jot these dates down on a piece of paper and stick it in your pantry so that it stays accessible but out of sight.
5. Keep Spices in Alphabetical Order:
Keeping your spices in alphabetical order will help you find the one you need in a flash. It also pays to ensure they’re kept in a cool, dry place and not stored too close to the stove or other heat sources, including windowsills.
If you’re running out of space for all of your spices, consider making some room by paring down how many different types of seasonings are on hand at any given time. If there’s no need for two bottles of chili powder just because one is labeled “chili” and another says “chili mix,” don’t waste valuable space!
Likewise, if there’s no value in keeping more than two different types of salt around (and there probably isn’t), throw out whichever ones can easily be replaced with something more basic. The same goes for those extra jars or cans of herbs or seeds—they’ll just take up space without serving any real purpose other than making it difficult to find what matters most when cooking.
If you’re fond of making meals from home, or your diet demands it, an organized pantry can help you achieve your goals. But it is not unusual to get overwhelmed and not know where to start or how to go about it. Hopefully, these tips and tricks will help you organize the pantry, so it’s easier when you need something crucial in determining how healthy your diet is.
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