Once you have done the work to get the pantry organized, it is important to incorporate a few new habits so that your hard work doesn’t revert to the chaos you have already overcome. Here are 5 tips that I used in my own pantry and recommend for my clients to keep their spaces looking tidy.

Utilize Backstock Bins - I often buy in bulk and end up with duplicates. The trick to this being helpful is keeping your backstock in a close place so you don’t forget that you already have a backup of particular items. It is the worst to go buy more of something you think you are out of and come home to find you already had a back up . Here are my favorite baskets.
Place Newer Duplicated Behind Older Ones - If I have multiples of something, I always place the older item to the front of the shelf. This helps me use what needs to be used first and helps limit waste due to expiration or multiple items of the same thing being opened at the same time.
Monthly Review of Expired Food / Food Not Being Eaten - I try to do a monthly review of all the dry goods in my pantry and check for expired items or close to expired. I also look for food that my family is just not eating. If it is not being eaten and isn’t expired consider donating to a local food pantry.
Establish and Update Labeling As Needed - Your food changes. New meal plans, new dietary restrictions, new people in the home. Just being you labeled your bins to start with, doesn’t mean they will stay that way. This is a small but impactful task so you don’t end up with overflowing bins or even worse consistently empty bins. If your food changes/shifts so should you labels.
Update Product To Accommodate Changes - Similarly to updating labels often, I review if the product I am using is still working for my items & quantities. Often times I walk into pantry that do have some product in place already but often that 1 bin is overflowing onto the surrounding shelves so it is just about sourcing better product that is actually going to capture the entirety of that group.

DON”T FORGET - Key to sustained success is getting the entire family on board. Having clear labels and appropriate sized bins will help your family in making sure when they return items they go in the right place.

I hope this information was helpful! Keep me posted on your projects, I love to see your pictures.

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