8 Steps to Planning the Perfect Pantry
One of the best things you can do to encourage yourself and your family to eat healthy is to have a well-stocked and well-organized pantry. It can also make getting dinner on the table that much faster. Over the next several weeks, in partnership with Del Monte®, we’ll be bringing you a series on how to set up, stock, and cook delicious, garden-quality inspired meals from your pantry. Canned goods are the backbone of any pantry: they cut down on prep time and enable you to spend more time enjoying your friends and family. Plus, you’re guaranteed that the Del Monte® fruits and vegetables you’re using were picked and packed at the peak of ripeness. Delicious and nutritious? We’re on board!
1. Transform a closet: A small closet can easily be transformed into a pantry space by adding shelving. Keep in mind that you can add several short shelves since most canned goods, spices, and even some baking products aren’t very tall. We especially like the way this pantry uses the floor space wisely for items that don’t sit well on shelves, like bags of chips and items that you don’t need very often, like candy canes! (via A Cup of Mai)
2. Make everything visible: If you don’t have cabinet space to organize your canned goods, baking ingredients, and spices, try using floating shelves and your wall space instead. Not only will you be able to tell at a glance what you do or don’t have in stock. (We’re forever restocking on Del Monte®diced tomatoes and tomato sauce!) Plus, because you and everyone who visits your house will see your pantry, it forces you to keep things organized. (via House Beautiful)
3. Organize like items together: If you are lucky enough to have a lot of space, be strategic about how you store things in your pantry. Like items should be kept together. And if you have deep shelves, line up identical items one in front of the other. That way you’ll be able to see everything you have. And, of course, keep items you use all the time at eye level or close at hand. Items that are less frequently used can be kept on the higher shelves. (via Kerri Robusto Interiors on Houzz)
4. Use your doors: If you don’t have a very large pantry, consider hanging a shoe organizer on the back of your door. It’s the perfect place to keep healthy snacks, small canned goods, or spices. If you have children, make sure you keep the kid-friendly snacks within their reach, and the forbidden stuff higher up. (via House Organization)
5. DIY a custom pantry: Making a custom pantry with built-in shelving doesn’t have to be expensive. Use inexpensive bookcases with adjustable shelves to make your own well-organized space. Even if you don’t have a separate room, you can turn a corner of your kitchen into a complete pantry. You can also curtain off the area to present a more streamlined space.(via The Closet Works on Houzz)
6. Create cooking and baking bins: Our favorite thing about this pantry is how different items are organized into bins. You know you’re going to need similar things when you bake, or for pasta night, so group those items together in one bin or basket. That way when you head into the kitchen you can just pull out that container and have everything you need. No more trips back and forth from the stove to the pantry to get the ingredients you’ve forgotten. (via The House of Smiths)
7. Use your drawers: One of the best things about using drawers as your pantry is that you can easily get to all the items, even the ones hiding in the way, way back. Just be sure you have the labels of your goods facing up or write what each canned good is on the top of the can. It’s also a good idea to add the date you purchased it so you know which can to use up first. (via Melbourne Contemporary Kitchens on Houzz)
8. Get creative: Think outside the box when it comes to your pantry. We love this idea for turning vintage school lockers in to storage for dry goods. Even if you don’t have the space to build it into a wall in your home, you can create storage out of furniture from virtually any other room in your house. (via Apartment Therapy)
How do you have your pantry organized? Tell us in the comments!
This series is brought to you in partnership with Del Monte®, producers of garden quality fruits and vegetables. With Del Monte® products, you’ll always have a garden in your pantry.
