Mise en Place (or, The Perfect Pantry)
The kitchen is the heart of the home. It is where we go for nourishment, our morning cup of coffee, where we share with friends & family, and where we all end up at the end of a fun dinner party. The heart of your home should feel warm, easy, and stress free, but without proper organization, kitchens can become a place of chaos over time. Appliances pile up, along with half-opened snack bags and expired condiments, and we end up tossing food before we are able to prepare and enjoy it. This lack of organization can end up costing you more money, wasting groceries, and cause unwanted stress.
Luckily, there are few simple steps you can take to organize the hub of your kitchen: the pantry. Having an organized pantry can transform a kitchen space, saving you time, money, and stress. Now that we are all cooking at home more often, let’s take a look at how to make your pantry work for you!
Kitchen Pantry/Food Storage Organization
Containers: Containers are your friends. Storing food in clear, air-tight containers allows you to store more and extends food shelf-life. Clear containers allow you to easily see what you have and how much you have left, so you don’t end up buying too much, or letting things go to waste. I am happy to share that wine is not the only thing we can decant! Decant your pantry staples!
Grocery Store Cabinets: If you have deep cabinets, make sure that what you have in the back, is also in the front, just like a grocery store. This makes it easier not to forget what you have, especially if something is hiding behind a big box of cookies. If you have trouble seeing in the back of your cabinets, consider using some type of riser. You can use a proper riser, or a shoe box or plastic bin to give you some lift and utilize your vertical space.
Display Snacks: Display snacks in a grab’n’ go containers, like a mason jar, or small baggie. Having healthy snacks ready to go saves you time, money, and is better for your health. If you have individually packaged snacks, like granola bars, take them out of the box they came in, and put them all together in one bin or basket. Don’t have a bin? No problem. You can use a cardboard box, shoe box, or any container without a lid. Just make sure you can see the snacks inside. Consider making to-go snacks a part of your weekly meal prep routine to save time and effort, and incorporate grab’n’ go into your regular schedule.
Have a Kid Station: If your kids are at an age where they can get their own snacks, designate an area just for them, so they know what is good for them to grab when they’re hungry. Also, with a kid’s station, they won’t need to constantly ask you for snacks!
Split your kitchen into Zones: Categorize your pantry into food groups, and decide where it makes the most sense for things to be. For example, put oils and vinegars together, spices together, baking ingredients together, breakfast items together, snacks together, etc. Everyone’s space is different, so splitting your kitchen will be determined by what works best for yours. By creating zones, you will no longer have to search for what you need, and zones will make it easier for items to be put back where they belong. This will help the whole family be responsible for kitchen cleanup, lowering your stress and saving you time.
I hope you find these pantry tips helpful! Let me know in the comments, or reach out with any specific questions. I would be delighted to help you create space of the life you deserve!