Wouldn't it be nice to have a dream pantry? Perhaps one with lots of walk in space and cute little boxes and tubs and containers with chalkboard labels.
I am pretty sure that I would eat really healthy and that the meals would almost prepare themselves if my pantry was really beautiful.
Sadly, it is not. That means I have to make the very best of what I have. Here are some ideas and tips that have worked for me, I want to share them with you.
Put Things Within Reach: I have cabinet climbers are my house, and it drives me crazy. I keep all the snacks, on the lowest shelf so the small kids can help themselves. I put all the things that my teens can use to make quick meals at their height. I put the heavy things like appliances on the floor and lighter things like foil pans bags of chips (that I don't want them to snack on every second) on the very top.
Go Vertical: I started using the space on the back of my pantry door and it have been life changing. I put all my spices up on the back of the door with a basket from the dollar store and some double sided tape. I put up hooks to hang lunch boxes and plastic bags. There is a lot of wasted space between that closed door and the shelves, use it.
Trash the Boxes: Newsflash, that giant cardboard box that is holding your bag of cheerios is doing zero to keep them fresh. Throw that huge box away and get a clip for the bag. You can also put granola bars in baskets along with other snacks - I put my homemade oatmeal packets in a container as well as bags of trail mix. Then I put them down low so my kids can see what they have - not having boxes also eliminates the, "I want what I see on TV" problem.
Use Your Floor Space: But be sure and use it wisely. Never put your food on the floor. Use that space for appliances, paper towels, and kitchen items that you don't use frequently.
Put Like with Like: This sounds like common sense, but all too often when we finally get home from the grocery store, get all the bags carried into the house and unloaded, a lot of times the cans and items just get shoved anywhere there is shelf space. This leads to me buying 3 cans of coconut milk when I already had some just because it was shoved over by the chocolate chips. This takes a while to train your family where things go, but it is worth it.
I have all my baking goods on one side of a shelf, all my cans of fruit on the other side of the shelf. I stack my beans all together and all my tomato sauce, puree and diced all together. It makes things lots easier to find and it puts thing front and center when I am standing there with the door open thinking, "what should I make for dinner"
Nothing works for everyone, but some of these ideas might spark something that will work for your family. Finding a system that helps you cook at home and has your family eating more healthy food is worth trying a few new things.
