The pantry is a very useful room in any home and having it properly organized saves vital time and helps prevent food waste.
It often happens to us that when we look for something in the pantry it takes us too long to find it because either we do not remember exactly where we have stored it, or we have so many things piled up without order or concert that it is impossible to see anything clearly.
And it is that, as in all the rooms of our house, the order and cleanliness are key factors to get the most out of them and, also, for our peace of mind.
On the one hand, having the pantry well organized will also allow you to end food waste and, on the other, It will reduce the time we spend cooking, since we will have everything more at hand. For this reason, from Vivienda Saludable we propose some simple tips to help you organize it more efficiently:
- Adapt to the size you have: you may have a whole room of your own as a pantry or, simply, a cupboard in the kitchen or in the storage room. It’s not so much how big or small the place is, as that you know how to get the most out of it with a good organization. A good recommendation is have a maximum of two packages per product. This way, when you start the second, you know that you have to replace.
- Choose the place well: food must be in a place where the sun does not reach them directly, nor that they can be exposed to extreme temperatures, either cold or heat. Also be careful with moisture, as it can completely spoil the products.
- Storage is your ally: invest in jars to store products such as pasta, rice or crackers. Do not keep open packages, in the jars they will be better and longer. Try to make them same model and various sizes so you can stack them. If you use transparent containers -ideal for seeing the contents at a glance- write down on a adhesive label the expiration date and stick it. If you get rid of all the packaging you can, things will fit more easily.
- Apply an organizational criterion that is simple: For example, if you have several heights you can put in the lower part the things that weigh the most: jugs of water, cartons of milk, bottles…
After, in the central partwhich is the one that is closest to you, what you use more often: legumes, cereals, pasta, rice, sugar, coffee, flour…
Next, at the top, which weighs little and you don’t use it very often: certain preserves, sauces, special flours, rarely used spices…
Another option is group foods by categories. For example, cereals and legumes on the one hand, liquids (milk, oil, drinks…) on the other…
- Take advantage of all the holes: for example, the one on the doors, where you can place the bags of nuts, the envelopes of sauces or spices in plain sight with hooks and clips so that they do not get lost. If you have corners, you can place rotating trays that have a lot of capacity and, at a glance, you can know what you keep in them.
- The organizers can help you: in addition to transparent containers to store food, you can use drawers, baskets or larger boxes to keep them all organized in sight. Drawers with runners are an ideal option as they make work easier.
- cleanliness is essential: do not let food expire, and Be especially careful with fruits and vegetables, which are more perishable. With certain periodicity, remember to do a thorough cleaning with products that are not toxic (Neutral soap, know its thousand and one uses · Healthy Home) or very aggressive.
A good organization in the pantry contributes to having a more varied diet and that the dishes are prepared in less time, in a sustainable and respectful way with the planet because food waste is reduced, which also translates into saving money.