Organize Your Pantry Food • January Prep Challenge 2

The second preparedness challenge of January is to organize your pantry food to make stocking and shopping for food easier. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are encouraged to gather a 3-month supply of regular pantry food, but where do you store it? You’d be surprised how much room you do have when you bring order out of chaos.

Organize Your Pantry Food

• BUY A LABEL MAKER My favorite is still Brother P-Touch PT-210.
• DON’T BUY baskets or containers until you’ve sorted. Use what you have.
• TAKE EVERYTHING OUT and put it on your kitchen counters and table. Wipe those shelves clean! This project will take several days.
• GROUP SIMILAR FOOD ITEMS such as canned foods, pasta/rice/potatoes, baking ingredients, cooking oils, breakfast items, spices, beverages, etc.
• TOSS OUT any expired or damaged foods you no longer eat. If you can’t find an expiration date, toss it. Check StillTasty.com for shelf-life of food.
• CREATE A DONATION PILE RARELY for nonfood items.
• MOVE RARELY USED ITEMS into a closet, garage, or basement. DO NOT store food in a garage.
• MAKE A SHOPPING LIST of needed items.
• ORGANIZE SPICES alphabetically in a dark cupboard or drawer away from heat.
• FOLLOW F.I.F.O (first in first out) and put the newest items in the back, and oldest in front.
• LABEL containers and shelves, and cheer!!!

I hope you love to organize your pantry food and your kitchen.

I believe in you!

Valerie Albrechtsen
The Food Storage Organizer

Check out my food storage and emergency preparedness bundle in my Etsy shop.