Remove all your used and unused spice jars, take out the boxes of dry goods and the cans of backup proteins. ![]() ![]() Take everything out of your pantry, every can of fruit and every bag of dried beans. The first step in any pantry refresh is to fully empty those shelves. If you're refreshing your home for the new year, why not refresh your pantry? The following steps will make it easy to fresh your pantry and get organized, so your pantry is more productive and ingredients more at-hand for the rest of the year. But over time, pantry clutter can start to weigh you down. In a new house, that pantry clutter is comforting, knowing there are always a few boxes of stuffing or cans of beans for a rainy day. It's a natural side effect of cooking quickly, stocking groceries quickly, and always keeping a few extra supplies in the back of your pantry. Labeled shelves make it oh-so-much-easier for everybody to keep your pantry looking terrific.Busy chefs often have cluttered pantries. And of course, keep those like items together so it’s easy for everybody to find what they’re looking for! And if using a label maker gives you a thrill, this would be the time to get your kicks. Canisters for loose items like rice and flour. Baskets for individually wrapped items, like granola bars or juice boxes. For pantries, I suggest using a system of baskets and canisters. This is the step you’ve been waiting for, when you get to put everything back and make it look pretty (if you want). I mean c’mon, if you’ve kept it long enough that it’s past the “best by” date, are you really ever going to eat it? I think not, my friend. In a pantry decluttering session, this is where you get real about those “best by” dates on the boxes and have the guts to toss or donate (if it’s still fresh) that food you’re really never going to eat. This is where you make decisions on what stays and what goes. The second sort is a decision sort: keep, toss, donate, or put elsewhere. (We found multiple open jars of similar spices and grains.) It also makes it easier to let go of duplicate items when you can see them lined up with their brethren. Again, this helps you see how much you have, which is often a surprise. The first sort is a like-with-like sort, meaning you put all the similar items together: spices together, pasta together, etc. Again, this step is key to getting your space under control, because emptying a space allows you to re-imagine how you could use it. This step is always very revealing because it makes you realize the totality of what you own, which is always more than you think! Even after helping hundreds of clients clean out their cupboards over the years, I’m still surprised at how much we find inside. In this step, Meredith and I emptied everything–and I mean EVERYTHING!–out of her pantry. This may seem kind of obvious, but getting clear about your vision and purpose is key to simplifying your space! Step 2: Empty Then I asked her how she planned to USE her kitchen: for cooking, gathering, and socializing. I first had Meredith tell me what she thought her kitchen overall should look like: neat, organized, clear counters. This step involves getting very clear about what you want to SEE and how you want to USE the space. Let’s go through each step in a little more detail and apply it to what we found in Meredith’s pantry. It stands for: L – Layout Your Vision and Purpose E – Empty S – Sort it Twice S – Systemize I’m a former teacher (which means I LOVE acronyms!) so LESS does not disappoint. ![]() The best way to declutter your pantry–or any space for that matter–is to use my 4-step LESS Method™. Lucky for you, I recently helped my friend Meredith declutter her pantry, and I’m sharing exactly how we did it below! ![]() Ever reach for a granola bar in the recesses of your pantry and feel afraid of what you might find? If so, you’re in need of a good old-fashioned pantry decluttering session.
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