7 Easy Tips & Ideas on How to Organize Snacks in Your Pantry
Need a pantry makeover? These 7 tips on how to organize snacks in your pantry will make mealtimes and grocery list writing a bliss. Plus, nothing feels better than the peace of walking into an organized room!
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Whether you have a small pantry, kitchen pantry or walk-in, it can get so overwhelming to open it and have to dig through things to find what you are looking for… or even figure out if you have any of it left! Hopefully, these pantry organization ideas are valuable to you. Figure out your room and organize it your way. You know best what works for you and your family!
#1 Get your pantry ready for organizing.
Pull all items out. Every single one. You will not know exactly what you have, what you need, and what needs to go unless this happens.
Clean pantry shelves, racks, and/or cabinets. Dust and wipe so you can start out with a fresh pantry space. This will also give you a clear view of the room you have available. A blank slate gives me a huge motivation boost to transform the space.
Eliminate all expired and spoiled items. You might be surprised at the amount of pantry items that go bad simply because we forget we have them. Go through and eliminate anything past its expiration date.
Divide remaining food items into categories. Separate snacks (e.g. granola bars, chips, gummies) from dry goods, sauces, and other items, for example. This will help you have an idea of the type of containers and storage items you need. Then, go over your grocery list to account for items that are not there yet but are usually replenished after a trip to the grocery store.
#2 Choose the necessary pantry storage items for your space.
Now that you know what you have, it is easier to figure out what you need. Some things go in bins, others in jars, and some go on trays, turntables, or baskets. Figure out a style and system that works for you and roll with it. This is an important step on how to organize snacks in your pantry.
The following is a list of storage items I have found useful over years of experience organizing spaces. What you choose to utilize will depend on the type and size of the space you are tidying.
Clear containers are the pantry organizing dream because you can easily see what and how much of each food item is left inside. Be creative and find your style! Reuse mason jars, grab a big bonbon container and any other plastic or glass containers (small and large).
Bins and trays also come in handy for things such as tea bags, baking supplies and individually bagged items you want easy access to. Bins allow you to separate items but also keep certain categories together.
Airtight containers might be the best alternative for items such as flour, brown sugar, and other foods that need to be kept sealed to avoid dehydration. Because they are pricy, mapping out how many you need and prioritizing is helpful if on a budget. I normally waited for a sale (Black Friday or Prime Day) and got the package or individual ones I needed for my items.
Lazy susans and turntables are a game-changer for jars, sauces, oils and such. Instead of having to go through a bin, I placed all my sauces and toppings in a lazy susan. It helps me save a ton of space in the pantry and provides easy access to what I need. Simply turn and grab! I also have one in my cabinet for all the oils and vinegar. I do not have to worry about knocking a bottle over by trying to reach one in the back of the pantry or cabinet.
Sliding drawers are another space saver. Wire ones are best for heavy things like cans since they hold a lot of weight. Plastic ones can be used for teas, spices, or soft things such as bread or tortillas. It is also a good way to utilize space vertically.
Baskets. I use wire baskets for canned baking supplies, and wooden for root vegetables, onions, limes, etc. You may use any basket that sparks joy (Marie Kondo) for you! They give the space a nice vibe and make it pleasing to look at!
3-Tier shelves for spices or extra jars. I have one in my kitchen cabinet for spices and another one in the pantry for all my jarred vegetables. It makes it easy to see what I have thanks to the different levels, and it saves space in my small pantry cabinet. My favorite one is from The Home Edit but there are more affordable versions available as well.
Back of the door and cabinet door racks come in handy for maximizing space, too! Shoe organizers are a great way to store a variety of snacks and small items. They also provide easy reach for littles if that would be helpful in your case. If that is not your preferred look, then cabinet door racks and drawers are a much better alternative for concealment.
Chalk markers or labels. Once the food is transferred from its box to a new container, labels are a must. Otherwise, you might get the pancake mix confused with powdered sugar and that would not be good. At least that is what I heard from a friend. 😉
While a label maker can be nice, chalk markers or dry-erase markers are more convenient. They allow you to repurpose containers easily if needed and write/erase expiration dates and other instructions you might want. I write the expiration date on the bottom of my containers and once I run out and replenish the item, I simply wipe off the old date and write the new one.
Vinyl shelf liners. If you have wire shelves, like I do, these liners help keep certain things from falling through. It also adds stability to the containers so they do not wobble side to side due to the gaps between each wire.
Bonus tip: Get some chip clips! These come in handy with any open cracker or chip bags. If you cannot empty these bags into an airtight container (if we are honest, these can get pricey) then a clip bag will do just the trick.
#3 Separate your snacks by categories.
Depending on what is in your pantry, you can have different sections for the types of snacks available. Have cereals separated from crackers, and those separated from candy and so on. The ones you want accessible for little kids can be placed on the lowest shelf. You can also have a rolling cart ready to go with their snacks for the day for easy access when needed and so they do not go crazy on too many snacks.
The goal is to have everything organized in a way that is seamless and makes sense to you. Then you can open your pantry and know exactly where to look for a specific item because it is all separated into categories. This will help family members, too, when looking for something and, most importantly, to keep things organized for a longer period of time.
#4 Take advantage of vertical space and store food upright, separated by category and size.
You can eliminate cereal boxes by replacing them with tall, easy-to-pour containers. This is the best way to remove the guesswork as you will not have to open the box to see when a refill is needed.
If you have enough tall containers to move your pasta and grains from their boxes and into larger containers, that will be best. It removes the chances of accidentally grabbing an open box wrong and dumping the contents all over the ground. Also, this allows you to know exactly how much of each thing you have left, just by looking at the container. No need to open the boxes to check! Plus, it looks much prettier!
Lastly, keep the preferred and most used items at eye level. Place the least used items on the top shelf and heavy items in the bottom shelf. Anything that needs to be out of reach for the littles can go on top, too.
#5 Up your snack game by containing.
Separate all different types of snacks and categorize them in containers. This is where you can maximize your space in style. Because many snacks are already pre-packaged, they do not need to be in airtight containers. Juice boxes, individual chip or cracker packets, granola bars and any loose snack can fit perfectly in bonbon jars, large mason jars or smaller clear containers by laying them flat or standing them up. The idea is for everything to have a place, and not have to dig through one thing to get to the other.
If there is something I learned from The Home Edit is that containing is game-changing. By keeping everything separated into bins, containers, and trays, nothing is going to fall off when pulling something else out. The less you have floating around, the less likely you will need another pantry makeover soon.
#6 Reuse empty jars and containers after they are empty.
I used to do this crazy thing and just toss my marmalade and sauce jars when I was done. I know… crazy. Now I use them to store small leftovers (like excess mini-marshmallows after baking), sauces, and all sorts of things. They really come in handy, and nothing beats the look of a glass container in your pantry.
#7 Whatever you know you will not use/cook with, donate it!
Sometimes we buy ingredients we later decide we do not like, have no interest in using, or simply realize we bought the wrong thing (oops!). Instead of tossing it or trying to experiment with something we do not want, donate it. You would be surprised at the things people can make with ingredients they love but cannot normally access.
Tips & Different Philosophies.
Throughout the years, I have learned a lot of the thought process behind organizing from Marie Kondo, and Clea and Joanna at The Home Edit (THE). The Konmari method has helped me declutter my house, which in turn gives me emotional and mental peace. I also love THE because it has a way of categorizing and sectioning things in a way that brings joy every time you enter the room. I highly recommend both styles of organizing, especially if you decide to move from your pantry to the rest of the house. 😊
Please note, I do not receive any compensation for referencing these companies. I only mention them because they have been extremely useful in my journey to an organized space.
I hope these tips are valuable in transforming your space and deciding how to organize snacks in your pantry. The goal is that you find what works best for you and go with it. There is no special formula or perfect method. Each household has a unique flow so enjoy the journey of finding your own. 😊
For tips on how to keep your house clean, I have 3 simple steps that keep me sane and help me maintain an organized home. Feel free to check it out!
Good luck!
Lau, The Happy Wookiee.
