How to Make an Organized List of Pantry Items

Make a list of the foods in your pantry.

Keeping a pantry can help you quickly get dinner and other meals on the table on harried weeknights. A stocked pantry can only help you so much, though. If you have a collection of foodstuffs and other sundries but don't know what or how much you have, you may buy more food than you can possibly use, leading to waste. Alternatively, you may think you have something you need for a meal, but actually don't. Create an inventory list of your pantry that lets you see what you have and what you need to purchase.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with word processing software
• Printer (optional)

Instructions

1. Sort through the items you have in your pantry and record the name and amount of each item on your notepad. For example, you may have a 1-pound box of spaghetti, a 1-pound box of elbows, four jars of pasta sauce, a 5-pound bag of flour and two bottles of ketchup.

2. Open the word processing program on your computer. Make a table in the open document, at least two columns wide and 10 rows long. Add more columns and rows as needed.

3. Create categories for the foods in your pantry. Flours, chocolate chips and sugar may fall into the "Baking" category, while canned or dried beans can fall under "Proteins" or simply "Beans." Place canned fish or other shelf-stable meats under "Proteins" as well. Other categories may include "Pasta/Grains," "Sauces," "Oils and Vinegars," "Beverages," and "Paper Products." Type the name of each category into the top row of each column.

4. Type the name of each product in the rows under the appropriate column. List one item per row and specify how much you have of that item.

5. Print out the list and place it in your kitchen, either on the pantry door or on your refrigerator. As you run out of each item, place an "X" next to it so you know to purchase more. If you don't have a printer or don't want to waste paper, use the strike-through feature on your word processing program to cross out any pantry items you are out of. Reference your list when planning your grocery shopping each week.

Tips & Warnings

• When you sort through your pantry, discard out-of-date products or set aside foods to donate to a food bank.

References

• "Woman's Day Magazine": Guide to a Well Organized Food Pantry
• Organized Home: Organized Pantry: Beginner Guide to Pantry Pride