Get organized, avoid food waste, and plan your meals quickly. This pantry inventory printable is a smart way to know what you’ve got.
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One of my best meal planning tips is to try to create meals from what you already have on hand. When your pantry is disorganized, sometimes you don’t really know what you have.
I’m as guilty as the next person at finding food I didn’t know I had buried at the back of the pantry… way past the expiration date. Oops.
My pantry isn’t perfect. I keep like items together and try to keep it all neat, but the cabinet is deeper than it is wide. Of course, my master plan is to redo the entire kitchen and build the pantry of my dreams. Some day.
Here’s what I’ve got to work with. I use those plastic drawers for things that are easily squished (like bread) and small packages (like candy, nuts, and snack bars).
Pantry organizing
Until I can do a pantry makeover, here are a few ways I’m working with what I’ve got to keep my pantry organized.
Create zones.
Make each shelf a category so everything has its own “home.” A few category ideas: canned goods, boxed goods, breakfast, snacks, baking, and produce. Add shelf dividers, pull-out containers, or other shelf organizers to keep like items together on the same shelf.
First in first out
Put new purchases at the back and use older items first. This will keep you from losing things on a deep shelf and ensure that you use items up before their “best by” date.
Use opened packages
Plan meals that use things you’ve already opened. Most of those “best by” dates are when the package is still sealed. Once you open it, it’s best to use most things within a few weeks.
Store in air-tight containers
Those pretty matching containers aren’t just for looks. Pouring open packages into reusable containers means you can seal them to keep out air (that makes things stale) or pests. Just be sure you keep the package cooking instructions or write the expiration date on a label.
Make a list
Keep a pantry inventory so you know what you have. You can tape it to the inside of the pantry door or store it in your household binder.
Get the printable
The freezer inventory printable fits on regular 8.5×11-inch paper, but can be resized to print smaller if desired. This version has been updated to match the rest of my printable planner inserts.
There are 2 ways to get this printable:
1. Pay what you can ($0, $3, $5, etc.) and download just this item using the Gumroad form below. Enter your email address to get instant access and also have it sent to your inbox.
2. Join The Printables Library for a one-time fee that gives you access to all current and future printables! If you’re already a member, you can find this file there now.
Can’t see the Gumroad form? Unsure how to print? For troubleshooting tips and frequently asked questions, read the Printables FAQ Help Guide.
Check out some other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:
Elvia Sanchez says
I needed to get orgazied and I downloded your pantry and freezer inventory sheets and it will make it much easier. Thank you for your great ideas and spreadsheets.
Keri says
You’re welcome! I hope they are helpful for you.
Igor Vorobioff says
I think pantry inventory is the top problem of all small and large families 🙂
I even did some research of apps that could help me with this issue and didn’t find anything that would fit my needs. As a programmer, I decided to build my own app. Here’s several major key points I came up with:
– There should be categories and possibility to create as many categories as needed, as well as sub-categories.
– There should be a way to tell where those or these goods can be bought. I face situations sometimes that I can’t find certain products in some stores but can find in other stores even if those stores under the same name.
– There should be a way to set units for products. Say, I want to count potatoes in lbs but beans in cans.
– The app should notify the users about the fact that some of the products are about to expire or finish. Additionally, I think the user should be able to tell how long before the app should notify about that. So that, if for example, I want to be notified when I have 2 cans left of Coca-Cola, or when I have 2 lbs left of potatoes. So it depends kind of on the product.
– The other thing I think about is that the app should notify the users if he doesn’t change the quantity of the products for some period. Sometimes, you can forget to change the quantity of spending products so the app could remind you about updating your inventory.
– Finally, the app should have a so-called “Need To Buy” list. This is kind of shopping list where you add products that is about to expire or finish so that the next time you go to the store you know exactly what you need to buy.
What do you think, will this kind of app make the most of the families happy? 🙂
Keri says
That sounds fantastic, although I’m afraid it might be hard to keep it updated if you’re tracking everything in the pantry. Would you need to edit your inventory every time you used something? I use my pantry printable mostly for bulk items I’m stocking up on, not everything in the pantry.
Igor Vorobioff says
Hi Keri, thank you for your feedback!
What do you mean by everything? Can you please give some examples of products that you wouldn’t want to track with the app? The only products come to my mind that I wouldn’t track with the app are those that I don’t usually buy but I bought because wanted to try it.
>Would you need to edit your inventory every time you used something?
I guess it depends on a person himself. You can do that regularly or occasionally. One of the features in the app was introduced specifically for this case. You don’t have to update your inventory every time you spend something. The app will remind you to update the quantity of the product if you haven’t done that for awhile. Moreover, you will be able to tell the app how often it should remind you about that. This option will go per product because some products tend to be spent faster than the others. So you can tell for example, to remind you to update the number of cans of Coca-Cola every 2 days (of course, if you like soda that much 🙂 ) and to update the number of package of macaroni every 2 weeks.