Do you have an adequate place to store food in your kitchen? I understand your pain if the answer to that question is no. In our last house, I was spoiled because the kitchen had two ample cupboards perfect to use for food. But not all houses have that luxury. Many times, the reason we have trouble keeping our things organized is the shortage of space. Look at your kitchen space with fresh eyes and see where you can make simple changes to make it work. An easy way to get started before you do anything is to get rid of things that you don’t need, then follow these tips to organize your food and make the most out of your space.

1. Bring in Shelving with Baskets and Containers

My husband and I bought a metal shelf like the ones on those cooking shows where they store food and pots and pans. This works well, especially if you don’t have the money to remodel your kitchen and you have an empty wall in your kitchen. Then find baskets or other containers that would fit to maximize the space. Containers not only keep your things contained, but they can also keep them fresh. Do you look for crackers or chips to eat only to find that they weren’t sealed properly and now they are stale and you have to throw them away? This happened in our house until I started putting them in clear plastic containers that seal. Now they stay fresher longer. You can also keep chip clips clipped (say that three times) to the shelf which comes in handy when you open a new bag. Most of the time our bread is in the freezer, but sometimes it will end up in a basket on the shelf with the tortillas. If you don’t have an area to put up shelving like this, try going through your cabinets and declutter. You just might find the extra space you are looking for.

2. Glass Canning Jars

Another effective way I have learned to organize my pantry and save space is with clear glass canning jars of different shapes and sizes. They work great because you can see how much is left in them, so I know when I need to go to the store to replenish my food items. I use them for flour, sugar, chocolate chips, oatmeal, baking soda, baking powder, nuts, popcorn-you get the idea. I even have smaller jars for spices that I can stack to save even more space. It is easy to toss (not literally) in the dishwasher when they are empty. Be sure that they are completely dry before putting your dry goods back in. You can use the canning jars to keep food fresh longer, like flour and nuts, in the freezer as well.

For those who go who want to take organizing a step further, get a label maker. I may be weird, but using a label maker brings me joy! I label most of my jars which comes in handy so you don’t confuse the baking powder and the baking soda. I would also recommend purchasing the plastic lids for basic jars, instead of the two-piece metal ones, because of the convenience and because they do not rust.

3. Keep like items together

As you can see, I have more than one location for my food. That is okay. It works because they are areas in the kitchen that make sense to me and as much as possible, I store like items together to make them simple to find. For example, I put my spices and oils together in one area, and I have dry baking goods together in the same cabinet. Same with my rice, quinoa, and oats. Snacks stay together on the shelf I have already mentioned. That way my family can easily find where the snacks are or if they want to cook something, they are less likely to say, “Mom, where is the…?”

If you have bulky or duplicate items from big box stores like Costco, they generally go best in cabinets that you don’t have to get into as often.

Trust me when your food pantry areas are organized, you save time when you can easily find where things are located. Making your grocery list isn’t as much of a chore and, you just might like to cook more. Use your creativity to find ways you can utilize a location to store the food in your home.