How to Stock and Store Dry Goods, Canned Goods, and Condiments

Adopt these organizational strategies so your pantry is always stocked with the foods you use most often.

• Keep a running grocery list of what you need. Post it in the kitchen so it's handy to write down items as they run low.
• Think ahead about which meals you will be cooking the following week. Prepare a menu and add any ingredients you will need to your list.
• Watch newspaper ads and inserts for weekly specials and manufacturer coupons so you can shop and save money at the same time.
• Plan your shopping trip when the market isn't overcrowded. This will allow you plenty of time to read nutritional labels and seek out new foods to try.
• Purchase in small quantities so your food is always fresh.
• Consider purchasing shortcut items, such as a rotisserie chicken, frozen meatballs, and pizza shells, that can shave time off your meal preparation.
• When you return from shopping, take time to clean out your cupboards and refrigerator. Dispose of any dated items.

• Don't leave ingredients such as flour and brown sugar in their original packaging. Transfer them to see-through containers that will keep ingredients fresh and help you easily identify the contents.
• Store canned foods and other shelf-stable items in a cool, dry place. Never put them above the stove, under the sink, or in a damp garage or basement.
• Place similar ingredients within close proximity of each other. Store all the dry ingredients together. Store canned goods, such as chicken broth and tomatoes, together as well.