The Big Mistake Most People Make When Restocking Their Pantry

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A fully stocked pantry doesn't only ensure that you'll have what you need for special occasion treats like cookies and cakes, it can also be a weeknight dinner saver. If a protein expires before its time, or you simply forgot something at the shops, you can still whip up easy recipes with reliable items like dried pasta, canned tomatoes, tinned fish, and the stars from your spice rack. But, shelf stable as they are, none of those things last forever, and you do need to keep them in rotation to avoid unforeseen pantry catastrophes.

The first in, first out (FIFO) stocking system used at the grocery store is also a useful technique for keeping your own goods current. And it's pretty self-explanatory: Use older items before breaking into new ones. This is crucial at the supermarket, where identical bunches of things like spinach come in at a constant rotation, requiring that older greens move to the front of the produce case as newer ones are arranged behind. And the same principle, even if it's as simple as finishing one cereal box before you move onto the next, will keep your pantry as fresh as one can be.

You can keep your pantry organized for relative freshness with as little as a Sharpie. Things like a reverse grocery shopping list or efficiently grocery shopping like a New Yorker can help you avoid buying too many duplicates to begin with, but occasional sales might leave you with a backlog of certain snacks or canned goods. So when the price on those mixed nuts or DOP tomatoes does drop, write the purchase date right on the label, and arrange a line that brings older ones to the front. This also creates the incidental perk of a tidier cabinet.

You can also invest in first in, first out pantry systems, should that better inspire you to maintain the practice at times when just hastily packing everything away can be tempting. Amazon has oodles of options in the FIFO category, including this Utopia Kitchen storage rack organizer. Or, you can go the DIY route and use a cheap office organizer to improve your pantry storage and keep things in rotation like duck in a row.