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Pantry-Power: Back-to-School Organizing Tips

Class is in session! Use these helpful hacks to get your pantry in order for healthy meals, after-school snacks & more.

It’s official: The school year is here and you’re likely already getting into the swing of things, from busy mornings to afternoon soccer practice and late-night homework sessions. Before the fall routine really heats up, use these essential pantry organization tips to streamline healthy meal prep, keep the family well-fed, and maybe even get your kids packing their own lunches (hey, a parent can dream).

1. UNPACK & ASSESS

Before your pantry can spark joy, you have to see what you’re working with—and that means pulling everything out. Check expiration dates and take a good look at the unexpired items that have been languishing in the back—sometimes they’ll provide inspiration for new meal ideas, and sometimes they’ll be good candidates for donation to the food bank.

2. SORT & LABEL

Once everything is out of your pantry, group like-minded ingredients together—shelf-stable seafood, beans, grains, pasta, canned vegetables, sauces, oils, spices, snacks, baking supplies, cereals and so on—and keep in mind how many shelves you’re working with. Once you’ve figured out where each category will live, create shelf labels so that anyone restocking knows exactly where everything goes (and so little kitchen helpers can find ingredients, too).

3. MAXIMIZE YOUR SPACE

Shelf risers are your friends! Optimize your storage capacity by adding them anywhere there’s extra height. This works particularly well in zones where cans or spices are all roughly the same height.

4. STANDARDIZE YOUR CONTAINERS

Find clear, uniform, stackable containers to house any dry goods you restock frequently, putting the healthy options front and center so you reach for them more: brown rice, dried beans, popcorn, whole wheat flour, cereal, that bow tie pasta your kid loves. It will make storage easier—and make the pantry look neater in the process.

5. STOCK THE SAUCES

Every good pantry needs the dry goods, but it’s the sauces that really bring the glitz and glamour—and make the meal come together. Think marinara for pasta, teriyaki for stir fries, chicken or vegetable stock for a spur-of-the-moment soup, salad dressings, enchilada sauce and shelf-stable salsa, pre-made curry, even a flavored olive oil. With the addition of a whole grain and some key vegetables and proteins, you can whip up a family dinner in minutes.

Our newest seafood packets ingeniously bring the sauce to you by combining our savory tuna and salmon with crowd-pleasing flavors like McCormick’s Lemon Garlic and Thai Kitchen’s Sweet Red Chili. Try adding Lemon Garlic Tuna to fettucine, or combining Sweet & Spicy Tuna with instant ramen for a robust, protein-packed meal. 

6. CREATE A DEDICATED KID ZONE

Keep all the healthy, ready-to-go snacks (like those Salmon and Tuna Packets!) in a prime location. This serves two purposes: One, kids will always know right where to go when they’re scrounging for food after school (and are less likely to treat you like a short order cook with their snack requests). And two, school lunch assembly goes much faster when all the add-ins are in one spot. 

Our favorite shelf-stable kid snacks include rice cakes—try them as a base for our Dill Tuna Salad Packet—roasted seaweed packs, popcorn, applesauce pouches, whole grain crackers (there are great high-protein options too), granola bars, freeze-dried or dried fruit, and nuts (check your school for any nut allergy policies before adding as a lunchbox snack). Be sure to choose a lower shelf so that kids can always help themselves. Plus, the easier it is for them to access, the more likely you’ll be able to enlist them in the lunch-packing process—and that’s what we call a real parenting win.

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Use our product locator to find the perfect salmon, tuna, crab or other seafood products from Chicken of the Sea.

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