Keeping a pantry inventory can help save you money and plan for upcoming dinners. Learn how to do a kitchen inventory to keep track of what you have on hand, and grab my free printable pantry inventory checklist now!
It’s that time again – dinner time. The kids are demanding sustenance, your spouse is getting cranky, and you’re a little on the hangry side yourself.
You open up the pantry door and peer inside, only to become overwhelmed by the sheer number of cans, jars, and multiple varieties of cupcake sprinkles spilling out. What kind of culinary Twilight Zone is this?
So you decide it’s safer for everyone just to order pizza. And all those perfectly good cans of vegetables and fruits remain for another day.
Sound familiar? If you have a serious case of pantry avoidance, you’re not alone. There have been many times when I’ve opted for takeout over digging through my kitchen for dinner ingredients. And while it’s nice to get a break from cooking now and again, eating out too often can greatly impact your wallet.
I’ve recently committed to using more of what we already have in our kitchen and freezers, and I made a pantry inventory sheet and a freezer inventory checklist so that I know exactly what we do and don’t need to purchase at the grocery store. And I’m going to share my process with you!
And once you’re done conquering your pantry organization, head over to check out How to Declutter Your Kitchen Counters!
*This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click a link and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Read my full terms of use for more info.
What is a Kitchen Inventory?
A kitchen inventory is when you take stock of all the food items you have in your pantry and kitchen cupboards. You can use my free printable template to write down the name and number of each type of food so that you know exactly what you have on hand.
A kitchen inventory sheet allows you to create a list of foods in different kitchen areas – the pantry, freezer, fridge, and kitchen staples that might have a permanent home on your counter. You may be surprised to find out that you actually have a few cans of green beans, even though they’re on this week’s grocery list!
Why Should I Keep a Pantry Inventory List?
If you have a smaller pantry
I’ve found that a pantry inventory list is beneficial if you have a smaller pantry that tends to quickly get cluttered with food. Items tend to get jumbled more easily, and it’s helpful to create a list of what you have since you can’t see everything without moving things out of the way.
Helps eliminate waste
I’ll confess that I buy A LOT of items when they’re on sale. It’s a great way to save on everyday foods, especially if our local grocery store is having a Buy One Get One Free! It’s not unheard of for me to purchase 10+ bags of riced cauliflower if they’re having a good deal. I mean, who wouldn’t?
But that also means I must pay close attention to when those foods expire. Otherwise, I’m just throwing money into the trash can, which ends up costing our family money. A pantry inventory sheet helps me track what goes in and out and helps our family use what we have instead of wasting food.
Help with meal planning
Keeping track of your pantry inventory also helps tremendously with meal planning. If you’re one of those people who can look in a fully stocked pantry and STILL order takeout, this post is for you!
*You can grab my free printable meal planners and list of dinner ideas HERE!
A pantry inventory sheet can help you generate ideas for what to cook with what you already have on hand. That way, you can quickly create a meal plan for the week without spending extra money.
How to Start a Pantry Inventory
Here’s how to start your own pantry inventory list…
Step 1 – Print out the free printable pantry inventory template
If you like having a physical piece of paper to write on, then you can grab my FREE Pantry Inventory List Template at the end of this post!
After you print out your pantry inventory printable, I recommend laminating it (This is my favorite laminator that I absolutely love!). If you laminate the sheet, you can write on it with a wet or dry-erase marker and use it repeatedly. Then, hang it on your fridge or pantry door to easily track what’s in your kitchen.
Step 2 – Take everything out of the pantry
Now that you’ve printed your pantry inventory sheet, it’s time to begin emptying everything out of your pantry so that you know what you have.
After removing all the items from your cupboards and pantry, wipe down the shelves, floor, and walls. It’s nice to be able to put everything back into a clean space!
Step 3 – Group similar pantry items together
As you’re taking things out of your pantry and cupboards, group similar items together. I like to organize different food groups together, so I have separate shelves in my pantry for:
- Canned and jarred goods – vegetables, beans, fruit, jams, preserves, peanut butter, pickles
- Baking ingredients – flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda
- Carbohydrates – pasta, rice, oats, tortillas, breads
- Breakfast foods – granola, cereals, toaster pastries, protein bars
- Snack items – potato chips, trail mix, nuts, fruit snacks, cookies
- Fresh foods that keep well in cool, dark places – potatoes, onions, apples
- Bottled water & juices – I keep these on the bottom shelf in my pantry
Sorting by category makes it easier to see how much of each thing you have, so you can give each type of food enough space when you put everything back.
Step 4 – Throw away expired foods
We all have that can of beans in the back of our pantry that’s almost as old as our middle child, so don’t feel bad if you have to throw away some expired goods.
One of the goals for creating your own pantry inventory list is to eliminate food waste, so this hopefully won’t happen (as much) from now on!
Now that you can see everything that was in your pantry and kitchen cupboards, you can finally pitch those expired or unwanted items you bought for that one recipe everyone HATED and you’re never going to make again.
Step 5 – Place items back in the pantry as you’re filling in the pantry inventory list
Write down every item on your pantry inventory sheet as you put it back into your pantry and kitchen cabinets.
In order to make sure that you’re using each item before it goes bad, remember the common restaurant hack when restocking your pantry – FIFO!
As my freezer inventory post mentioned, FIFO stands for “First in, First out.” It means that you place the food that will expire first in front of items with later expiration dates. By doing this, you’re making sure that the items in the front get used first before they go bad.
How to Use the Free Printable Pantry Inventory Template
Step 1 – Print and laminate the list
I strongly suggest purchasing this laminator that I use for ALL my different household printables (like this list of meal ideas!).
If a laminator isn’t in your budget right now, not to worry! You can take your pantry inventory template to FedEx Kinko’s or any office supply store, and they can laminate it for you.
Step 2 – Write down the items in your pantry
Once you’ve printed and laminated your pantry inventory sheet, write down everything that’s in your kitchen with a dry-erase marker. I like using these ultra-fine tip dry-erase markers because they write smaller and more defined.
As you’re putting food back in your pantry and kitchen cabinets, mark the circles under the “Quantity” column so you know how many of each item you have.
Step 3 – Hang the pantry inventory list on the pantry door and update as needed
There’s a reason for the saying, “Out of sight, out of mind,” so make sure that you hang your pantry inventory list on your fridge or pantry door. That way, it’s easy to access and update as your kitchen inventory changes.
Step 4 – Update quantities of pantry items as needed
Now comes the challenging part – sticking with your new routine!
When you take something out of your pantry, erase one of the marks on your kitchen inventory sheet so that it accurately reflects what’s left. When you purchase groceries, color the circles to track the items you add to your kitchen.
It’s that easy!
Gone are the days of buying new cans of corn when you already have five in the cupboard. It’s a whole new world now!
Free Printable Pantry Inventory PDF
I’ve got 2 different pantry inventory list PDFs that you can choose from… one version for printing and filling in by hand with a dry erase pen, and a second fillable version that you can type in to add your own pantry staples.
Just click the links below for the PDF that you want, and feel free to send me an email if you need help!
Fillable Pantry Inventory Template to Type In
If you want to type your own list of pantry staples into the sheet, then download this version of the template. *You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to use the fillable feature, but you can download it for free online. Let me know if you need help!
Here’s what the fillable version looks like with some of your pantry staples typed into the PDF:
Get the Fillable Pantry Inventory PDF to Type In HERE!
Regular Pantry Inventory Checklist to Write in By Hand
Prefer to write in the PDF by hand using an ultra-fine tip dry erase marker? This version is for you!
Get the Regular Pantry Inventory PDF HERE!
Other Kitchen Organization Ideas to Help You
Free Printable Freezer Inventory Template – After you get done with your pantry, why not go ahead and organize your freezer next?! Use this printable freezer inventory (that matches the pantry checklist!).
Build a Master Grocery List with this Printable Template! – Learn how to make your own master grocery list to make grocery shopping each week even easier! Download the master grocery list template and type your own kitchen staples into the PDF!
Kitchen Cleaning Checklist for Daily, Weekly, and Deep Cleaning – Grab these free printable kitchen cleaning checklists to make sure your newly organized pantry and freezer stay nice and tidy! Great to keep track of daily and weekly cleaning jobs in the kitchen!
I hope that you liked this simple pantry organization system! Leave a comment for me if you use the inventory sheet, and let me know what you think!
And don’t forget to PIN this post for later:
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