Have you taken stock of your kitchen pantry lately? Knowing where your “go to” items are and having a system to re-stock will make grocery shopping and meal planning easier.

Getting your pantry organized is easier than you think. Here are four easy steps to follow. Now let’s get motivated!

Empty and Categorize: An important first step is to get everything out of your pantry so you can see what you have and start sorting. Separate the contents into 4 categories:

• Items you use every day
• Items you use less frequently
• Unopened items that can be donated to a food pantry
• Expired or suspicious items to trash

Clean the Shelves: Now that the pantry is empty, take the time to vacuum any crumbs off the shelves; then, wash each one and let dry before reloading. If you need to buy containers to organize some of your smaller items, this is the time to do it. The Container Store and Target are great places to shop.

Restock Wisely: Refill your pantry in zones. Begin by arranging baking items such as flour, sugar, baking soda, etc.) in one section, breakfast items in another. Keep heavy items on the bottom shelf, and the stuff you reach for every day—lunch ingredients, coffee, cereals, pet food—at eye level.

Invest in a stepstool: Keep it handy in the pantry, if you have room, or nearby to make reaching high shelves easy.