What I like to do a couple times a year is do a “pantry challenge”, where my husband and I have to eat everything we have in our pantry before we can go grocery shopping. This means using up the dried beans, the canned goods that are gathering dust, and the food that you may have purchased but don’t know what to do with.
This re-sets your brain. So much of the time that we go grocery shopping, we are getting the timeless classics that we eat over and over again, letting the rejected cans get pushed further and further to the back of the closet. Why is that can in there in the first place? Did you buy it for a recipe that didn’t end up happening? Did someone give it to you with good intentions? Give it a little thought – maybe you need to actually try that recipe, or remember why your friend thought that you would like it. Google is a fantastic resource for ingredient use.
So go through your pantry. Pull out EVERYTHING.
EVERY. SINGLE. ITEM.
Now, make two piles.
1. The items you use all the time and will definitely not expire before use. Those are the classics; your favourites.
2. The items that you don’t like, haven’t tried, are scared of etc.
First, check the “best before” dates and use your best judgement about whether or not you feel comfortable eating it. Anything that is past the point of no return, toss it. If something has “expired” in your pantry, it is a sign that you should probably never buy it again, as it gets forgotten or passed over time and again.
If there are still items from category 2 that haven’t expired – check them out! Maybe it hasn’t been used yet because it is an unfamiliar ingredient to you. Do your research and see what you can make out of it!
You could potentially find your new favourite food.
If it is something you truly aren’t going to eat, not in a million years, even if it is blended into something, donate it to the food bank! Just make sure it is not perishable, expired, or homemade. They usually have boxes at each grocery store accepting non-perishable food items. You can also post for free on Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace. I did this with a bag of opened rye flour, which had been purchased accidentally. I used it once to see what I could do with it, but didn’t have much success. And I had someone coming to pick it up within 20 minutes! Posting items online is a fantastic way to get rid of items quickly, as you don’t have to take the time to transport it, and you know that it is going directly to someone. If you get in the habit of checking your cupboards and fridge, and then making a list for grocery shopping it can really save you a lot of hassle at the store, because you know exactly what you have and don’t have in your kitchen. This can help cut down on the space your food items take up in your pantry, but it also help you create less food waste in the long run.
