5 Ways to Prepare Your Kitchen for an Easy Back-to-School Transition

With the start of each new school year comes a fresh start for kids — new teachers, new classmates, new curriculum, new clothes, and new routines. This time of year can also be a fresh start for your kitchen. Tackle these tasks before school begins to make the shift from summer easier on everyone.

1. Purge your pantry, freezer, and fridge.

The first step to organizing your kitchen should be assessing what's already in your pantry, fridge, and freezer. Tackling one at a time, remove everything inside, putting it all on your kitchen table or counter, and toss anything that's expired. Wipe down the shelves. Then start putting everything back inside, category by category. You'll get an idea of how to make your shopping list based on what you're almost out of as well any items you have too much of.

2. Stock up on food staples.

Pantry essentials like oats, quinoa, pasta, jars of marinara, lentils, and canned beans can serve as the base of many meals, including school lunches. Use your freezer to store bags of ready-to-cook produce — like frozen mixed vegetables, spinach, green beans, peas, and cauliflower rice — to have fresh-tasting food on hand even during the most hectic weeks.

3. Maximize your space with storage.

A clear view of your fridge's contents will benefit you and your kids. You can use clear bins, drawer dividers, refrigerator shelf add-ons, and other organizational tools to set apart foods you access often. In addition, designate food storage containers for snacks your kids can help themselves to, in both the fridge and pantry.

4. Gather their lunchbox gear.

Misplacing any of the Tupperware, Thermoses, resealable bags, and water bottles that go into their lunchbox can majorly throw off your morning routine. Group together their food storage containers, as well as any disposable goods (like paper napkins and plastic wrap), that often accompany their lunches to ensure fast-paced packing.

5. Stick it to the fridge.

Take advantage of your fridge's central place in the kitchen to display your family's schedules, your weekly menu, and more. You can update a monthly calendar magnet month to month, while a magnetic meal planning notepad will answer the perennial question of what's for dinner.