When your pantry is well organized and stocked with healthy, useful items, cooking becomes a whole lot easier.  There are certain key items you should always have on hand in your pantry, so that when you're in a bind and the fridge is looking a little empty, you're still able to whip up something yummy.

It's also a great idea to clean out the unhealthy junk that's cluttering your cabinets.  It's time to make room for the good stuff!

Cleaning Out the Junk

1.  First step in this process is to take everything out of your cabinets and spread them on your counter.  Check expiration dates and discard anything that is past it's prime.  Make a note of those items to replace them next time you're at the store.

2.  The next step is to take a look at what you have and decide whether it is in line with your new way of living.  Those bags of sugar cookie mix, cornbread mix, high sodium soups, sugary cereals, the half used bag of marshmallows from this past summers amores and anything else in this category need to get tossed.  If they haven't been opened and are well before their expiration date, then bag them up and bring them to a food pantry.

You'll also want to check your spice cabinet and assess if your spices are being stored in a good place or not.  Spices should not be stored next to high heat, like your oven, and very commonly I see spices being kept right next to the oven.  Find a new place for them, and keep your most used spices up front so they're in easy reach.

3.  After this, you'll put everything back in your pantry in an organized fashion.  You'll see at the end of this post just what I mean by this, but before doing so, make sure you have the following essentials in your pantry before getting everything back into their rightful place.

Pantry Staples for Quick Meals + Recipes

When you're in a pinch and need a quick dinner, having a well stocked pantry is key.  Here are a few ideas to use when you're hungry and want something quick (and don't require any serious cooking skills!):

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• Have a can of tuna and white beans in the pantry to make a quick tuna nicoise with some greens, grape tomatoes and a quick vinaigrette made from 1 TBS olive oil and the juice of 1 lemon, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. 
• Stock jars of marinara sauce in the pantry along with your favorite frozen meatballs and a box of frozen brown rice for a quick dinner.
• Burrito bowls are so easy.  Layer 1 pound cooked ground turkey or shredded chicken seasoned with taco seasoning in a baking dish, followed by a can of rinsed and drained black beans, a can of sliced black olives, a can of chopped green chiles and some dairy free shredded cheese.  Bake in the oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted, then top with fresh pico de gallo, GF taco sauce and guacamole (Whole Foods makes a delicious guac).  Set the baking dish on the table and let people spoon it out themselves to make their burrito bowls with brown rice or shredded lettuce.

Now take a look at my full list of pantry staples below: