3 Simple Steps to Spring Cleaning Your Pantry

Spring is the time for fresh starts. Organize the garage, donate that bag of ill-fitting clothes, dust the basement—and clean out your pantry! We want to help guide you through decluttering carb-heavy items and restocking with number-conscious, low-carb essentials that will set you up for springtime success.

Carbonaut to the rescue! Mission <not> impossible!

The less you have to think or stress about what to eat, the more you can enjoy your meals and reap the benefits of sticking to your low carb plan. In fact, research shows that taking the time to plan and prepare your food is consistently associated with better food variety, diet quality, and improved body composition.¹

And? Meal planning and food preparation is made easier with a clean, organized, and freshly stocked low carb pantry.

Here are three simple steps plus meal ready inspiration to help you automate your healthy food choices this season.

Step 1: Clear the Clutter

The first step to spring cleaning your pantry is to clear the clutter. This means removing pantry items that you don’t intend to eat. Most of us don’t have extra space to store miscellaneous food, and it can be shocking how much space is taken up with unwanted foodstuffs! With nothing but good intentions, we inadvertently add items throughout the year than never get eaten, and it can be especially difficult to hold on to high net carb foods that are not in this spring’s meal plan.

Here’s what you want to look for when clearing that pantry clutter:

• Sauces, dressings, and condiments that may contain hidden carbs, sneaky sugars, and unwanted starches
• Expired or stale pantry staples (fresh is best!)
• High-carb impulse buys that don’t align with a low-carb lifestyle

We would never encourage anyone to throw out food. But if the food taking up valuable real estate in your pantry is not what you ideally want to be putting into your body, then we do recommend you give it away to others who can use it.

Donate to your local food bank, gift to neighbors, make meals for friends and drop off for a sweet little karmic bump.

Step 2: Assemble the Staples

Once the clutter is cleared and your have more space, begin to rebuild your pantry with staple items you regularly use. Having the basics always readily available is essential to keeping your meals macro friendly and universally low net carb.

Here’s what you need:

Low Carb Staples Made Easy with Carbonaut:

• Carbonaut Low Carb Breads – A satisfying, number-conscious swap for traditional loaves
• Carbonaut Tortillas – Soft, flexible, and perfect for any low carb meal
• Carbonaut Bagels – A classic comfort with a better-for-you twist
• Carbonaut Baking Mixes – Great for when you want to bake from scratch, without the carb load

Proteins & Pantry Friendly Fats:

• Carbonaut Wheat-Based Breads, Tortillas & Bagels – with plant-based protein to help keep you fueled.

• Nuts – Great for snacking or adding crunch to meals
• Nut Butters – Deliciously creamy and full of healthy fats
• Healthy Oils – Like avocado, olive, and MCT for cooking or drizzling
• Full-Fat Coconut Cream & Milk – Perfect for sauces, smoothies, or baking
• Unsweetened Coconut Flakes & Shreds – A pantry staple for texture and flavor

Stable Low-Carb Snacks (For Home or On the Go):

• Seeds – Sunflower, pumpkin, chia, and more for a quick hit of healthy fats and crunch
• Nuts – A naturally low-carb option that satisfies salty cravings
• Low-Carb Granola – Try Carbonaut’s crunchy blends for a fiber-packed, number-conscious snack or topping
• Low-Carb Protein Bars – Great when you’re in a pinch and need lasting energy
• Carbonaut Baking Mixes – Whip up muffins, pancakes, or muffins that work with your goals

Smart Swaps for Everyday Use (That Make a Big Difference):

• Carbonaut Low-Carb Tortillas – Your go-to for sandwiches, wraps, quesadillas, or even crispy chips
• High-Fiber Pasta Alternatives – Think konjac noodles or lentil pasta for a lower-carb twist on classic dishes
• Sugar-Free Maple Syrup – All the cozy sweetness, none of the sugar spike
• Stevia – A natural, carb-free sweetener for drinks, baking, or anything in between
• Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips – A perfect addition to low-carb cookies or trail mix
• Powdered Peanut Butter – A lighter way to add peanut flavor to smoothies, sauces, or baking

Step 3: Stay Stocked & Organized

The third and final step to spring cleaning your pantry involves consistency and attention. Food and food preparation is such an important part of our lives, and we spend a lot of time planning, prepping, and consuming. It only makes sense to focus our attention on making food practices easy, healthy, and as automated as possible to keep ourselves on track.

Here are our recommendations:

• Label and categorize for easy meal prep
• Keep shelves clean and organized
• Replace what you use as soon as you can
• Practice FIFO (first in, first out)

Take pride in your pantry! Remember that your relationship to your food is important, for both mental and physical health alike.²

Meal Inspiration

Lastly, we want to give you some quick and easy ideas for keeping up your low carb aspirations. Again, the trick is to have planning, preparation, and complete meals and snacks ready to go so the process remains smooth and consistent.

Ready to moon over our yummy food ideas? Here are a few suggestions to get started:

5 grab-and-go breakfast ideas

• Low Carb Breakfast Muffins
• Prepared eggs (or plant-based equivalent), precooked veggies, and low carb tortillas
• Low carb toast and nut butter
• Low Carb French Toast Muffins
• Blueberry Scones

5 simple low-carb lunch and dinner winners

• Low carb berry chia jam sandwiches
• Low Carb Enchiladas
• Crispy Cauliflower Tacos
• Fajita Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
• Keto Avocado Toast

5 sweet and savory snacks that satisfy without the carbs

• Keto Energy Balls
• Low Carb granola
• Triple Chocolate Energy Bites
• 2.5g Net Carb Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Sweet & Salty Trail Mix

Did we miss something? Let us know what you think should be added to our lists!  

Also, feel free to share your favorite low carb pantry finds or show off your own spring-cleaned pantry. We want to see what you’ve done to spring into this stellar season of low carb success.

Learn more by signing up for our monthly newsletter at the bottom of this page and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for all the low carb inspiration.

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1. Ducrot, P., Méjean, C., Aroumougame, V., Ibanez, G., Allès, B., Kesse-Guyot, E., Hercberg, S., & Péneau, S. (2017). Meal planning is associated with food variety, diet quality and body weight status in a large sample of French adults. The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 14(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-017-0461-7 ↩︎
2. Bremner, J. D., Moazzami, K., Wittbrodt, M. T., Nye, J. A., Lima, B. B., Gillespie, C. F., Rapaport, M. H., Pearce, B. D., Shah, A. J., & Vaccarino, V. (2020). Diet, Stress and Mental Health. Nutrients, 12(8), 2428. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082428 ↩︎