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7+ Ways to Organize Food Storage Containers and Tupperware

Learn how to organize food storage containers the easy way to cut down on clutter and to keep your Tupperware cabinet neat and tidy.

Organized food storage containers in a kitchen cabinet

One of the areas in the kitchen that can be hardest to organize are the food storage containers. There are so many pieces, we never seem to have the same number of containers as lids, and they can quickly become a cluttered mess.

Since organizing our Tupperware or food storage containers can be a bit of a challenge, I thought I’d do a quick video today to show how we keep them neat and uncluttered in our kitchen.

How to Organize Food Storage Containers and Tupperware Step-by-Step

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

We keep all of our food storage containers in the left side of the cabinet that’s next to the stove…

a clean and organized kitchen

Our lower cabinets have slide out shelves, which make getting to our containers and lids really easy:

top view of food storage containers on a pull out shelf with a basket full of lids

1. Take all the containers out of the cabinet

Before we can begin organizing tupperware, we need to take everything out. Now is the best time to wipe out the cabinet and even add some pretty cabinet liner.

2. Declutter and throw away.

Next, sort of the containers. Make sure each bowl has a lid that fits correctly. If there are mismatches, toss them. If you’d like to repurpose them rather than throwing them out, you could use them to sort small items in a playroom or hardware in a garage.


tupperware storage tips

My biggest tip for organizing food storage containers is to use all the same type or at least ones that can nest easily inside of one another. This makes them less unruly within the cabinet, and it’s easier to match up the lids to the bottoms and find exactly what you need. (We recently moved to these glass containers from Pyrex after having plastic for a while, and I really like how they’re holding up.)

all of the food storage containers stacked nicely on a pull out shelf next to the lids in a basket

3. Corral the lids and stack.

Having containers from the same set also helps make them very stackable in the refrigerator so that our leftovers stay neat and tidy!

front view of storage containers filled with leftovers in the refrigerator

Once I had my food containers stacked neatly, I then grabbed a little bin to corral all of the lids by type. This keeps them from floating all over the cabinet and making a mess, and it’s easy to see what we have so we can easily grab the right one when we’re putting food away.

We try to move through leftovers pretty quickly at our house, so we don’t have a ton at any one time. This has ended up being just the right amount of containers for us.

As I mentioned when I organized the kids’ dishes— less is more! It’s easy to keep the containers organized when you don’t have a zillion of them competing for space and cluttering up the cabinet.

top view showing lids organized in a bin

7 More Ideas for Storing Tupperware

Our pull out shelf has worked great for the amount of containers we have, but I know different solutions may be needed for other kitchen setups or container types. Here are a few additional ideas that may come in handy!

Tupperware Lid Organizers

This is a great little gadget if the cabinet is a little taller and wider. There are adjustable pieces that can be moved to accommodate all sizes.

This lid organizer for food storage containers will help keep your kitchen cabinet or drawer neat and tidy.

Dividers

For kitchen that has deep cabinets, these dividers are great to keep the clutter to a minimum but still have all of the containers together.

Keep Tupperware containers from getting messy in the cabinet with this handy divider.

Attach the Lids to the Containers

Some food storage container brands carry sets that have a locking feature that keeps the lids with the containers. This is perfect to keep them all together, but depending on quantity, it may be a pain to take all of these in and out.

If you prefer to store the storage container with its lid, this set could be perfect for you.

Pull Out Shelving

I love that our cabinet has the pull out shelf. We can always see everything, and nothing gets placed in the back and forgotten.

While not all cabinets have these features, there are pull out racks that are budget friendly and fairly easy to install.

If your kitchen doesn’t currently include slide-out shelves to help organize your food storage containers, you can add your own with this handy kit.

Lazy Susan Organizer

This set of food storage containers comes with a a carousel designed to fit them perfectly. If you like the Lazy Susan option and these specific containers would work for your needs, this system may be the best for you.

Learn more about this food storage container/carousel system right here.

Peg Board System

For those who have tons of Tupperware, the peg board storage system can work wonders! The pegs can be easily be moved to accommodate different sizes. It’s also great for families who have a larger stash of containers.

Use this adjustable peg board system to divide up deep drawers or use it on a shelf or in a cabinet as well.

Baskets

For tight spaces, under the shelf baskets and the kind that hang on the inside of the cabinet doors can be a big space saver. These are mainly used for the lids, but can really help to maximize space.

Add storage to the back of your cabinet doors with these adhesive bins.

Organizing Tupperware: Final Thoughts

Organizing Tupperware can be tricky, but it’s not impossible! I hope one of the systems we shared in this post will help you keep your food storage containers neat and tidy in your kitchen.

Food Storage Container Organization: Frequently Asked Questions

We only keep enough on hand for a few leftovers, which we go through pretty quickly. A good rule of thumb is to have about a week’s worth of storage containers. Then stay on top of eating leftovers and keeping the fridge cleaned out. This ensures there are always containers in the cabinet and you won’t feel like you need to purchase more.

Anytime we lose lids, the containers become cracked, warped, or deeply scratched, we toss them. We also made the decision to switch to glass Pyrex dishes, which was the best choice! Now we won’t have to replace them nearly as often and they are very durable.

Want to come back to this post later? Be sure to pin the image below so you can find it easily!

How to Organize Tupperware

[Psssttt… Organize every room of your house with our 100 best home organization tips!]

I’d love to hear your best tips and tricks for organizing food storage containers– be sure to leave them in the comments!

Happy Organizing!

Abby Lawson, Just a Girl and Her Blog

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

16 Comments

    1. justagirlabby says:

      Thanks so much, Ellen! <3

      ~Abby =)

  1. Kelly Howard says:

    Sooooo….when do you start selling the perfect organization tools?! You are such a blessing..you know that, right?

    1. justagirlabby says:

      Lol! That would be amazing! Thanks so much for the encouragement, Kelly! You’re the sweetest! Hope you’re having a fabulous week! <3

      ~Abby =)

  2. Amanda @ The Modern Nest says:

    Yes! I love Pyrex! I’m a huge believer in glass storage containers over plastic. They are not only healthier (they don’t leach), but the weight helps them stack so much better! We also use the number of containers we have left as a gauge of when we need to cook…if we don’t have a lot of clean containers available then we know we need to focus on eating food in the fridge rather than cooking.

    1. justagirlabby says:

      That is a great system, Amanda! Thanks so much for sharing! I agree… glass has worked so much better for us than plastic! Hope you’re having a wonderful week!

      ~Abby =)

  3. Hey Abby! Really like your idea to switch from plastic to glass containers. I love my Tupperware, but don’t like that it’s not dishwasher safe. My kitchen doesn’t have the cool pull-out shelves like yours (Not yet, anyway!). Instead, I put all my containers on large cookie sheets inside the cabinet. That way, I can still slide it out and have access to everything in the cabinet.

    1. justagirlabby says:

      LOVE that solution… such a good idea! Thanks for sharing and have a great evening! <3

      ~Abby =)

  4. very helpful,thank you!

  5. Hey Abby! Thanks so much for the fun videos on organization. I do LOVE watching the videos on reader questions too!! I’ve gotten a lot of great ideas that we use from your blog and videos! Keep up the great, encouraging work!! Oh, and your colors are so cheerful and happy too! ?

    1. justagirlabby says:

      Yay! So glad they have been helpful for you, Amy! Love to hear that! Hope you’re having an awesome week! <3

      ~Abby =)

  6. Hi Abby, I just started to collect glass containers like you have. But even with the Tupperware, I am the worst at keeping my food storage organized. I only have room in my pantry. Wish I had more cabinets.

  7. This is such a smart way to organize. I am changing the way I store mine…today!

    1. justagirlabby says:

      Yay! So glad this was helpful, Sally! Happy organizing! 🙂

      ~Abby =)

  8. Yes! These videos are helpful. Please make more … a lot more. 😀

    1. justagirlabby says:

      Yay! So glad it was helpful for you, Jean! That’s the plan… glad you’ll be following along! 🙂

      ~Abby =)

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