Annie Chun's Reveals 10 Useful Tips to Spring Clean the Pantry

LA PALMA, Calif., April 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate spring, Annie Chun's, leading maker of convenient, Pan-Asian foods, today announced 10 tips to help consumers de-clutter the kitchen and prepare for a season of healthy, mindful eating. The recommendations support the brand's mission to empower at-home cooks with the tools, resources and products they need to feel comfortable in the kitchen and well-equipped to make a great meal.  

"For years, Annie Chun's has been dedicated to taking the mystery out of Asian cooking with its easy-to-prepare meal solutions, which provide delicious alternatives to traditional take-out," said John Han, head of corporate marketing and planning for Annie Chun's. "By providing tips and tricks for spring cleaning the pantry, we hope to enable people everywhere to become more comfortable in their own kitchens and help them select the right ingredients to get on a path to eating better."

While it's important to maintain a well-stocked and well-organized pantry year-round, Annie Chun's advises consumers to take advantage of annual "spring cleaning" with the following easy steps:

1. Remove all items from your pantry. Reassess all of the food and supplies you have accumulated, and clear your shelves of unhealthy, overly processed foods. This keeps the pantry free of temptation while making space for more wholesome options.
2. Identify "pantry staples" and always keep them stocked. Convenient, shelf-stable foods that deliver on flavor—like Annie Chun's Kung Pao and Pad Thai Noodle Bowls (SRP $4.19)—will help ensure you never go hungry and provide simple meal options that can be ready in minutes.
3. Check "best by" dates. Discard anything that may have expired or items that you hardly use which are nearing their expiration date in order to cut down on clutter. Pay attention to oils, nuts, grains and seeds which can go rancid over time.
4. Wipe down surfaces. Before re-stocking, be sure to wipe down shelving with a food-safe, gentle cleanser to eliminate any dirt, germs, etc.
5. Consider accessibility. For pantries with deep shelves, reorganize your products so that taller items are in back, and smaller items are in front, making it easy to see what you have.
6. Group "like" items together to ensure quick access when you need them.
7. Label and date things. For any non-packaged goods or foods that aren't shelf-stable, be sure to label and date them appropriately.
8. Employ the use of airtight containers. Air-tight containers will maintain your food at peak freshness for as long as possible, lessening the chance of spoilage.
9. Keep healthier, packaged snacks at eye-level. When better-for-you snacks—like nuts, dried fruit, and whole grain crackers—are right before your eyes, you're more likely to favor them in place of something unhealthy. For a savory or spicy option, try Annie Chun's Roasted Seaweed Snacks in Wasabi and Sesame (SRP $1.69/.35oz.).
10. Keep a pen and paper nearby to keep track of your supplies so that you don't risk running out of anything you might need.

Annie Chun's products—including its Roasted Seaweed Snacks and Noodle Bowls—are made from the highest quality ingredients, with no trans-fats or MSG. They are available nationwide at a variety of gourmet, natural and mass-market grocers, including Whole Foods, Safeway, Kroger, SuperTarget and others.

To learn more about the fun of Asian cooking or convenient meal solutions, please visit www.AnnieChun.com.

About Annie Chun's
Annie Chun's is the leading producer of gourmet Pan-Asian foods dedicated to providing consumers with simple, convenient meal solutions that help take the mystery out of Asian cooking and inspire consumers to become confident in the kitchen. In 2005, Annie Chun's forged a strategic partnership with CJ, a world-class food company with expertise in Asian foods, bringing authentic flavors and the finest ingredients together so that at-home cooks can give their families the best. The complete line of innovative, premium goods provide a variety of vegan, vegetarian, organic and gluten-free options, offering choices for consumers with dietary restrictions or preferences. Annie Chun's noodles, sauces, soups, seaweed snacks, potstickers, wontons and rice are available nationwide in gourmet, natural and mass market grocers such as Kroger, Safeway, Whole Foods, Giant Foods, King Soopers, Fred Meyer, Kroger, Meijer, Publix, SuperTarget, Mollie Stone's, Gelson's, Fairway Market and many others coast to coast. Visit www.AnnieChun.com for more information.

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SOURCE Annie Chun's