Tips for safe grocery shopping:
-Consider having your groceries delivered especially if you are in a high-risk group for getting this virus. Most grocery stores are offering this service in addition to Amazon, Whole Foods and Thrive Market.
-Plan your grocery order a week in advance, as there is a high demand on home delivery services right now.
-Take advantage of ‘Senior Shopping Hours” if you are a senior and especially if you have underlying health issues.
-DO NOT SHOP IF YOU FEEL SICK send someone else to the store for you.
-Limit your trips to the grocery store to once per week. Limit the number of people from your household to 1 person per trip. This minimizes traffic in the grocery store and overall exposure to possible virus contacts.
-Stock up on shelf staples that can easily become a weeknight meal with the addition of a few fresh items. Check out this link for more suggestions on what to have on hand: https://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/articles/quarantine-grocery-list-recommended-by-nutritionists
-Consider choosing fresh vegetables that have a longer shelf/ridge life. Celery, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, mushrooms, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, potatoes, garlic and ginger all will last longer than some of the other veggies choices.
-Sanitize your cart with sanitizing wipes including the handle and ANY place on the cart that you are going to touch with your hands. Wearing gloves and masks to shop are optional but are encouraged.
-Touch as little as possible in the store. Decide what you want before you pick it up.
-Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer once you leave the store.
-Unload your grocery bags outside your home or if inside choose a designated spot in your kitchen – as you are unloading wipe down any packaged food with antibacterial wipes and set in “sanitized’ area. Soak all vegetables and fruit in soapy water, rinse and let air-dry. After you are finished unloading, wipe down ALL surfaces in your kitchen that you touched with food or your hands. REWASH your hands with soap and water.
_DO NOT OVERBUY!!! Generally speaking grocery stores are restocking their shelves all day (and night). Buy what you need for a week at a time with a few extra freezer and pantry items and allow for others to do the same.
Cooking During the Pandemic
Ingredient Swaps
With demands for certain foods items are creating shortages in our grocery stores we are being called to be creative in our everyday cooking. If you are missing certain ingredients for a specific recipe, consider using a swap that you may already have in your fridge or pantry. For more information on ingredient swaps, check out this link
https://www.buzzfeed.com/melissaharrison/quarantine-food-cheat-sheets-charts
Meal Planning and Prepping
With kids, parents and partners now eating 3 meals a day at home, stocking the fridge and pantry, planning and prepping meals can be a lifesaver!!
Pick 3 or 4 family friendly recipes (plan on eating leftovers) and pick one day a week to meal prep. Consider slow-cookers or instant-pots as great ways to save time when making meals. Here are a few meal prep recipes and tips to get you started:
Links:
https://tasty.co/recipe/garlic-herb-shrimp-and-spaghetti-squash
https://www.eatingwell.com/article/290751/how-to-meal-prep-a-week-of-healthy-family-dinners-on-sunday/
https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/meal-prep-recipes/
If you need Gluten-Free INSTANT POT recipes check these out:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/harperhendrickson/super-tasty-gluten-free-recipes-you-can-ma
-Grill extra chicken, beef, and fish to use in sandwiches, soups and wraps
-Wash and cut up veggies and have them handy and grab-ready in the fridge where the kids can see them and reach them.
-Buy clean versions of hummus and guacamole and use them as ‘dips’ for veggies
-Cook big batches of rice, quinoa, pasta, potatoes and have as sides with chili, stews, grilled meats or to add to soups.
Alternate Sources of Protein
Consider other forms of non-animal protein like lentils, beans, peas, edamame, seeds, nuts, nut butter, millet, buckwheat, and oatmeal for a few meals per week. This will provide adequate sources of protein in times when animal protein may be harder to find. Check out this link for alternate sources of protein:
https://www.sprint2thetable.com/50-sources-of-plant-based-protein/
Don’t Waste Food
Food is expensive and should not be wasted. If you find yourself with foods that are about to go bad or are near their expiration date there are creative ways to use them up:
Overripe Bananas?? Peel, cut and freeze for use in a smoothie
Wrinkly Tomatoes?? Wash, cut and sauté garlic and olive oil for quick pasta sauce
Overripe Fruit?? Wrap in store-bought pie dough with a sprinkle of sugar and cinnamon and bake in over for rustic pie.
Wilted Herbs?? Freeze wilted herbs in olive oil in ice cube trays and add to sauces and soups for extra flavor.
Leftover veggies?? Warm in skillet and add eggs and cheese to make a quick frittata.
Mushy Berries?? Cook in saucepan with lemon juice, sugar and water to make a fruity spread for toast or to top ice cream
Check out this link for more ideas on how not to waste Perishable Foods:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/melissaharrison/what-to-do-with-produce-food-about-to-go-bad
Exercise:
Many of us are removed from our normal gym/class/workout routines. This is not an excuse to backburner staying in shape and preserving our fitness during this pandemic. Here are a few suggestions to staying motivated and in shape during these challenging times and get your kids involved:
Buy a few pieces of equipment that you think you will use the most.
Take advantage of all of the FREE workouts that are currently available online. There are options for YOGA, HIIT, PILATES and BARRE. This is a great opportunity to make time for yourself and to maybe try something that you haven’t tried before. Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day.
Check out these CorePower, P Volve , The Fhitting Room, The Sculpt Society and Barre 3 for some at home ideas.
Consider doing a partner workout with a friend over Face Time or Zoom.
Experiment with some of the free fitness apps on your phone. Many of these require little to no equipment and can be done right in your home.
Check out many workouts that free to Amazon Prime members.
TAKE A WALK!!! Its free and only requires a comfortable
Go outside and play with your kids!!! Toss a ball around in your yard, play jump rope or corn hole or draw chalk games on your driveway.
Wishing you all the best! Stay safe and well.
