Grocery shopping during the Coronavirus outbreak can be stressful, but there are simple strategies you can use to limit your trips to the grocery store without sacrificing the quality of your diet. Stock piling food is not necessary or recommended, but grabbing some healthy, budget-friendly staples is a smart way to make sure you always have healthy options on hand.
5 ways to optimize your grocery shopping during the outbreak:
1) Pick your produce: Some fruits and veggies have a longer shelf life than others. Carrots, onions, garlic, potatoes, squash, apples and citrus can all last weeks and some even months. Store them uncut and unwashed in the pantry or fridge.
2) Upgrade your canned goods: There are more to canned goods than pasta in sugary tomato sauce. Rather than shop for canned meals loaded with salt and sugar, look for canned ingredients that you can cook with like diced tomatoes, black beans or chickpeas.
3) The joy of jars: Everyone thinks of canned food, but don’t forget about jars! Vegetables like marinated artichoke or roasted red peppers are easily found in jars and make excellent additions to soups, stews and salads. Plus, they cut down on prep time and add a ton of flavour to your dishes.
4) Fresh, frozen food: When you’re shopping in the freezer section, forego the fast food and head for the produce. Did you know that frozen fruits and vegetables are as nutritious as fresh ones? Frozen edamame makes for an easy, healthy snack, and frozen produce like butternut squash comes peeled and chopped, saving you prep time in the kitchen.
5) Rethink your shopping: Contribute to the solution by sending one person in the household to do the grocery shopping for everyone. Many grocery stores also offer regional delivery for a small fee and/or with a minimum order.
Eating well is central to health, for body and mind. Choose nourishing foods to support your immune system and stay healthy and resilient in a time of stress.
Written by: NDC Nutrition at Work