Guide and advice for healthy eating during "autonomous quarantine"

Guide and advice for healthy eating during "autonomous quarantine"

Chances are you've had to make some adjustments in the past few weeks. Work at home, educate children at home and keep away from friends and family ... even by learning which stores are most likely to still have toilet paper!

Add to that the almost constant flow of painful news and it can get overwhelming, quickly. With so much of our daily life turned upside down, nutrition seems to be the last thing to prioritize.

Unfortunately, this unique period in which we are all seems to be more of a marathon than a sprint.

This means that personal care, including food, must remain at the forefront of our planning. Eating well is the foundation of many things that are particularly important now. In fact, stress, sleep and our immune system depend on it.

This guide will provide you with useful advice throughout our journey through these times. From food safety advice to access to local resources to food stress, we're here to help!

1. Avoid food poisoning

The name of the game here is to stay home and stay healthy. This plan will quickly be rejected if you go to the emergency room with food poisoning. So before we get into our lightest tips, let's first get rid of the heavy stuff. Food safety is always important, but perhaps never more than during a quarantine.

Meat - When defrosting meat, it is best to do it in the refrigerator or in cold water. Placing it on the counter to thaw increases the possibility that it will thaw too much, allowing bacteria to grow. If you've never used this meat thermometer in your utensil drawer, it's time to dust it off! Chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees F and pork / beef to 145 degrees F. If you can't find your thermometer, make sure all the pink is gone from the middle, all the juice is clear.

 

Produce - Anything moldy, viscous, smelly ... sorry, but it must be thrown away. In general, try to use your fresh products before other foods to reduce waste.

Canned items - Most canned foods are good to eat for a while. However, there is a caveat: boxes with bumps can have small holes and should be avoided.

Expired Labels - Here's where you need to put your reflection caps. Food should be carefully examined, using all of your senses. Anything that seems out - mold, weird colors, weird textures - it's probably time to throw it out. But being demanding here can also pay off, as many things can be safely consumed far beyond their expiration date. The best practice is not to take a chance when you have doubts.

Takeout / Leftovers - Many people still order food, trying to support local restaurants. When food arrives, it must be transferred to your own plates and all containers are discarded. Wash your hands thoroughly after this step. Everything you don't eat should go straight to the fridge; it should be safe to eat for the next two to three days. Keep all of these Home-Ec food safety lessons in mind! Keep separate cutting boards for meat and vegetables, for example. Be careful while cooking - no taste for the cook with the same spoon!

Following this advice religiously may seem like an exaggeration, but remember - you are doing your part! Staying at home and preventing people who can be quarantined with you from getting sick is the main goal.

2. Fight insane eating

One of the things people like to do when they are bored is to eat. You are likely to be more sedentary than usual, broadcasting movies and watching Netflix. The afternoon snack while doing these activities is rooted in many of us. Stress will only increase this urge. We are not going to say deprive you of treats and delicious food - quite the contrary, really, because it could add to the stress!

Just have a plan to keep healthy snacks like go-to, as well as a plan to manage stress. Here are some proven techniques that will help combat this feeling of nervous quarantine:

Stay active: find an exercise video to stream online.
Journal your feelings - If nothing else, having a record of your quarantine days will be a great time capsule fodder!

 

• Play —Children, pets, games… now is the time to enjoy activities that might have been a “waste of time” before.
• Create - art, music, conversation (virtually, of course). Boredom has proven to be a creativity booster.
• Meditate - If you don't know where to start, search your app store - there are tons of options to get you started.
• Take a walk - If your surroundings allow it, take a (socially distant) walk around the block.
• While it may seem like everyone and their mom are doing practical things, like cleaning and organizing, don't feel like you have to follow along. It's great if you do some of these things too, but remember that quarantine is not a competition. And keeping stress levels low will keep you from running to the kitchen.

3. Meal planning

Typically, people plan their meals to prevent amenities from going beyond health and fitness goals. Planning meals during quarantine serves a slightly different purpose. Here, the name of the game quantifies the food you have, the food you need and the best way to use it. This will limit the groceries you need to keep you at home where you belong, in addition to being efficient.

Start with a quick inventory of the foods you have. Highlight the foods that will be the first to go bad.

• Pro tip: freeze anything that can be frozen - vegetables should be cooked first. Fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, and quick-spoilers should make up the majority of your first meals.
• Make a table with all the meals you will eat in the next two weeks. Most people find it easier to eat similar things at the start of the day. Then, when dinner takes place, you can have variations.
• Review the recipes you want to try. You are at home all day, so why not, right? Try to keep the meals as balanced as possible and include the main food groups. Consider making large batch recipes like soups and casseroles that can stretch for a few days or be frozen.

4. Change Your Quarantine Mindset

It can be difficult not to consider self-quarantine as a form of deprivation.

But what if you took this time and saw it as an opportunity rather than a challenge? Most people have pantries stuffed with food that is overlooked for their typical meals. Now is your chance to “sweep your pantry in the supermarket”!

There are several great apps to help you create recipes from what you have on hand. Supercook is a good one, and it's even free! Satisfaction can come from improbable places, like finally using this bag of dried green peas!

5. Accept good rather than good

This is an important point, so listen. People who have followed a strict diet or eating lifestyles are probably struggling now. It can be difficult to give up the diet you are following. Especially if you've been working on it for a while and you count on its success as a source of accomplishment.

Many diets like keto and paleo require frequent trips to the market for fresh ingredients. In other words, we don't have that luxury now. The obsession with your inability to stick to the diet of your choice is undoubtedly stressful. But there is little we can do at the moment.

Giving up the need for perfection will go a long way in maintaining your mental health. Giving yourself some leeway by forgiving yourself for indulging in prohibited foods is a start. We all live in a new normal - just remember that it won't be like this forever! And you have to get out of it with your sanity intact.

6. Know your community resources

So far we have written from the point of view which assumes that you can easily access food. However, we also know that many people are currently experiencing financial difficulties. Ordering groceries for delivery and calling out orders can add up quickly. Social media and news websites, in particular, provide a vital link to those who are nutritionally isolated.

If this sounds like you, take a look at churches, pantries, markets, even local restaurants. If they don't have specific information published online, a quick call can connect you to those who do. There is no reason to be ashamed of needing help.

People come together when things get difficult. For this reason, many people are ready to lend a hand (virtual)! Stay safe, stay sane and stay outside, friends!