Staying Home Due to the Coronavirus? Here are Tips for Stocking Up
Are you staying home because of the coronavirus? When spending more time at home, it’s essential to stock up your pantry to ensure you have healthy meals and snacks on hand. Here’s how to stock up your fridge and pantry to limit the number of times you have to leave the house!
Next time you’re at the store, pick out foods that are packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and immune-supporting compounds! Here’s a list of foods that you don’t want to forget to grab at the store on your next food run:
Fresh Fruits & Vegetables: For many people, stocking up on non-perishables is their priority when stocking up, but it’s essential to eat fresh, nutrient-dense foods as well. Produce with a longer shelf life is a good place to start, like bananas, apples, citrus, potatoes, carrots, onions and winter squash because you and your family can enjoy them longer between shopping trips.
If you are craving fresh fruits and vegetables but don’t want to leave the house, look into fresh produce delivery services! For those in the Bay Area, we recommend Sigona’s Home Deliveries. (Full disclosure, Sigona’s Home Deliveries is owned and run by the same parent company as Fruit For Thought.)
Frozen Fruits & Vegetables: Frozen fruits and vegetables are a great alternative to fresh produce because they contain all the same nutrients, but last much longer. Throw frozen fruits in smoothies or make sorbet for a healthy dessert! Frozen vegetables are easy to throw into a mid-week stir fry or to heat up as aside.
Dried Fruits & Vegetables: Fruit For Thought dried fruit is a great snack option because unlike many alternatives, our products have no added sugar, preservatives, or anything fake. It’s premium-quality fruit and nuts brought to you in a simple snacking form with plenty of nutrients. To mix it up, try dried fruit on top of cereal, oatmeal, smoothie bowls, and yogurt. Don’t forget to try them in baked goods!
Pantry: Canned food keeps longer and offers a wide variety of meal options. Some foods that are especially convenient are beans, diced or whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste!
Proteins: When purchasing in bulk, freezing is the best way to keep meat fresh. Freezing meats extends the shelf life for up to four months and makes it easy to plan protein-packed meals. For those who don’t eat meat, canned beans such as chickpeas, lentils, and black beans are good sources of protein. Cheese is also packed with protein and stores well in the refrigerator!
Grains and Carbs: You can’t forget about grains and carbs when stocking up! Pasta makes a great base for a variety of dishes and keeps well in the pantry, as well as grains such as rice, farro, quinoa, and barley which make fantastic sides! Bread can be stored in the freezer for months and taken out as needed. If you like spending your afternoons indoors baking treats or your own bread, you’ll also want to stock up on an assortment of flours such as whole-grain, almond and bread flour.
Dairy and Eggs: Dairy items and eggs are likely the most troublesome items to keep both stocked and fresh. When at the store look for the products with the longest expiration date. The easiest way to tell if milk has spoiled is by checking for a change of consistency such as chunky or lumpy texture which tells you the dairy has gone bad. Milk will also develop a sour smell when it’s gone bad.
Before heading to the store for your next grocery run, we recommend evaluating your kitchen and pantry first to see what may be expiring or if any items are low or out to build your list (and avoid a second trip later for any missed essentials). Get to the store early, practice social distancing, and make sure to grab something fresh!