As we are going through the second wave of the covid 19 pandemics, which causing lockdowns all over the world. Along with many challenges healthy eating or healthy diet during the coronavirus pandemic has its many challenges.
During a stay at home, with the family, we often purchase more comfort foods and snacks, especially when we feel anxiety due to the stress of the quarantine situation. As published on US health news on May 4th, 2020.
Table of Contents
Plan Creativity
According to Leanne Bolton, who is a counselor and registered dietitian nutritionist at USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute. To cope with the situation we should do the planning and need to be creative, we can sustain healthy diet habits and could be able to stretch our food budgets.
“I have read many articles and memes about the quarantine. Said Bolton, everyone is stuck at home due to pandemic, people are gaining extra pounds that can cause obesity which is not good for their health and they did not intend to.
For avoiding constant gazing we should create a schedule for snacks and meals. Everything should be on time such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner, do not wait until you are hungry, you should also determine what to eat as snacks, not just go into the kitchen and pick up a box of cookies or crackers. She said
Include Protein
While making a schedule you should include a source of protein with all meals. It can be plant-based or meat-based, Protein is very important for your immune system to fight back the infection.
Add Fruits and Vegetables
Include a variety of vegetables and colorful fruits, try to get fresh ones, and avoid all canned or prepackaged things just because they last longer, they never take place of fresh things.
Add Dry Items
Add dry items also which are a very good source of different type of nutritions, add dried peas, dried beans and other grains of various types, she said, we have learned many things from Hurricanes how to buy shelf-stable foods, but this pandemic can last longer than a hurricane.
Buy a Variety of Foods for Quarantine
Purchase a different variety of foods such as
- frozen, fresh, dried, and Canned, this will help you to limit the number of visits to the market or grocery stores.
- Citrus fruits, cabbage, apples, and banana can last for more than a week if purchased fresh.
- Other fruits like barries that expire very quickly should purchase frozen.
- While bread can be purchased frozen or fresh according to your need.
Be open and go outside of your comfort zone when you go to a market or grocery store it may not have exactly what you need, you should anticipate that, she said. You also can choose a keto diet plan to reduce the extra pounds that you gain during a pandemic quarantine.
Tips to Reduce Time at a Store
She gave some tips to reduce the time spent in the store such as;
- Keep a running list
- Checklist before going to store
- Try to order online
- Creat list by the department to decrease the time in the store
Save Money
Many people and workers have lost their job due to COVID-19 which pose many financial problems for families, to save and stretch grocery money she suggests to add mushrooms as a protein source instead of meat in meat dishes to save it for a later meal, you can add mushroom in many meat dishes such as spaghetti and many others. she said,
- Instead of buying fresh herbs spend a little more money on a plant itself which will give you benefits all season long
- You can use olive oil in place of butter and can serve as a salad dressing
- In breakfast serve Greek yogurt with fruit and sour cream on many savory dishes
- Do not buy pe packaged popcorn, buy it as whole grain, that is cheaper than popcorn itself
Conclusion
It is an opportunity to broaden your cooking skills, because families are spending most of their time at home, Start with learning how to boil an egg. You can do different experiments in the kitchen to make healthy and tasty foods. Do daily Exercise, which keeps your self active and healthy
