By Michelle Lau, Dietetic Intern
Reviewed by Alida Iacobellis MHSc RD
There’s no doubt you’ve already started to see the impact of COVID-19 on your day-to-day routines. Mundane activities of daily living such as grocery shopping and mealtimes all of a sudden require more thought and planning than normal. During these uncertain times when emotions are running high, the idea of needing to put more effort into these daily activities can feel really overwhelming.
Maybe you are someone who tends to lose their appetite when feelings of anxiety and fear become strong? If this is the case, you might be more likely to avoid heading out to get groceries, and even if you did have adequate food supply at home, it would be easy to skip meals altogether. Maybe you are someone who turns to food for comfort during difficult times? If so, being stuck at home with unlimited access to your fridge and pantry and not a whole lot else to do might result in an increase in boredom and emotional eating which can be accompanied by a wave of guilt and shame.
Neither of these scenarios are ideal, and both are completely normal given the current circumstances. To help you cope more effectively, we wanted to provide some straight-forward suggestions for how to stay safe and eat well during a pandemic. Not all suggestions will fit for all people, so please try to stay balanced around all-or-nothing thinking. Even if you are able to implement one suggestion, our hope is that you will be better nourished and have some peace of mind about your food choices and eating behaviours.
Plan your Meals
Meal planning is a great strategy all year round to help you eat well balanced meals and avoid food waste. This strategy can be especially helpful during a pandemic. Having a plan in place can help ease anxiety about running out of food and not knowing what your next meal might be. When putting your meal plan together, consider the following:
- Start by searching for some meal ideas that sound good to you, it’s ok to lean into comfort foods a little heavier than usual! If you would like some help with meal and snack inspiration, Cookspiration is a great online tool, and it’s free! It allows you to explore recipes by genre, including different cuisines and dietary restrictions, and it has a menu planning feature: https://www.cookspiration.com/
- Plan for 1-2 weeks at a time, this will help reduce how often you need to venture out to the grocery store.
- Plan for 3 meals plus at least a few snacks each day. You may not see the need to plan exactly what snacks you will have each day and might prefer to make a master snack list so you have some variety to choose from depending on how you feel each day.
- Plan balanced meals – aim to include a protein, a starch, and a vegetable at most meals. Canada’s Food Guide is a great resource for more information on this: https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/
- Plan meals and snacks that make use of ingredients that have a long shelf life – think canned, frozen, and dried foods. For more ideas, see our grocery shopping tips below.
- Once you have your week or two of meals and snacks planned out, it should be easy to put together a complete grocery list of what you need to make it happen.
Shop for Food
Even with social distancing measures in place, it is still considered safe to go out to get necessities, and this definitely includes groceries. Many grocery stores are limiting the number of people who can be in the store at one time so we are all able to shop safely. Just remember to wash your hands well before and after shopping.
If you are at increased risk due to existing health conditions, or don’t feel you are able to safely get out to the grocery store every week or two, please know that many grocery stores have delivery services available. To protect yourself and others during this pandemic, consider having your groceries delivered or use these local order/pick-up service.
To reduce the number of outings you need to make, it will be important to focus on freezer and pantry staples. Here are some things to consider when loading up your shopping cart.
- Fruits & Vegetables
- Canned
and frozen
- Canned or frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh produce, but last for much longer.
- When selecting canned fruits, look for options that are canned in juice instead of syrup
- When selecting canned vegetables, look for low sodium options. If these options are unavailable, you can choose the regular product and rinse the contents of the can under running water to reduce the sodium content.
- Dried
fruit
- Dried fruit such as raisins, dates, figs, prunes, mango etc. are a good source of fibre and antioxidants.
- Choose dried fruits without added sugar; these make a great snack.
- Fresh
produce
- When choosing fresh produce, try to plan ahead and purchase what you will actually need and be able to use up before it goes bad. If you end up over-purchasing, slice and freeze the food such that it can be used for baking or cooking in the future.
- Choose root vegetables such as beets, carrots, onion, yams, ginger. Root vegetables last for a few weeks, reducing the number of times you need to go grocery shopping.
- Proteins
- Canned
beans
- Beans such as chickpeas, lentils and kidneys beans are high in fiber, protein, magnesium, and potassium; all key nutrients in supporting our health.
- They are shelf-stable and a very budget-friendly protein option.
- Look for no-added-salt varieties to incorporate into your meals.
- Canned
fish
- Salmon, herring, sardines and tuna are all great sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 can help boost your mood and keeps your body and your brain healthy.
- Canned fish can be used as a salad topper, in a sandwich or eaten with crackers.
- Cheese
- Hard cheeses last longer than soft cheeses if stored properly. Hard cheeses include cheddar, parmesan, and asiago.
- Cheese is a good source of protein and calcium and can be incorporated into meals to add flavour such as in a sandwich, or on a salad or soup.
- Eggs
- Eggs are an easy source of protein and a good source of B12, iron, and choline. Many of these nutrients are only found in the yolk, so make sure you’re eating the whole egg.
- Refrigerated eggs will last about 4 weeks, perfect pandemic food!
- Grains
- Quinoa, steel cut oats, brown rice, whole grain pastas – nutritious whole grains which make a great side dish and can be kept as staples in your pantry
- Breads – opt for whole grain when available; to increase shelf life, freeze your bread and just pull out a few slices to defrost as needed
- Crackers – whole grain or seed-based crackers are nutritious snack options; pair them with cheese for a snack
- Recipe Ideas for Kitchen Staples
If some of the above ingredients are new to you, you may not be sure what to do with them! Check the links below for some ideas of what you can make with your pantry and freezer staples:
- Creative ways to use dried fruit
- Mixed Bean salad
- One-pot tuna and broccoli pasta
- Quinoa Greek Salad
- Vegetable stir fry with beef
- Lentil recipes
- A Note on Immune Boosting Foods
Despite what social media influencers might be telling you, you cannot boost your immune system through diet and no specific food, supplement or natural health product will prevent you from catching COVID-19. Proper hygiene (ie. thorough hand washing with soap and warm water) and social distancing is the only thing we know for sure can help reduce the risk of infection or spreading infection to others.
There are many nutrients that are involved with strong immune function, that’s why it’s important to eat a variety of foods each day including fruits, vegetables, meats, beans, fish, dairy and grains. Keeping yourself well hydrated (about 2-3 L per day) is also important.
Practice Food Safety
Based on the current science available, there is no evidence to suggest COVID-19 is a foodborne illness. Evidence does, however, show that the virus can be transmitted via contact with an infected person, surface or object such as food. Given the number of hands that come into contact with foods along the chain from producer to consumer, it is important to be practicing food safety measures, especially when consuming produce and fresh foods (ie. foods not protected by packaging). In addition to washing produce well before eating, you may also reduce your risk by opting for more fresh foods that have a peel so that you can remove the outer most layer of the food before eating, such as apples, oranges, bananas, potatoes etc. For more information on safe food handling, please see Health Canada’s recommendations: Produce Food Safety
Eat with Others (Virtually!)
Food is much more than the nutritious value it provides. Food is often shared as a way of socialization. While we many not be able to host dinner parties or brunches during this pandemic, let’s use technology to virtually connect with one another; host a zoom dinner party or Facetime a friend and eat meals together. Dining with others can help us to maintain our regular eating patterns and foster a sense of “normal” during this time. Virtual socialization will also decrease our sense of loneliness as we practice social distancing.
Manage Low Appetite
If you are really struggling with low appetite and skipping meals as a result, liquid calories can be easier to get down and can help you meet your body’s need for energy so that you can continue to support your immune system. Smoothies, juices and dairy are all great examples of foods that can be more approachable when you have little interest in eating. Remember that even though your body isn’t sending you hunger cues to tell you that you need to eat, it still needs to be fed.
Eating
Disorder Recovery in a Pandemic
Eating disorder recovery is tough at the best of times. With concerns about food availability, increased anxiety and lower mood and motivation as a response to all that you are dealing with, this can definitely be a triggering time for relapse. If you are struggling with an eating disorder, please consider the following:
- Keep your appointments with your care team if you are currently in treatment. Now more than ever you will need the support of your team and we are ready to help you!
- Don’t isolate. Eating disorders thrive in isolation, so try to act opposite to this urge and find ways to engage with others to help you stay on track with your recovery.
- Don’t be afraid to turn to convenience foods a this time if the thought of preparing a meal for yourself is too anxiety provoking. Prepared and frozen meals can be a good option to reduce the barriers to eating and increase the likelihood that you will get your meals in.
- Add structure to your day. Have a plan for things to do to keep you busy. Distractions can be helpful if you find having more access to your fridge and pantry is causing an increase in emotional eating.
- Add self-care to your routine. Even if you were doing this previously, you will likely need to up your self-care game to help you cope with the added challenges you are dealing with. Some ideas: get cozy with a good book, take a bath, play a game online (with friends?!), plan virtual coffee dates with others, pick up a hobby or craft project.
- Be kind to yourself. It might not feel possible to forge ahead with recovery goals at this time. There’s nothing wrong with focusing on maintenance of the progress you have already made. A little self-compassion will go a long way. You are doing the best that you can.
References
Advice for the general public about COVID-19. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dietitians.ca/News/2020/Advice-for-the-general-public-about-COVID-19
Cassetty, S., & Rd. (2020, March 15). Staying home due to the coronavirus? Here’s what to stock in your fridge and pantry. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/staying-home-due-coronavirus-here-s-what-stock-your-fridge-ncna1155791
There’s psychology behind the foods we don’t buy in a crisis. (2020, March 24). Retrieved from https://thecounter.org/panic-buying-food-covid-19-coronavirus/
Images
K15 Photos. (2018). Fruits and Vegetables. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/lgyFO6a9JTM.