Coronavirus Quarantine:
Food Staples to Stock
other than Rice and Beans.
With Coronavirus spreading more everyday, you may be finding you and your family quarantining. It is definitely a scary time for all of us and none of us know what the future is going to look like. Stocking food staples during quarantine is important and a lot of our population are not able to find those large bags of rice and beans that everyone goes to first. So what are other ideas to keep you pantry filled and still on a budget?
Our BurgerFit team, including our Founder, Alane Boyd, and our Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, Stephanie Zarling put together these ideas that may help you keep your family fed through these tough times. Stephanie also put together tips for eating healthy during this time!
Food Staples During Quarantine
If you can’t find beans….get lentils. They are comparable to beans in texture and nutritional value and can easily take their place in dishes like tacos, stews and vegetarian burgers.
If you can’t find rice….get quinoa. Quinoa has fewer carbs and calories compared to quinoa but double the protein! Its neutral flavor makes it a great substitution for rice in dishes like stir fry, soups and breakfast bowls.
If you can’t find milk…get boxed almond milk or canned coconut milk. We know it’s not the same when you’re drinking it straight, but it can be a great substitute for cows milk in baking, mac and cheese/pasta, and in smoothies.
If you can’t find refined white or wheat flour…get coconut, cassava or almond flour. Again, it’s not a perfect substitute for white or wheat flour, but you can still make a lot of same things you would normally if you going into it knowing it won’t have the exact taste as you’re used to.
If you can’t find white or wheat pasta…get chickpea or lentil pasta. We honestly like it just as much as regular pasta! It tastes pretty much the same once you have your sauce and other ingredients mixed in but it generally has more protein and less carbs! Try this recipe for Butternut Squash and Lime Lentil Pasta from BurgerFit CEO, Alane!
If you can’t find peanut butter…get almond butter. Or any other nut butter you can find! Works just the same as regular ol’ peanut butter.
See what else we recommend below!
Other Ideas for Grocery Shopping
Dried/Canned Foods
- Jerky or meat snacks
- Quinoa
- Coffee & Tea
- Diced Tomatoes
- Boxed Broth
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Mustard
- Coconut oil/Olive oil
- Lentils
- Can/Cartons of Coconut Milk or other nondairy milk
- Dried Coconut Flakes
- Chia Seeds
- Cocoa Powder
- Pasta Alternatives – chickpea pasta, lentil pasta
Spices
- Garlic
- Cinnamon
- Cumin
- Salt & Pepper
- Basil
- Thyme
- Cayenne
- Curry Powder
Extras
Fresh Foods
- Zucchini
- Eggs
- Onions
- Potatoes
- Apples
- Oranges
- Bananas
- Radishes
- Carrots
- Greens
- Bell Peppers
- Butternut Squash
- Ground Beef
- Whole Chicken
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Tips from Stephanie, Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
About Stephanie Zarling, FMCHC
Stephanie put together her top tips from a health coaching perspective on food staples during quarantine and eating healthy while being quarantined/isolated. She pursued her lifelong passion of health and wellness and became a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach (FMCHC) in February 2020. She is currently the Marketing Director for BurgerFit and enjoys incorporating her knowledge of health and nutrition into her everyday work.
Maintain normalcy as much as possible/create a daily schedule to follow
Being home 24/7 may not be the norm for you and your family. However, work to create a sense of normalcy as much as possible.
- Create a routine for everyone to follow.
- Wake up at the same time that you normally do.
- Have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at normal times.
- Encourage children to continue doing their chores.
- Limit TV and electronic device time.
- Set aside time for education, exercise, quiet time and playtime. You can find an idea for a quick and easy activity to do with your children here.
- Once the day to day things are taken care of, focus on creating quality family time.
- Try to avoid gravitating towards TV or electronic devices when at all possible.
Fight for your mental health and healthy stress levels
It can really easy to become discouraged over what is going on. Do not give yourself over to fear. Do whatever possible to maintain a good headspace during this time. Here are some ideas:
- Get your news updates for the day and then put the computer away and turn off the TV.
- Set aside time for meditation, deep breathing and yoga.
- FaceTime a friend and ask them to continue to check on you.
- Write and mail cards for those in nursing homes to encourage them.
- Journal, pray, make music and art.
- Lean into any and all practices that have worked for you before.
Eat whole foods for every meal and drink lots of water
- Drinking lots of water will help flush toxins out of your body and keep you hydrated. There are some great apps out there that can help you keep track of how much you’re drinking and can be fun too! Some of our favorites are Daily Water Tracker Reminder, Drink Water: Drinking Reminder, and My Water – Daily Water Tracker.
- Vegetables and fruit have the necessary vitamins and minerals that your body needs to stay healthy.
- If eating veggies is hard for you or your family, we have some recipes that are perfect for turning veggie-haters into veggie-lovers! Check them out here!
Be Mindful Of What You’re Buying at the Grocery Store
It will be easier to fall into the temptation to snack more while you’re just at home for a long period of time with not much to do.
- Swap out the chips, pretzels and individually package snacks at the grocery store with food staples during quarantine such as apples, oranges, carrots, and celery and nuts.
- If you are feeling hungry or stressed, fuel your body with something that will satiate you – not something that will trigger to just continue eating.
We want to be mindful of what we’re buying during this time when we might be able to find our usuals at the grocery store and we’re not out shopping as much.
