The coronavirus lockdown is making people look at their pantry and fridge more as they try to stock up food. With this, nutritionists are encouraging people to cook, plan meals, and eat together because it’s healthier.

Most of us find ourselves asking, what is the food that we should stock up to limit our trips to the grocery? What should we do to ensure that we are eating healthy at home? What are the things we can do to save more on food? These are just some of the questions that the expert chefs and nutritionists will answer. 

 

Cook Food by Batch

Cooking food every meal during the coronavirus lockdown isn’t feasible. First, it can be exhausting to cook meals every time the family gathers to the table and, second, you won’t be able to budget what you have. So, the answer is to start cooking batch meals. 

Author and the host of Bravo’s Top Chef, Padma Lakshmi, recommends that you pick a weekend to involve the whole family in cooking batches of different dishes for the week. It’s recommended to cook stewy meals that freeze well, such as green chili with beans. Lakshmi also recommends freezing vegetables and stacking up on concentrates and sauces. 

 

Stock Up on Masa and Canned Tomatoes

According to Hugo Ortega, the chef and owner of the Backstreet Cafe, masa harina or blue-corn masa are one of the most versatile ingredients that you stock up in your pantry. He also recommends to stock up on canned cherry tomatoes, which are more flavorful than the usual canned tomatoes. 

For the masa harani, these are ground and nixtamalized corn flour, which, when mixed with water and formed into little balls, you have ready to cook pasta. Just stretch it with your palms and then cook it with meat, cheese, and vegetables. 

 

Olive Oil, Canned Tuna, Eggs, and Chicken Broth

These are another set of basics that chefs recommend that you stock up in your pantry. Olive oil and canned tuna because these are essentials when creating variations of pasta sauces. These are essentials, especially that the lockdown will require you to avoid any surprise cooking and meals. 

Eggs are also fantastic because, first, it has a long fridge lifespan and, second, you can make an omelet with anything you have in your fridge. Also, boxed chicken broth can be a lifesaver, especially in making soup. 

 

Don’t Forget Your Snacks

Prepare your snacks too, and include nuts, cheese, and pickles in your pantry stock. Also, don’t forget to add frozen pizza to your grocery list. You can also swap your snacks with protein smoothies, add avocado, yogurt, and protein powder, and you’ve got a healthy snack for the day. 

Also, if you’re bored with banana bread, then try doing energy balls. Roll dates, cashew nuts, and maca powder, and now you have a healthier snack to grab! Also, don’t forget that you can snack on your greens, too, such as kale or broccoli, eggs, and even sunflower seeds!

 

Plant Your Greens

Generally speaking, all the chefs and nutritionists recommend to plant your greens and add fresh food to your meals. Planting rosemary or tomato in your kitchen isn’t something new.

Most American homes during World War II had Victory Gardens. They had all the kind of greens you can plant and eat right in their backyard. 

 

And yes, we understand that you might want to stock up some sweets in your fridge or pantry. That’s okay. Add something sweet in your snacks or a reward your family with a cake as dessert on a Friday. Remember, it’s not a crime to indulge for a little bit.