While bored in the house, people have more time than ever to make bread, whip up coffee or try out pancake cereal. They can peruse Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok for recipe ideas.
But although creativity might be flourishing in the kitchen, there is stress, both financial and mental, that comes with preparing meals during the coronavirus epidemic.
Some experts say that seeing all the ways other people are eating healthy and losing weight may cause unnecessary pressure in an already stressful time period. On top of that, people who have suffered layoffs, furloughs and wage cuts may be looking to tighten their budgets, and creating healthy meals can be expensive if you dont know how to do it right.
To help make cooking fun again and less of a chore, we spoke with registered dietitian nutritionists from around the state to gather tips on how to eat healthy.
Meal prep
When people picture meal prepping, they often picture putting food in lots of little bento boxes, Anna Kathryn Littleton, a Morrison Healthcare dietitian at Mobile Infirmary, said. Or they think of making a big meal and eating it over and over again throughout the week. However, meal prepping doesnt have to be that way. For Littleton, its more about having a plan for your ingredients.
Littletons best advice is to write down what your options are. Take inventory of your pantry, your refrigerator and your freezer. Compare it to the ingredients you need for your recipes and then know exactly what you want to buy once you go to the grocery store. Also get ingredients that you can easily mix and match. For example, Littleton will make a big batch of brown rice and then use it in tacos and then as a side with salmon.
That way you don't get tired of the food that you make, Littleton said. If you make chicken and broccoli and rice and put it in six boxes to have for dinner every night, you're going to get exhausted of that meal, and you might turn to something different and be like, 'Oh, screw it, I've got mac and cheese in the cupboard. I'm going to do that instead.'
Since shes started meal planning, Littleton said shes found herself eating healthier while spending less money because she only buys what she needs. It also saves time and helps with stress.
Shop with a plan
By heading into the grocery store with a list (maybe one created while meal prepping), youre less likely to make impulse buys, Littleton said. Not only will that help keep you away from the chip aisle where something may catch your eye, but it will also help you from over buying.
People will go into the store with these big ambitions, and they'll buy a bunch of fresh fruits and vegetables and fresh meats and things, Littleton said. Waste is a huge thing, especially because fresh fruits and vegetables can go bad so quickly.
Knowing what you want will also help you get in and out faster, which is important during the pandemic, said Lindsey Jennings, who is also a Morrison Healthcare dietitian at Mobile Infirmary. Another good option is to order groceries online or utilize curbside pickup. They both reduce the chances of stumbling across a package of delicious-looking cookies as well as the amount of contact with other people. The internet can also help you shop around and find the cheapest prices for different items.
If you do go into the store, Jennings said it can be good to have a more general list. For example, if youve meal prepped and are making fish for dinner, it can help to write fish on your list instead of salmon. That way, if the store is out of salmon, you can buy a different fish instead of having to go around to different grocery stores looking for salmon.
Before the pandemic, Suzanne Henson, a registered dietitian nutritionist at the University of Alabama, did grocery tours. After looking at all the options, she determined The way that you eat can be as inexpensive or expensive as you make it. She said some companies have deals where you can mix and match 2.5 pound bags of frozen produce for $19.99.
I mean, that's a terrific amount of food for $20, Henson said.
Colorful plates
The more colors on your plate in your fruits and vegetables, the more nutrients you're going to be getting from (them), Jennings said.
However, incorporating fruits and vegetables into your diet can be expensive if youre only looking to buy fresh. Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables are good options if you make sure you buy the right type. Instead of going for the canned fruits with added sugar, buy the fruit that is canned in its own juice. Choose vegetables without added salt and the frozen vegetables that dont have sauces.
Another way to keep costs down, Jennings said, is to stay away from pre prepared fruits and vegetables, like the ones that are already cut and bagged for you. If you really want your carrots in their own, individual packets, buy a larger bag and place them into smaller baggies yourself. It may take some time, but it will save you money.
Its important to shop in-season, Henson said. It can get expensive buying out-of-season fruits and vegetables. In the summer, Henson goes to produce markets, which have lots of options. She will buy frozen produce in off-seasons, which are also helpful because they are easy to cook.
Season it yourself
One of the reasons people buy already prepared foods, which are more expensive and often less healthy, is because they arent comfortable seasoning foods themselves.
Jennings said shes one of those people who doesnt always know what to do for seasonings, so she and Littleton both suggest Mrs. Dashs salt-free seasonings. Theres a misconception that food needs a lot of salt to taste good, Littleton said, but these are very flavorful.
Littleton says the garlic herb seasoning is great for chicken and vegetables while the lemon pepper is good for fish. Jennings uses the Italian herb seasoning for potatoes, carrots and chicken. She also recommends Tony Chacheres seasonings if you want to add some spice.
In addition to salt-free seasonings, Henson has a few things she always keeps on hand. Red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, low-sodium soy sauce, ponzu sauce and citrus juices all pack a lot of flavor. Lemon and lime juice can be bought fresh or frozen.
Full freezers
Frozen produce is always a go-to because its so easy to prepare, Henson said. You just stick it in the microwave. But its also good to put the fresh foods you buy in the freezer. There might be a deal on a whole rotisserie chicken, but as one or two people, you cant eat all of it. So buy it, put it in freezer bags and stick it in the freezer to eat later. That way, you get the deal without wasting the food. Henson said there are also often good packages of frozen meats and fish that you can get for less money.
Freezing your food can also help you go for cheaper options, Jennings said. Meat thats closer to the expiration date is often cheaper. By buying it and freezing it, you dont have to worry about that approaching date. The same goes for produce. Get it in the freezer before it starts to wilt.
Try going meatless
Beans are fantastic, Henson said. Black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, which are so versatile.
Not only are they full of protein and fiber, but they often sell for about 80 cents. Theyre super easy to cook from scratch or from a can.
Finding meatless proteins are a good way to save, Jennings said. Meat is often one of the more expensive items on the grocery receipt, and prices are going up right now anyways. Besides cooking beans, you can also look up other meatless meals to try and save money.
Drink water
At work, you might have a cup or water bottle you drink out of periodically, but now were all out of our routines. Littleton said it can be easy to forget to drink water at home, and Henson said that, for those who have gone back to work, it can be hard to remember to drink when you constantly have a mask over your face.
Water is critical to your health, especially if youre on medication. If youre taking medicine you can become dehydrated more easily, and the medicines also work better if youre drinking water.
Water can also help keep you from overeating. Not only can it help you feel more full, but people also commonly mistake thirst for hunger or appetite, Henson said. Staying hydrated can also help prevent headaches and help you feel better overall.
Water's free, it's great for you, and we're made mostly up of water, Jennings said.
Do your own thing
While looking at food trends can be fun, it can also create unrealistic expectations about what being healthy means during this time.
Social media and other media outlets can provide unnecessary pressure to start potentially unrealistic health goals at this time, Sheena Gregg, a registered dietitian nutritionist at the University of Alabama said. Stay away from a restrictive mindset about what you should or shouldnt be eating other than making sure your diet is balanced and youre staying hydrated.
Littleton said no one needs to focus on hardcore weight loss at this time. Its important to stay mindful of what youre putting in your body while avoiding both extremes.
The definition of whats healthy differs from person to person, and it can even differ month to month for a one person, according to Henson. Dont compare others to yourself or yourself to others.
Go easy on yourself
If you want to have some ice cream at the end of the day, dont beat yourself up about it, Littleton said, especially if youve eaten healthy throughout the rest of the day.
Its not all about just eating green juice and kale, Littleton said. Its about balance.
Gregg said she tells her clients to practice grace with themselves when it comes to their food choices. People eat for a variety of reasons, such as for nourishment, celebration, social events and stress, and its important to recognize that.
If you do decide to treat yourself, it can help to take the time to savor it, Linda Knol, a registered dietitian nutritionist at the University of Alabama, said in a list of tips.
If you plan to indulge, slow down and enjoy the food, Knol wrote. Use all your senses. Note the texture, taste, appearance, and smell.
Recognize your reasons for eating
While cooking and eating can be a fun way to fill time, its important to realize if youre eating in response to stress.
Research shows that stress can lead to the desire to eat, especially to eat unhealthy foods, Knol said, but it also shows that it reduces our enjoyment of those foods. It can lead to a cycle of stress-related eating.
The COVID-19 pandemic certainly qualifies as a stressful time, Gregg said, and it would be very natural to utilize food from time to time to cope with our current situation.
Both Gregg and Knol recommend that you address the stress, which is the root of the problem. They provided a variety of suggestions. Gregg said you could reach out to friends and family for social connection, journal, do some light walking, or engage in a personal hobby that provides stress relief. Knol suggested finding different forms of rewards other than food. She also said to recognize the cues that lead to stress-eating, make it harder to indulge (put the chips in the pantry instead of leaving them out) and adjust expectations so that theres less stress to achieve them.
Check out these recipes and sites
Gregg: Myrecipes.com is a wonderful resource as it houses recipes from Cooking Light, Southern Living, Health Magazine, and Sunset. Users can also search for recipes based on nutritional needs if they are navigating a certain health condition that limits certain nutrients. Budgetbytes.com is also a great website for meal planning on a budget.
Henson: Diabetesfoodhub.org. The way that someone with diabetes should eat is the way that we should all eat, honestly, she said. Emeals.com is a subscription service that sends menus, recipes and an ingredient list that can be sent to a local grocery store to prepare for pickup. Holleygrainger.com and carolynwilliamsrd.com are two blogs that she often recommends. I know them personally, and I trust their recipes, and I know that their recipes always turn out beautifully, she said.
Jennings: Cookinglight.com, TheRealFoodRDs.com and skinnytaste.com are all good resources. Eatright.org is also a good place to go to for cooking advice.
Littleton: Im a big Pinterest person. I find a lot of inspiration on Pinterest, honestly. Thats where most of my quarantine meals have come from. Her favorite meal? Enchilada chili. To make it, she throws chicken and chicken stock in the crockpot. Then she adds the vegetables she would want in an enchilada, like black beans, chili beans, corn, peppers, some little green chilis, as well as whatever seasonings she feels like. She said she probably makes it differently every time. Then she turns the crockpot on and after three hours, she has a delicious meal that will feed her for days.
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How to take the mental and financial stress out of eating healthy - AL.com
