The task of how to make food last or stretch while in quarantine is difficult because we are at home all day. In between working from home and homeschooling your kids, every so often boredom strikes. You find yourself heading to the refrigerator or pantry for a snack or a whole meal. Before you know it, all of the groceries bought that were meant to last a week are gone in a few days. Going to the supermarket used to be a one-time thing, now we find ourselves going two or three times a week. Some people are going every day. To eliminate this problem, Traffic Sales and Profit’s mastermind member Chef Nina has tips on how to stretch your meals during this COVID-19 pandemic.
How to Make Food Last or Stretch While in Quarantine
Ways people can stretch food during the pandemic
“I know everyone is in this ‘no carb’ eating situation, you may want to bulk up on that,” said Nina. Nina Bryant is an A-list chef who prepares top of the line meals for celebrities.
Bryant encourages folks out there to buy potatoes, red, white, or sweet. She also says that flour and yeast are excellent products. Those items are used for making fresh bread because the grocery stores are running out. Canned meats such as chicken and tuna are on Nina’s list along with crackers and canned tomatoes.
We encourage all of you to go back to the “old days” when it comes to grocery shopping. Crackers and canned meats brought us over back then, and they can do the same for us now.
“I grew up in DC, and my grandmother would have a food box delivered to her house with potatoes, peanut butter, canned tomatoes, and government cheese,” said Bryant. “We can take the same things from that box and incorporate them into today’s recipes for meals that will last,”
Bryant says purchasing all of those items can feed your family for a week while cutting down on trips to the grocery store. It also eliminates the cost of food delivery services, such as UberEats.
Tips on how to make nutritious meals
Adding healthy foods to your kids’ meals are highly recommended. Bryant says she went to the grocery store and was surprised to see the types of foods that were sold out. “When I finally decided to venture out of the house, I took a trip to Walmart and noticed all of the frozen meals and vegetables are sold out, but the fresh produce is fully stocked,” Bryant said. The award-winning chef encourages all parents to do the following
- Add fruits and vegetables to your kids’ meals. These include greens such as collards and mustards.
- Create a color wheel chart and have your child choose what color they want on their plate.
- Allow your kids to go outside in your backyard for playtime with bottled water.
- Tell your kids that the grocery stores are out of juice.
- If you can, make a ginger, lemon, and apple juice to build immunity.
- Add onions, peppers, and mushrooms to your meals for an immune booster.
Chef Bryant says that freezing your foods is essential to making them last more than a week. After you cook your greens, put them in a large zip lock bag back and place them in the freezer. Grab a sharpie and label each item.
Even though this a challenging time for all of us, we still have to maintain a sense of sanity. We also have to stay focused on our families. Going to the grocery 3-4 times a week is daunting, which is why these tips are beneficial when feeding your families. Make sure you continue to eat healthily and, most importantly, boost your immune system.
Has making food last been challenging for you?
