Let’s be honest; we all panicked a little when this whole Covid-19 situation started. I confess that I am not very good at emergencies like these, but I have had to practice calm because everyone is going through the same experience at the moment. When I understood that I had to purchase for two weeks or more, I stopped to think for a second and said to myself, well, Doreen, you have to make a smart and healthy grocery shopping.
The first thing I got was protein-based foods. I filled my freezer with a whole chicken, chicken in pieces, boneless, and boneless.
If we are going to be at home, it is necessary to vary, so do not limit all your smart and healthy grocery shopping to the same cuts. So I also bought ground beef, pork, stew, and various pieces of pork loin.
With that, I thought about 3-4 versions of recipes in which I can make each one of them, I portioned them all according to the intended method and put them in the freezer.
Then I stocked up on side dishes like rice, pasta of various styles, quinoa, couscous, and frozen bread, and then ended up in the oven myself. Well, it is useless to buy fresh food that lasts 1-2 days if we should not be leaving the house.
From that, I went on to buy vegetables and roots that last a long time, as well as carrots, potatoes, taro (yautía), sweet squash, broccoli and broccolini, cauliflower, cucumber, zucchini, fresh corn, just a little arugula and spinach (they last a short time). I also bought unripe avocados, and five days after I started my quarantine, they are ripe.
In my smart and healthy grocery shopping for non-perishable items, I included canned beans. But yes, I purchased the lentils dry because those revive anyone, in a salad, in a good soup with chicken, vegetables, or even to make a hamburger.
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I bought tuna and sardines that are immensely healthy and work out even with some cookies. I added canned tomato for making sauces for pasta, spices, and dried herbs so that everything tastes different every day, natural chicken broth and coconut milk that is used for a smoothie, a soup or a sauce for chicken.
Cured products do not need refrigeration. In other words, the chorizo, salchichón, loin, and cured ham (Spanish style like Fermín) last for months and even out of the fridge. With them, you can make rice, a pasta, add them to flavor a soup, some scrambled eggs, a meat stew or beans, and even with a little bread, we cover at lunchtime.
For breakfast then, many fruits high in vitamin C, eggs, fruits, cereals, oats, and good quality of pancake flour that also serves to bread chicken or pork.
In the end, I left the snacks and non-perishable products, in my healthy and smart grocery shopping. You have to avoid processed and frozen food; you have to manage to exercise at home and maintain portion control.
I can not deny snacks; I bought fried bananas (banana/ladybugs). I always want the flavors of my land in situations like this. I also bought protein bars, popcorn, and dried walnuts, which still serve to crisp salads or the proteins themselves.
Finally, try to avoid alcohol, remember that it lowers the defenses in many people. And well, prepare yourself for the worst-case too. For this, I filled myself with vitamins, products with camphor, eucalyptus, essential medicines, lemon, and ginger to make hot tea and even a warm humidifier with the medication that my grandmother used so much when I was a girl, Vicks (and this is not an advertisement). I have read and heard many patients say that it has helped them. You never know, better be more than prepared, but check everything with your doctor.
We will follow the rules, protect yourself and your loved ones, but this includes your community as well. Go to the supermarket as little as possible, teach your elders how to shop online so that they are less exposed, respect the recommendations of the authorities, and do not leave your house unless it is an emergency. #StayAtHome
Doreen Colondres is our celebrity chef. Latina, author, tireless traveler, graduated and certified in cuisine and wine, and founder of Vitis House. Follow her on the networks @Doreen Colondres and visit her at www.LaCocinaNoMuerde.com or purchase her book on Amazon or Itunes.