Walking in Beauty Daisy Arsenault, RD

Walking in Beauty Grocery Shopping During a Pandemic

HHere are some tips to help you spend less time at the grocery store and still provide healthy meals to your family. There may be times you need to limit the amount of trips to the grocery store and having a plan in place makes it much easier.

Have a well-stocked pantry

Planning out a menu for a week or two in advance can be helpful, but if you don’t have time to plan meals, a well-stocked pantry can relieve some of the pressure when it comes time to make a meal. Keep the following on hand for quick, easy-to- fix dishes.

Non-Perishables: • Dried or canned beans, peas and lentils (such as black, garbanzo, kidney, white and pinto beans; green, yellow or split peas and lentils) • Canned vegetables with no added salt (such as tomatoes, green beans and corn) • Dried or canned fruit in 100% fruit juice • Whole grains (such as brown rice, quinoa, oats, millet and whole-wheat pasta) • Pouches or cans of fish and chicken • Nuts, seeds, and nut butters • Olive, canola or other vegetable oils • Dried herbs and spices

Frozen Foods: • Vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and Brussels sprouts) • Fruit (strawberries, mixed berries, pineapple) • Whole wheat pizza dough • Poultry • Seafood

When making out a menu, plan foods that can be frozen such as casseroles, muffins, soups. Store these in your freezer to have on hand when you are crunched for time or not able to go to the grocery store. Be sure to include plenty of fruits and vegetables in your meals to keep your immune system functioning at its best.

Daisy Arsenault, RD LD Registered Dietitian Info:daisy@gallupjourney.com