I really feel passionately about breaking the stigma behind healthy eating. I feel right now we all have an opportunity to be home, cook, bake, and connect with our food on another level. This blog will break down different ways to stock up on nutritious and easily preserved food, without breaking the bank!
Frozen Fruits and Veggies
These have been my best friend during this extended stay at home. I can’t say enough good things about these and the opportunities are truly endless. I bought a few big bags of mixed frozen vegetables and mixed frozen fruit at Costco, and if you have a membership this is the most bang-for-you-buck way to do it (but all stores have these!) Smoothies and stir fry are my go-to easy meal in and out of quarantine. Smoothies are always great way to get in extra veggies and can be made with entirely frozen items, with the exclusion of milk or coconut water. I buy a case of shelf stable almond milk and use these in my smoothies along with a big handful of frozen spinach!
Frozen Meat/Fish
I am not a big meat eater, but I love my fish and can’t say enough good things about getting some fresh fish, seasoning it and freezing it for later. You may have noticed, and if you know me you know my love for Costco. I buy a huge piece of salmon at Costco, slice it into individual servings, place those servings into individual Ziploc baggie, pre-marinate them, and stick them in the freezer. My favorite right now is lemon, garlic, olive oil, and cholula sauce. I cook this in my air fryer straight from frozen, but this could work well in an oven too! I am certain you could do the same thing with any kind of meat as well.
Grains
I love bread (who doesn’t?) and I always keep an extra loaf in the freezer for emergencies such as these. I will put the frozen loaf in the fridge to let it thaw overnight and then I tend to leave it in the fridge because I’m the only one who eats it in the house and I don’t go through it too fast, but after it thaws you can always place it on the counter for the soft bread feel. Rice is, in my opinion, THE grain. This is the one grain that you can buy in bulk for cheap that can you can do ANYTHING with. Breakfast rice is something my roommate taught me years ago. Cook your rice in a milk/water mixture and add in cinnamon and sweetener as needed. Throw rice in your stir fry, serve under fish, add in some coconut and chopped mango. There is no limit to what you can do.
Treat this like you would anything, listen to your body and respond. You know what’s best for you, and no two bodies are the same!