How to Stock a Healthy Fridge & Pantry During A Quarantine

Well, this is a blog post I never thought I’d be writing. For 30 years now I’ve wanted nothing more than to be locked in my house, watching movies all day, without judgement. Now, that the time is here, but I’ve gotta say, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be… and I’m only a few hours in. HA! Entertaining two kids without leaving the house is going to be a challenge. I’ll keep you guys posted on how that’s going but in the mean time… please send all ideas for activities and tips to keeping sane!

Anyways, I’m sure you could use a break from hearing about stocking up on toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Last week we did a grocery haul and I can proudly say we didn’t buy either of those things.

With Emmett being so small and Lily having really bad asthma and a history of having pneumonia, we want to be a little extra cautious and really limit our trips to the store. As a family who tries to avoid processed/packaged goods as much as possible, it feels like we’re at the grocery store constantly! Always grabbing more fruit and veg.

When we were prepping to be in the house for a couple weeks we didn’t want to be buying a a cart load of non-perishables. Instead, we bought ingredients to make things like energy balls and Kristin Cavallari’s Almond Butter Cookies.

And then, when it came to produce, we grabbed fruits and veggies that typically have a longer shelf life and a few of our frozen go-to’s.

Here’s what this looks like…

Fruits & Veggies That Last

Some of these even last up to a month or longer!

+ Garlic (Bonus: it boosts the immune system)
+ Lemons (also boosts the immune system!)
+ Apples
+ Potatoes and sweet potatoes
+ Carrots
+ Beets
+ Cabbage
+ Peppers

For frozen products we love to get the big bag of frozen berries from Costco, frozen spinach for tossing in pastas or rice dishes, and frozen cauliflower to add to smoothies.

Protein

Meat protein can be expensive… especially if you’re trying to stock up for a bit. We grabbed our usual chicken and seafood to freeze and then some eggs.

This run though we grabbed a bunch of tofu. It’s super cheap, lasts a long time in the fridge if unopened, and is delicious as a scramble with spinach and mushrooms or tossed on top of a salad.

Another fave is the individual smoked salmon packs from Costco. They’re quick to thaw and make an easy, healthy meal.

Canned/Packaged Goods

Some personal favourites:

+ Black beans – high in protein and fibre  ( toss in a wrap or salad with some avocado, pico de gallo, and rice. Yum!)
+ Chickpeas – great source of protein – I love the curried chickpea salad by Laura Davies (Grab her meal plan she made for the Wellness + Wine Facebook group!)
+ Pumpkin – High in fibre. These pumpkin pie overnight oats are a family fave.
+ Oats
+ Go-go quinoa gluten-free pasta
+ Rice and quinoa
+ Herbs and spices – so you don’t get bored if you end up eating the same things over and over again

A Few Other Things You Can Do

+ Bake! I’m a firm believer in that baking your own snacks (even if it’s cookies or cake) is much healthier than what you buy in the stores.

+ Prep things like overnight oats and energy balls

+ Cook soups/stews/pasta sauces, making a little extra and freeze some! This will help you to use up fresh ingredients before it goes bad while still ensuring you have access to healthy, nutritious meals when your fridge starts to get a little empty.

Bottom Line

You don’t have to go buying a bunch of unhealthy canned soups or frozen dinners to tide you over. Simply having some basics like quinoa and oats in the cupboard to mix with fresh/frozen veg and fruit can provide you with healthy, satisfying meals and help to keep you feeling well at a time when  the state of your health is very important.

Have you been preparing to be stuck in the house for a couple weeks? What have you stocked up on??