While we’re all on community lockdown, keeping safe, keeping healthy, and keeping sane is on top of everyone’s mind. Here are some essential life tips for living in the time of pandemic. This is SPIN.ph’s COVID-19 Survival Guide.
Going to the supermarket often means going through very long lines. Not only that, when you come back, you’ll have to disinfect your packages to make sure that they’re virus free. So it’s best to max out your supermarket shopping and get these essentials.
Of course, you probably already have your own shopping list. But these (often ignored) essentials could help make your life a bit easier during COVID-19.
Tomato Sauce or Paste
A hardworking pantry staple. Not just for pasta sauces, it’s essential for menudo, kaldereta, afritada, and mechado. (Click on the dishes for handy recipes from Yummy.ph.)
Spices
Liven up your meals with spices like chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and more. They’ll keep your lutong bahay from tasting like same ol’, same ol’.
Nuts
The temptation to snack at home can be overwhelming at times. Nuts are a filling and nutrition-packed alternative. Grab a handful if you’re feeling hungry. “By substituting nuts for carbohydrate-rich snacks, you’re reducing your load of less healthy food,” says senior author Charles S. Fuchs, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to Men’s Health.
Beans
Beans like the old standby monggo, as well as kidney beans and black beans, are easy to cook, often inexpensive, and are very filling.
Milk alternatives
Nut milk and other milk alternatives often last longer than the real thing. In fact, Time reported that Americans bought 477 percent more oat milk since the pandemic began.
Dried fish
A good counterweight to the canned meats you usually get, and the perfect partner for rice.
Vegetables and fruits
You can survive on canned meat and rice, but you need well-balanced meals. “As well as being eaten fresh, fruits and vegetables can be frozen where possible and will retain most of their nutrients and flavor,” says UNICEF in their eating guide for the pandemic.
They also suggest that “[u]sing fresh vegetables to cook large batches of soups, stews or other dishes will make them last longer and provide meal options for a few days.”
Remember to wrap rinsed leafy vegetables in brown paper or paper towels so they’ll last longer.
Pre-prepared sauces, marinades, seasoning
Make cooking easier on yourself by grabbing a few marinade mixes or seasoning packages off the racks, so you can make your own inasal or kare-kare at home.
Pasta
In Europe, the new epicenter of COVID-19, sales of pasta are up 50 percent and more. While rice is the more familiar staple, you can mix your carb rotation with some hearty noodles. You can make the pasta sauce ahead and store it in the fridge.
Comfort food
In the middle of stocking essentials, it’s also good to make room for some comfort food. This is an anxious time. Indulge (in moderation) and pray for better days ahead.
For more survival guide tips, click here.
Source: Spin PH
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