“Food security is the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food” (WHO). I have had the privilege to be food secure for my entire life. 4 million Canadians experienced food insecurity in 2019 (2) & we can only expect this number to drastically change in 2020, after this is all over. It is a scary situation to experience. Experiencing those empty grocery shelves brought me as close as I have ever been to food insecurity, & wow; I will never forget it. It brought so much more empathy to my practice & compassion for those who are navigating these feelings, in response to current or everyday circumstance.
Side note, the grocery shelf analogy can clarify the concepts of satisfaction & deprivation, two of many ideas from which Intuitive Eating is based on. You may not need the toilet paper, but knowing its the last package on the shelf can be enough to cause you to buy it. You don’t want the last of the chips, but knowing you can’t change your mind for fear of one of the boys will polish them off - will cause you to consider overstuffing yourself. No, just me? Deprivation can trigger binges & overeating in the same way that deprivation can trigger stockpiling & chaotic shopping. This is psychological reaction to deprivation.
EATING IN SELF ISOLATION
PLAN YOUR MEALS
CHOOSE RECIPES - determine what you’re making for the next few days. Start with dinner as its often our most planned-out meal regardless of current health circumstances. If you’re someone who enjoys planning breakfast, then start there. The point here is to create some normalcy to our new reality & reduce meal time stress. Spend some of your new found downtime searching for something yummy. If you’re not a recipe person, I encourage you to try some new ones out & if all else fails, select some of your favorite go-to throw together meals. Consider your meal balance at this point, ensuring adequate carbohydrates, fat, protein & flexibility.
CREATE OUTLINE - when are you eating what? Plan for breakfast, lunch & dinner, daily. We will discuss snacks later on. Look for recipes that are similar in ingredient lists. Such as including 2 different pasta dishes & eating them a few days apart, one for lunch & one for dinner. Ingredients are versatile - take advantage of that. This is true for vegetables, fruits, grains & spices. *please note, we are not planning when to specifically eat; we are planning to have food on hand to eat when we are ready to.
GROCERY LIST - include all ingredients necessary for your recipes. I like to make my list in terms of grocery store layout, such as produce, meat & poultry, refrigerated, frozen, etc. Play around with how you organize your list to find what works for you.
CUPBOARD AUDIT - *especially useful for those isolating with roommates & others- clean out your cupboards to a) maximize space efficiency & b) determine what you already have. How many granola bars are left in that box at the back? Pretty sure you have some broccoli in the freezer? How much do you need for all your recipes? Do you have adequate cooking oil? Butter or margarine? Flour? Baking powder? Salt & pepper? You’d be surprised how many things you can take off your list when individual cupboards turn communal. This step is to avoid unnecessary return trips to the G store & stress that may be compounded.
SNACKS & MISC - add additional items to the list that you need. In this part of the list, consider food you know you like to eat. Bagels, nut bars & popcorn are major staples for me. These are things I usually have on hand & may require some topping up, like yogurt, cheese, fresh garlic, peanut butter, snack fruit & veg. I have a Costco sized tub of ice cream. I’m ready. In this section, also consider how much shampoo you have, lotion, cleaning products, Tylenol - should you fall ill, prescription medications, etc.
GROCERY SHOPPING - buy only what is on your list. I know this is difficult amidst the crowds of people panic buying, but please buy only what you need to make your meals as planned. Someone else may actually need the ingredient you are hoarding. You didn’t spend all that time planning your meals to ignore your grocery list. *EXPECT TO RETURN TO THE STORE* at some point. It can be hard to focus on your list when all you can think about is returning to isolation after being in public & the stress that ensues. Remember that the food supply will return, it is not affected. The shelves will be restocked. The G stores will remain open as will pharmacies. Be kind, compassionate & patient with other shoppers but especially with the staff! They are working hard & putting themselves at risk so we can all eat. If venturing out isn’t a feasible option for you right now, consider grocery delivery services such as Instacart, Fresh City Farms, Inabuggy & PC Express.
RECIPE, MEAL & SNACK IDEAS
Stir fry (w rice, noodles) | black bean brownies | avocado toast w poached eggs | Mediterranean chickpea pasta salad | vegetarian pasta primavera w lentil bolognese | baked eggs in hash | oatmeal blueberry pancakes | smoothies | omelettes | BBQ chicken thighs/breasts | Tex-Mex black bean/quinoa quesadillas | gourmet grilled cheese | overnight or baked oatmeal | homemade lentil stew | homemade spaghetti sauce | homemade pie crust | homemade cookies | homemade muffins | basic roasted veg (coming soon!) | gourmet instant ramen | southwestern stuffed sweet potatoes | broccoli cheddar baked potato | grilled PB&J (honestly, the best) | veggie grazing board w hummus & cheese | homemade trail mix | freshly baked bread | coconut Thai green curry | butter chicken on rice w spinach | taco night | burger night
But Em, what if I am listening to my hunger cues & they are telling me that I am not hungry for what I had planned to eat? GREAT QUESTION. At this time, your hunger meter may seem broken, falsely interpreting how much & when to eat. You may find yourself eating more or less than in usual circumstance, & that’s okay. Create your meals as planned & save them as leftovers in individual portions, in case you end up needing to freeze them. Lean into your snacks & misc section of your list. If you are prone to these feelings, plan for them. There is no shame in planning for feelings.
COOK & EAT TOGETHER
Make dinner time something to look forward to. We have a communal meal rotation happening, Sam making his crowd pleasing butter chicken, David to follow with a delicious spaghetti dinner & Luke with a plot twist surprise blueberry pancake breakfast. Its fun to see how other people prepare their meals & its a great opportunity to learn new ideas & techniques. We all have a totally different repertoire of recipes we like to make, increasing the variety in the meals consumed. Really find pleasure in your meal experience.
Take the time to set the table & create a positive eating environment. Light candles, put down a table cloth, enjoy each other’s company & perhaps some dessert afterwards. Sit down, taste & enjoy your meal. Unplug from the news & social media during this time especially. Not feeling it? That’s cool too, make sure you’re using a clean plate & fork or spoon & that your environment is as pleasant as you feel you can make it.
Relinquishing control over your food choices & personal autonomy can be scary. I’m trying to avoid analyzing aspects of fibre content, servings of veg & plant based protein sources, but its easier said than done. My best advice is to choose your battles. If you are experiencing overwhelming anxiety, I encourage you to journal as a place for you to work through your thoughts. Be sure to include something you enjoyed about the meal: the taste, the variety, the unfamiliarity of the new recipe, the environment you created, the company. Something, anything positive. Perhaps find comfort in knowing when its your turn to cook & sticking to your meal plan. Lean into your snacks & misc groceries. As always, reach out if you are struggling with this.
FOOD STORAGE SAFETY
Making enough for leftovers is a great idea. I often eat leftovers from dinner for lunch the following day, including that in my recipe & grocery shopping plan. Your fridge may seem a lil more full than usual. Ensure you’re practing proper food safety practices so you don’t get a whole other kind of sick!
CUPBOARD STAPLES
Pasta, noodles
Rice, quinoa
Bread, bagels
Crackers
Popcorn
Oatmeal
Cereal
Storm chips - an East Coast thing but seriously you should probably get some chips.
Frozen fruit & veg - for smoothies, sides & extra nutrition - get creative!
Snack fruit & veg - apples, grapes, carrots, cukes etc.
Greek yogurt
Cheese - hard cheddar for snacking
Meat products, fresh & frozen - chicken breasts were on sale, ground beef or turkey, fish
Dried pulses & legumes - chickpeas, lentils, split peas, beans
Canned food - chickpeas, black beans, tomatoes, coconut milk
Eggs
Spices - curry paste, S&P, cumin, chili flakes, dill, lemon, fresh garlic, paprika, cayenne, parsley, oregano, rosemary & thyme
Oils - olive oil, sesame oil
Condiments & vinegars - white, apple cider, red wine, rice & balsamic vinegars are my go to for dressings & sauces. Mayo (vegan optional), ketchup, mustard, sriracha (or hot sauce of choice) & Greek yogurt.
Nuts & nut butter - PB is a personal staple, dry roasted almonds, pistachios
Granola & nut bars
Baking essentials - flour, sugar, baking soda & powder, oil
OTHER TIPS
Create a schedule. Perhaps go to bed & wake at the same time. Set alarms & timers to break up your day. Ideally, eat every 4-6 hours, but more or less often is cool too.
Change out of your PJ’s & get ready for your day. With that being said, its day 3. If you’re still enjoying your time off, then take it in. Movies in bed are amazing.
Get outside. A quick walk or run outside can help. Even crack the window, if that’s all you’re up to.
Drink plenty of water. I find I drink more on the go, but will drink if I keep my water available. Keep track of how many times you’re going through your bottle/cup in a day. Challenge yourself to reach a goal for number of vessels consumed in a day.
Check in on your friends & family. Pick a friend who was recently laid off, I’m sure they would love to hear your voice. You may have more than you realize & many more to come after this is all over.
Take time for yourself. Meditate. Read. Nap. Snack. Repeat.
Make reasonable requests & boundaries. Respect those of others.
Remember that although things are scary, they could still be worse. Find comfort in things you are thankful for.
MY FAVORITE WEBSITES FOR RECIPES
PSA FOR INFORMATION REGARDING COVID-19
These past few days have been such a whirlwind. Information is constantly changing & there were many rumors floating around, mixed with truth & fear mongering. For the latest VALID information, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. Find comfort knowing the information there is not speculation.
WHAT NOW?
Idk about you but I have nowhere to be after this. We’ve been given the gift of time, so we might as well use it. I will be spending lots of my time on my Intuitive Eating counseling certification & as part of an online learning retreat for dietitians in eating disorder treatment. After that, I’ve been checking out food styling courses on Skillshare. I’ll be doing some baking, blogging & reading. I have Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison on line up & I’m pumped to get into it. I know I feel better when I’m busy. What are you doing? I want to know! Keep in touch, we are all in this together.
For the love of carbs,
Emily Paige
References
(1) https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2020/03/16/toronto-exploring-powers-to-enforce-social-distancing-but-hoping-for-voluntary-compliance-mayor-says.html
(2) https://proof.utoronto.ca/food-insecurity/