Nutrition for Self-Isolation

RECIPES AND TIPS DURING SELF-ISOLATION FROM OUR DIETITIANS

During this difficult period of self-isolation, our dietitians will provide tips for stocking your pantry and recipes to help you stay healthy.

NUTRITION TIPS FOR SELF-ISOLATING

What should you do if you are self-isolated at home for an extended period of time? It is important to make a plan and prepare to have two-weeks worth of meals on-hand. Now is the time to focus on maintaining a healthy meal plan with nutrient dense foods.

Avoid the inclination to graze all day by creating a dining plan of when and what you will eat for each meal and snack. Try to give each meal your undivided attention by sitting down at the table to eat; avoid eating while standing over the counter, watching television or talking on the phone.

When planning out your meals, focus on a mix of smart carbohydrates, lean proteins and a small amount of healthy fats. Consuming well-balanced meals will help you stay energized, stabilize blood sugar and keep spirits high.

This is a stressful period, and stress is a common cause of over eating. Find outlets for stress management that do not include food or alcohol. Good options include mediation, yoga, journaling or aromatherapy. Talking walks outside is also a good idea as long as you can maintain proper social isolation measures.

Use this time to experiment with new foods, recipes or cooking methods. Try out that slow cooker or pressure cooker that’s collecting dust in the back of your cabinet. Cooking Light and Skinny Taste have a multitude of healthy recipes.

When stocking your kitchen to last for an extended period of time, it is important to focus on foods that can be stored for a long time and used in multiple meals.

PERISHABLE FOODS

Use perishable foods first so that they don’t go to waste. The following items will last quite a while in the refrigerator.

  • Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: These items will last several months in the fridge: apples, citrus fruits, pomegranates, celery, potatoes, winter squash, carrots, cabbage, onions, beets
  • Eggs: Eggs are a great protein source and will last three to five weeks; try them scrambled, in an omelet with frozen vegetables, in a quiche, fried rice, egg salad, or hard boiled
  • Cheese: Unopened cheese can be stored for two to four months; cheese sticks are a great snack; feta, goat, mozzarella and cheddar can be used in tacos, grilled cheese, sandwiches and omelets
  • Hummus: and Guacamole Individual portions of hummus and guacamole last about one month; pair them with carrots or crackers
  • Yogurt: Yogurt lasts about one month in the fridge; pair plain, Greek yogurt with frozen fruit and unsweetened granola for a healthy breakfast or snack

CANNED FOODS

Canned foods have a long shelf life and can be easily incorporated into meals. Read the label and choose items that are low in sodium and don’t have many additives.

  • Vegetables and Fruits: Look for items canned in water or their own juices; stock up on a variety of canned tomatoes (diced, crushed, whole) and marinara sauce (low sugar, low sodium) to use for pizza sauce, on noodles or in sauces and soups
  • Proteins: Tuna, salmon, lentils and beans (kidney, black, garbanzo, navy) are good options; use in bean salad, chili, quesadillas and soups
  • Soups: A quick and easy full meal source; look for broth-based soups that contain protein and vegetables (beans and lentils); good brands include Amy’s and Health Valley Organic; avoid cream-based products

FROZEN FOODS

  • Frozen foods often get a bad rap. However, they are picked and immediately frozen at the height of their seasonality so they retain all of their taste and nutrients. If fresh produce is not available, frozen is equally as healthy.
  • Fruit: Add to frozen fruit to oatmeal, yogurt or smoothies; can be defrosted in the refrigerator to eat the next day; frozen brown bananas are great for smoothies
  • Vegetables: Save time with pre-cut veggies from the freezer; sautéed with garlic, roasted with seasonings or mixed into soups and stews; add frozen spinach to smoothies
  • Proteins: Frozen veggie burgers, chicken, ground turkey or lean beef, fish (salmon, shrimp, whitefish) or steaks are great; bake, grill or stir fry to make tacos, fajitas, soups or stews
  • Bread and English Muffins: Any bread items can be frozen to eat later; Ezekial bread is an excellent healthy option
  • Frozen Meals: Keeping a few frozen meals on hand can help make meal time quick and easy; good brands to shop are EVOL, Dr. Praeger, Trader Joe’s, Amy’s and Kashi; look for meals with less than 650 mg sodium per serving

SHELF-STABLE ITEMS

  • Nut Butters: Peanut, almond or cashew nut butters are great in sandwiches or with an apple or banana as a snack
  • Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, peanuts are a good snack to have on hand; closely monitor the quantity consumed in one sitting; if purchased in bulk, portion out ¼ cup into small plastic bags; nuts can be stored in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life
  • Seeds: Chia, hemp, pumpkin, flax, sunflower or sesame seeds contain healthy fats; add them to yogurt, oatmeal, smoothies or cold cereal
  • Shelf-Stable Milk: Unsweetened dairy, almond, coconut or soy-based milk can be used in coffee, oatmeal or cold cereal
  • Coffee and Tea: Stock your favorite morning pick-me-up
  • Protein Powder: Whey, egg, brown rice or pea protein powders can be added to milk, water, smoothies or oatmeal for extra protein
  • Healthy Oils: Make sure you have a healthy oil to cook with; olive, avocado, nut or seed oils are ideal; mix an oil with balsamic vinegar and spices or condiments (mustard, vinegar, soy sauce, hot sauce) to make dishes and meals more exciting

SNACKS

  • Crackers: Look for products made with brown rice or almond flour; pretzels, crisps and air-popped popcorn are also good options; good brands to look for are Mary Gone and Simple Mills
  • Protein Bars: RxBar, Epic Bar and Larabar are healthy choices
  • Trail Mix: Look for mixes with a combination of nuts, seeds and unsweetened fruit

COMFORT FOODS

While not an essential nutrient element of a healthy diet, stocking a few comfort food items will help your mental health during a quarantine period. Consider stock up on one or two treats as a pick-me-up, like a favorite wine or beer or guilty pleasures like cookies, chips and ice cream.

TIPS FOR PARENTS

The kids are home 24/7, so now is the time to get them involved in cooking! When kids are involved, they are more apt to have positive interactions with food, feel more included, and be more willing to taste new foods, and it is great family activity. You'll be surprised by how excited kids are to be involved! Here are some suggestions on how your kids can help:

Let older kids pick a theme, find recipes online, write a grocery list (if a trip to the store is on your list), and then they can help prepare the whole meal for the family. You could also do a "chopped" game with older kids to make a dinner or snack with the foods you have on-hand.

Let younger kids help pick recipes from a kids' cookbook. They can help mix, pour, cut, whisk, grate, crack eggs, measure, set the table and put dishes away. Adding cookie cutters makes cutting anything more fun, such as fun-shaped fruits, veggies, sandwiches and cheese. One of my favorite products for cutting for little kids is this wavy cutter.

Another easy option is to sign up for Raddish. Raddish is a mail-delivery cooking club, culinary lesson and mealtime solution all in one. It makes cooking and sharing a meal fun for the whole family.

TIPS FOR EASTER

Fill your Easter baskets with healthy treats this year! Skip the life-size chocolate bunnies and Peep’s and opt for fun toys, board games, puzzles, stuffed animals, play dough, books, crayons, chalk, fun bath toys, dress up items, stickers or outdoor games children will enjoy.

If you're putting together your own Easter egg hunt at home, here are some great no-candy fillers: coins, grow capsules, stickers, temporary tattoss, small toy cars, playdough, silly putty, hairclips, fun homemade coupons, bouncy balls, lip gloss, erasers, nail polish, key chains, small plastic animals, mini bottles of bubbles, sticky hands, light-up rings, fun band-aids, tiny farm animals, charms, magnets, finger puppets, slap bracelets, plastic spiders, punch balloons, wikki stix and jelly bracelets.

Avoid the stores and decorate your Easter eggs with dye-free alternatives like beets, berries and turmeric. Here's an article with details on how to make your own natural dye-free alternatives: https://greenlivingideas.com/2008/03/16/simple-recipes-for-natural-egg-dyes/

RECIPES AND MORE FROM OUR DIETITIANS

POTATO NACHOS

  • 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (low-sodium if available)
  • 2 to 4 cups baby spinach
  • 2 cups Mexican style blend shredded cheese (8 ounces)
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes
  • Greek yogurt (optional as topping)
  1. Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Coat two rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray.
  2. Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange on the baking sheets in an even layer, making sure they don't overlap. Coat with cooking spray. Bake until fork-tender, 20 to 22 minutes.
  3. Remove from oven. Transfer the potatoes from one pan to the other, covering as much of the bottom of as possible. 
  4. Top with the beans, spinach, and cheese.
  5. Bake until warmed through and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Top with chopped tomatoes. Add dollops of Greek yogurt for extra protein.

PEANUT BUTTER PROTEIN BALLS

  • 3/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1 3/4 cup Quaker Oats - Quick 1 Minute - Dry 
  • 1/3 cup honey 
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips 

    No baking required, just mix ingredients and pop in fridge to set. Place in storage container.

GARBANZO BEANS

Canned food are a staple to have on hand right now! Garbanzo beans are high in protein and fiber and a great replacement for meat. When buying canned garbanzo beans, make sure they are low sodium. But once you do have them, what can you do with them?

10 things to do with a can of garbanzo beans:

  • Make homemade hummus
  • Put on a greek salad
  • Add to curry
  • Mash and put in a pita
  • Use instead of tuna for "tuna salad"
  • Make falafel
  • Add to a wrap
  • Mix into a soup or stew
  • Roast in the oven 

Here are 25 easy and healthy recipes: https://www.thekitchn.com/25-easy-recipes-to-make-with-a-can-of-chickpeas-234833

SMOOTHIES

Right now it's important to be stocked up on frozen fruit as you may not be going to the grocery store quite as often for fresh produce. Frozen fruit gets a bad rap but it's just as healthy as fresh. It is picked at the height of it's seasonality so it retains all the flavor and taste. You can find frozen fruit at any grocery store (Costco has large bags of organic, frozen fruit for inexpensive). Frozen fruit can be used added to oatmeal, mashed on toast, in yogurt parfaits, in muffins or in smoothies. 

When you are making a smoothie in addition to the fruit (frozen definitely works, if you do decide to use fresh then you will most likely need to add ice to make it cold). To make a balanced smoothie you want to make sure in addition to the fruit it contains protein (protein powder, plain greek yogurt) and healthy fat (nut butter, nuts like almonds, walnuts or cashews, seeds like chia, flax or hemp or avocado). Here are 2 great smoothie recipes to use your frozen fruit:

Berry Smoothie

  • 2 cups mixed frozen berries
  • 1 scoop protein powder (Any works! Ideally aim for one with no added sugar or artifical sweeteners - Tera's Whey is one good option)
  • 1 cup fresh spinach
  • 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
  • 1 cup liquid (cow's milk, unsweetend non-dairy milk such as oat, coconut or almond, or water)

Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

  • 1 large frozen banana (if it's completely frozen, defrost for 15 minutes)
  • 1 scoop protein powder
  • 1.5 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup liquid (cow's milk, unsweetend non-dairy milk such as oat, coconut or almond, or water)

GRAIN SALADS

You don't really need a recipe for a healthy grain salad! You can mix and match based off of what you have available, these recipes will still be tasty if you omit or substitue ingredients. Here are some quick and easy combinations:

Healthy Pasta Salad

  • Cooked pasta (chickpea, lentil, whole wheat or brown rice)
  • Red, yellow, orange and/or green pepper
  • Baby carrots, chopped 
  • Cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Black olives, sliced
  • Mozzarella balls, halved
  • Fresh parsley
  • Italian dressing

Healthy Couscous Salad

  • Cooked israeli couscous
  • Orange pepper, chopped
  • Black beans, cooked and drained
  • Red onion, chopped
  • Cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Cucumber, chopped
  • Red wine and olive oil vinaigrette

Healthy Quinoa Salad

  • Cooked quinoa
  • Kalamata olives, sliced
  • Cucumbers, chopped
  • Cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Feta cheese, crumbled
  • Red onions, chopped
  • Olive oil
  • Oregano
  • Red wine vinegar