Healthy Eating during Quarantine

Diana Savani, RD, LDN

If you had told me a month ago I’d be here writing a blog post with tips on how to maintain healthy eating habits during a pandemic quarantine, I would have laughed. 2020 is turning out to be quite a crazy year, not just in the United States, but all over the world. As many of us are hunkered down in our houses trying to figure out how to work from home and maintain some level of sanity, how are we supposed to stay on track with our healthy lifestyle? It may be challenging, but it’s possible.

Check out my top 5 tips to keep up with your healthy eating habits during quarantine:

1. Make a plan for groceries & meals

In January, many of us set goals to eat healthier, stick to a meal plan, or meal prep. Don’t let this March 2020 madness be the halt to your progress. While grocery stores cannot guarantee fully stocked shelves during this time, there are still foods available that can be used to prepare healthy, balanced meals. Make a list of the foods you already have in your cabinets, make a list of foods your local store has in stock most often, and brainstorm ways those foods can be used creatively to make different dishes. Write out a plan for the meals you will make at home this week, but allow yourself some flexibility with which day of the week you will make each meal (you never know what you’ll be in the mood for on any given day!)

To minimize the risk of being near people who may be carrying illnesses at the supermarket, minimize the number of trips you make to the grocery store by going in with not only your plan, but also a backup plan. Have you found yourself walking in the store with a meal plan that requires chicken breasts, lean beef, and fresh veggies, only to find those shelves are completely empty? Having a backup plan in mind prior to entering the store will significantly improve your shopping experience by decreasing the risk of you standing mid-aisle wondering what in the world you are going to buy and make. Think of meal ideas that use more commonly available pantry staples, like canned beans and lentils, quinoa, pasta, fresh or canned fish, and frozen vegetables.

Not sure what to make with these foods? Click here for my free Quarantine Pantry Staples Meal Ideas guide!

Looking for even more ideas? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook at @eatingwithadietitian 

2. Stock up on your favorite treats – but stock up on plenty of foods that will support your health too

If you’re going to be inside the house for a long time, you might as well grab some of your favorite snacks or sweet treats! All foods can fit into a healthy diet… yes, ALL foods. The key is enjoying treats in moderation, and eating them mindfully. It’s important to not only stock up on foods that make you feel happy and provide you comfort but to also make sure you have plenty of nutrient-rich foods on hand that you can use to maintain your physical health.

Did you know that a well-balanced nutritious diet can help maintain a strong immune system? There are no foods that ‘boost’ your immune system on their own, but an overall balanced diet that incorporates foods to support digestive health and foods that provide your body with vitamins and minerals can help to keep your body healthy enough to fight off illnesses.

There are many opportunities online to purchase immune-boosting cleanses, supplements, or shakes, but don’t fall for these gimmicks – if they’re asking for your money, it’s a good time to pause and do some research before handing over your credit card information. You are much better off supporting your immune system by giving your body plenty of whole, nutritious foods, stay active, and stay hydrated. Click here for my free Eating for Immunity guide!

3. Have nutritious foods “ready-to-eat” in your kitchen

When you’re home many more hours than you’re used to (and not by choice), it’s easy to feel stressed and head to the kitchen to cope. If you head to the kitchen for a snack when you are feeling “hangry” or desperately need a snack to distract your mind from your stress, are you going to go for the bag of chips that you can open and be enjoying within ten seconds, or the pineapple sitting on the counter that has to be washed and cut up before eating? I’d go for the chips too! But what if the pineapple was washed, cut up and left in the fridge in a container ready to eat? It’s much easier to make a healthy decision when the healthy options are ready to eat and prepared in a convenient manner. Set yourself up for success by taking just a few minutes on the weekend to prep some healthy options ahead of time before the busy week starts.

4. Eat mindfully

Your routine is out of whack right now. Your world has been flipped upside down, you are not able to go to work, you are home trying to educate your kids, or maybe you’re just sick of being stuck in the house. All of these stressful situations can easily lead you to feel off track, get distracted, and eat mindlessly when overwhelmed. Food can absolutely be a way to find comfort in a stressful situation, and it’s perfectly healthy to indulge in our favorite less-nutritious treats sometimes. However, when we eat mindlessly in a stressful situation we oftentimes end up eating in excess, leading to feelings of even more stress afterward.

When you’re feeling bored, stressed, tired, or just have a case of the munchies, go for snacks that will leave you feeling satisfied. How many times have you thought “I really want those chips, but I’ll have an apple instead…” only to find that after the apple you still were not satisfied, so you had a few crackers … still not satisfied …  then had a granola bar … still not satisfied … then you gave in and finally had the chips, but then were frustrated that you had so many snacks when you weren’t even that hungry? Instead of going through this routine, go straight for the snack that you know will truly satisfy you at that moment, and practice eating it mindfully.

Follow these simple steps to snack mindfully:

• Take the portion of the snack you want to eat out of the container/bag. Put it in a bowl or on a plate, then put the container/bag back in the cabinet. 

• Take the bowl or plate into another room, sit somewhere comfortable and quiet, and enjoy your snack free of distractions. 

• Think about the food as you enjoy it. What does it look like? What does it taste like? Is it the texture you enjoy the most, or is the flavor? Did you find you were satisfied before finishing the whole bowl? Did you find you needed more to feel satisfied?

There are no wrong answers here. Mindful eating is about bringing awareness to your eating habits. Become aware of your mindset around food, your hunger and fullness levels, and the details about your food, and you will find over time these habits will help you feel confident in handling boredom hunger, stress hunger, or true hunger situations.

Click here to practice mindful eating with my 5-day mindful eating activity!

5. Focus on BALANCE

Balance is my favorite word. It’s such a simple way to think about food and nutrition that allows you to enjoy your favorite foods and support your health. What does BALANCE mean?

Focusing on balance means:

1. Balance your overall diet pattern with nutritious meals and snacks, while also indulging in foods you love that are less nutritious.
2. Balance your diet with a variety of food groups each day to include a variety of macro- and micro-nutrients.
3. Balance your plate at meals, aiming for a 1/2 plate of fruits or veggies, a 1/4 plate of protein, & a 1/4 plate of whole grains or starch. (See ChooseMyPlate.gov for more balanced plate tips)

You might be thinking “yes, balance sounds great, but it’s not going to help me lose weight or reach my goals.” I get it. Sounds too simple right? WRONG. Simple does not mean ineffective.

I repeat … Simple does not mean ineffective.

Let’s say you’re used to eating two eggs and two slices of toast with butter for breakfast. Simply by reducing the toast to one slice with butter, and replacing that one slice lost with a big pile of fresh fruit, we are keeping the same amount of food on the plate, but we cut the total calories, fat, and total carbohydrate content while increasing fiber to keep you full longer and promote healthy digestion.

Balancing your plate at each meal, balancing your overall diet with a variety of foods, and allowing yourself to balance nutritious foods with less nutritious foods will lead you in the direction of your health goals, while allowing you to eat what you LOVE.

So how can we find balance when we can barely find food at the supermarket? Yes, there are plenty of barriers trying to stop us from maintaining our balance right now, but all it takes is a little creative thinking to keep up with our goal. Maybe the proteins you are used to having on your plate are not available right now, but you can use this as an opportunity to try out a new protein, like a lean pork chop, chickpea salad, or pre-cooked chicken sausages. No fresh vegetables available? Try frozen or canned as a simple alternative. It may not feel like your usual routine, but this is definitely not a normal time of life right now, so we must adapt and make the most of it.

Remember, food is meant to be enjoyed. When you can, enjoy your favorite dishes. If you cannot access the foods you normally eat right now, try something new and get creative. You never know – maybe those lentils you were always scared of trying will turn out to be your favorite ingredient in a spicy lentil chili you first made during quarantine! It’ll be a story to tell your great-grandkids as you share the secret family recipe with them years from now. 🙂

This situation may be stressful and overwhelming, but remember – it is temporary. Cut yourself some slack and don’t get down on yourself if you get off track for a while. Find healthy ways to burn off some stress, make a plan, give yourself forgiveness and allow yourself to focus on what is most important at any given moment. Once you get a handle on life again, make a clear plan, write it down, and follow the steps you planned for yourself to get right back on track – without guilt or stress. You can do this!

Stay safe, stay home, and stay healthy everyone!