Posted on April 3, 2020
Give yourself a break: Keep meals simple during COVID-19 stay-at-home mandate
From our experts: Jessi Holden is a registered dietitian/nutritionist at Mary Free Bed.
I’ve seen so many posts from social media “influencers” dishing out health and nutrition advice, and pushing us to “use our time at home wisely” during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a registered dietitian and health care professional, I’m qualified to provide advice about your nutrition and lifestyle, and I’m here to say it’s OK to do your best and forget the rest.
There’s already too much pressure in our society to join the latest diet trend or exercise craze. And now, after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home order to help slow the spread of COVID-19, what most of us need is a break. I want to share some realistic tips about managing yours (and your family’s) nutrition during this time.
1. Less is more, and I don’t mean eat less! Keep meals simple. Cook with your kids. MyPlate is a fantastic resource for creating healthy and budget-friendly meals. It can help you put together food groups for a balanced plate for anything you desire! Examples include:
- Grilled peanut butter and jelly with carrots and an apple.
- Crackers with canned tuna (mix with mayo and hot sauce for fun!) with red bell peppers or cucumber.
- Mac and cheese with a steamed veggie and sliced chicken sausage.
2. Pack your lunch the night before. If you’re used to packing yours or your kids’ lunches, try to keep the same routine. It’ll make lunch time smoother while you’re on a conference call for work.
3. Know that bored eating happens. Human beings are emotional, and boredom is likely to occur more often right now. If you’re going to grab a snack, sit down to eat and enjoy it. This helps prevent you from mindlessly snacking on a whole box of crackers.
4. Rely on frozen and canned produce without concern. The nutrients in canned and frozen produce are excellent and budget friendly.
5. Eat somewhere other than your new home office. Try to keep mealtime separate from your workspace so you’re able to mentally check-out and disconnect from your emails.
I hope one of these tips will help you during this new space we’re all working to navigate. Most importantly, give yourself compassion for your food choices and habits. It’s about doing what you can, when you can.
Jessi shares some easy and healthy slow cooker recipes, including for Black Bean and Barley Soup (pictured here) on her personal blog, Holden Nutrition.
