How to stay well fed and generous during this high stress time
Eat well, and be well!
In high-stress times like what we’re now facing, I believe nourishing ourselves and each other can be a soothing balm for the soul. So to help you and your loved ones stay well fed, comforted, and generous towards others, I thought I’d share some practical ideas to help:
01
Dig Into Your Pantry
There’s a good bet you have beans, pastas and diced tomatoes. Maybe chicken broth and rice noodles, or an assortment of nuts and seeds to roast and snack on. Canned pumpkin from Thanksgiving? Make muffins! These staples are hanging around for a reason, and now is the time to use them up.
02
Dive Into the Freezer
Toss frozen veggies into soups. Cook up that big roast you bought on sale a while ago. Go ahead—eat all the fries. Food is in good supply all across Canada!
03
Think Small Business
Smaller grocers, fruit stands, Asian markets and restaurants all have ample food, but tighter profit margins than big-box stores. Visiting these small businesses, or even buying gift cards for later use, would mean the world to these local owners right now.
04
Donate Food
With schools, rec centres and other social safety nets shutting down, there will be kids and families going hungry. Anything you won’t use from your pantry, or even a few items from your next grocery run, could be dropped off at a food bank or women’s shelter.
05
Mind Your Social Media Shares
We’re fortunate to live in a place where empty shelves are so novel they’re Instagram-worthy. But, is it healthy to spread shock and fear right now? Maybe a better share would be a wild-and-crazy pizza combo you made up with leftover ingredients, or an epic cookie bake. (And, if social media is making your anxiety worse, consider unplugging. JOMO = joy of missing out!)
06
Turn Off The News
Go ahead, take an even bigger step than unplugging social media and just…unplug. Plant some chives indoors. Go for a hike. Bake a layered cake. It’s really not necessary to hit refresh on your go-to news page every hour for the latest updates.
07
Keep an Eye Out for Neighbours In Need
Especially elderly neighbours, who have likely heard they are hardest hit by COVID-19 and may fear going out at all. If you don’t know them well, a friendly note on the door could make a big difference in how they weather the next few weeks.
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Did you come up with your step 2 for the last give away yet? Hopefully I have made my info submitted on your new site. thanks Andrea!
Hi Liz,
Yes I posted it over on my facebook page. Look for the picture of the stand mixer.
Great advice Andrea, and hope you and yours are safe as well. Scary times for sure, but together we’ll get through this!! How bought doing a video on making homemade bread the one you do in the oven in the enamel pots!! Just a thought but enjoy your shows emensly and look forward to friday nites. Also maybe more homemade pizza nites and dinners that are homemade and great for a family that is busy with a nursing baby of 4 months and a toddler 3 1/2. That is my concern right now stocking my daughter up so she doesn’t have to go out, and lets be frank, what toddler doesn’t like noodles or chicken potpie lol.
Thanks for your feedback. Yes, home meals using pantry staples like pasta is essential right now. I love the no-knead bread recipes. Be well.