Quarantine Cooking
Welp, if you’re here, you are rightfully concerned for escalating CV-19 measures and taking care of yourself should you be quarantined. Panic isn’t necessary, but preparation and caution are mandatory.
If your grocery store aisles are beginning to thin out, here’s my suggestion of what to purchase, including some online options. The list is considers cost, nutrients, shelf life, and usability post-quarantine.
With the economy in question, you’ll want to keep an eye on costs, so we’ll focus on raw materials with multiple uses, so nothing goes to waste. Regardless of your infection status, the stress will have all our immune systems down, so I’ve linked healthful recipes using the raw materials in the list. Using fresh ingredients will help you stay satiated and fortified, giving your body the support it needs right now.
We don’t want you buying items you’ll never use again or that would go bad within a few weeks, so I’m also recommending items that can stay safe in your pantry, freezer, or frig for a few months, to account for the lack of predictability around if/when you may be isolated. This also gives you time to still consume the items post-quarantine.
With any food shopping, buy only what you’re familiar with and comfortable with. If you’ve never liked it before, now isn’t the time to buy food you won’t eat. That said, this list exists to help you decide what can be stretched into multiple meals, without a large investment, if space and budget are a concern.
This list is based on how I keep my own pantry stocked, and this entire website is based on my own pantry. So take advantage of the search feature to see how to utilize these raw ingredients listed above for nutrient-rich, satiating, and functional home cooking.
PANTRY ITEMS:
Beans:
- chickpea, white, black, pinto, lentils
- dried are signficantly cheaper than canned, but if you refuse to cook your own beans, canned is fine
Pasta:
- Egg noodles, spaghetti, linguine
- All easy to prepare small portions as needed
- fresh ravioli can be frozen, and cooked in basic butter and grated cheese
Canned vegetables:
- Tomatoes in various forms are the most usable, for sauces or beefing up basic pasta; most other vegetables are best frozen
Rice & other grains:
- Rice, arborio rice, barley, farro, quinoa, polenta
- Can keep for a while and can be foundations for leftover vegetables to make quick, cheap pilafs/salads
Nuts & nut butters:
- Calorie-dense and good shelf life
- If in a pinch, can make nut milk
All-purpose flour:
- For making bread or other baked goods (stress-eating a sheet cake? yes, please!)
Bread:
- You'll save money making it at home, and if you're comfortable with that, buy a few packets of yeast.
- If your bread is still "good" after a couple weeks on the shelf, its chock full of preservatives. Buy/make fresh loaves. Pre-slice it and store in the freezer. Toast only what you need, when you need it.
- This goes for tortillas or wraps, too. You can freeze them and warm up only what you need, when you need. And you can easily make your own, too.
Stock & bouillon:
- Stock is best and cheapest when made fresh
- find a vegan bouillon (I like Rapunzel brand) to add flavor to basic rice or vegetable braises, when chicken stock isn't available
Powdered milk & buttermilk
- for baking
- can be stored in frig; long shelf-life
- can be reconstituted with water for regular use
Aromatics:
- garlic, onions, shallots
- herbs, celery, bell peppers, carrots (can be prechopped/sliced and stored in the freezer)
FRESH ITEMS:
Eggs (can keep for a few weeks before "rotting" - you'll know it when you smell it)
Butter (store extra in the freezer or the back of the frig)
Sausage (store in freezer)
Coffee
Fermented dairy like yogurt and sour cream
Blocks of cheese (parmesan, goat, feta, halloumi, cheddar)
Chicken leg quarters
Chicken wings (if you have a slow cooker to make your own stock)
Ground beef or lamb
Shrimp (can be stored in freezer)
Smoked salmon or trout
FREEZER ITEMS:
Vegetables:
- especially greens, that can be cooked into pialfs, soups, and even risotto (spinach risotto works quite well)
- peas, artichokes, corn, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts
- with any of thse, you can take out just what you need, then reseal the remaining vegetables in the freezer, to extend the use without waste
Breads, Dough & Batter:
- fresh ravioli, cake batter & icing, pancake batter
- pastry dough, premade pizza dough, tortilla dough, cookie dough, bisciuits
- pre-sliced baked bread, pre-made tortilla, crepes/wraps
Stocks, precooked rice, meats, sausage, egg whites, soup
Potatoes and dairy do not freeze well (other than butter and yogurt)
CREATURE COMFORTS:
- If you bake, make sure you have sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, eggs, chocolate, powdered milk, yeast.
- Coffee, tea, wine!
- for additional nutrients, consider a greens powder, like Delicious Greens 8000 (via Amazon)
