Readers are always asking me how to eat healthy. Now during this virus pandemic, it is especially important that the food you buy, prepare, and eat is of the highest quality. Your body needs to keep its immune system healthy. There is the need for making sure what is eaten provides the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids and other nutrients needed to keep systems at their highest level.
You do not get any nutritional value from processed foods, sugars and soft drinks, the three most commonly found “foods” in the home. These products will tend to fill you up but provide very little, if any, nutrients your body needs. They also serve as a replacement for what you should be eating.
Although I’ve been involved in food education for most of my life, here are three lessons I learned during this stay-at-home epidemic time. Number 1 is to always have nutritious foods on hand. This is food that can be easily prepared, is not processed or loaded with sugars. Secondly, is to know what is available. Really know what is in your cupboards, pantry, refrigerator and freezer. Write it down, if necessary, so meals can be planned around the food available. And third, know what to do with what you have. Do you have the necessary ingredients for your favorite meals? Or is this the time to go out of your comfort zone, try new recipes, and improvise? I have used all of these.
In the following blogs I will be delving more into healthy meal planning. So come back this week and I’ll have suggestions for healthy food buying and preparation during this tough time.
Stay safe and talk to you soon,
Lee Jackson
Food and Family Studies
