Going to the grocery store can be overwhelming during this pandemic. Buying freezer friendly and staple foods allows for a longer shelf life. At the same time, you can save money. Buying canned foods or foods you can freeze allows for less frequent trips to the grocery store.
Keep in mind that you can freeze any vegetable you buy bagged. For example, if you’re buying a few bags of spinach and are not sure if you plan on using them within the next few days, throw them in the freezer so they don’t go bad!
Maintaining healthy eating habits is one of the best ways to stay healthy and boost immune health. Making sure you’re buying foods that last will help you continue to eat healthy in this time of uncertainty. Here’s a few tips so you can get the most out of your trips to the grocery store.
Tips for Buying Canned goods:
- Check the expiration date
- Aim for “No Salt Added” or “Low Sodium” canned goods
- “Low sodium” is considered <140 mg of sodium per serving on the food label
- Check for sales (i.e., 5/$5)
Staple Foods:
- Canned vegetables
- Canned fruit (100% fruit juice based)
- Peanut butter
- Canned chicken
- Canned tuna
- Whole grain pasta
- Brown rice
- Beans (i.e., kidney beans, chickpeas, black beans)
- Oats
- Olive oil
Freezable Foods
- Vegetables
- Bagged spinach
- Freeze meat once purchasing
- Seafood
- Turkey burgers
- Veggie burgers
- Bread
- Fruit such as bananas
Maintain a Balanced Diet
This White Bean Soup Recipe is an excellent option for a healthy, high volume meal you can prepare. It is a perfect balance of quantity and quality. We try and use the healthiest ingredients for a meal that’s good for your body and tastes great. Balance is key in cuisine, and the combination of these ingredients is a recipe to remember.
White Bean Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large carrot chopped
- 1 celery rib chopped
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 15-ounces canned white beans drained and rinsed, I like to buy low sodium
- 2 cups baby spinach
- Grated parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
1. In a large pot, heal olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add onions and cook for about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, oregano and pepper and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
4. Add in the vegetable broth and white beans and bring to a boil.
5. Then reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Stir in the spinach until wilted. Feel free to add more spinach if you prefer.
7. Remove from heat and serve with some grated cheese.
Enjoy! We hope Behavioral Nutrition can be a source of inspiration for eating healthy and acting positive.