Eating well in lockdown
To eat well in Lockdown can be easier than you think.
Here are some of my helpful simple tips to eat well and stay healthy in and after Lockdown.
As we face another 3 weeks of lockdown, finding our way through the challenges of balancing home-schooling, working and trying to support our families and other vulnerable persons such as elderly parents or neighbours it’s important to ensure we focus on keeping ourselves and our families eating well.
In times of stress we often reach for sweet treats or comforting foods, which are full of sugar and fats as a natural response to finding a quick energy boost. In the short term they can be comforting and seem calming, however long-term these are nutrient poor, calorie loaded choices that impact our health and wellbeing. They mess with our blood sugar which causes havoc with mental and hormonal health, reduces our immune function and digestion. Our body functions at its best when given fresh whole foods. They are nutrient dense and contain plenty of bioavailable compounds which your body understands how to breakdown and utilise effectively.
Make time to cook
Make some time in the kitchen to rediscover ingredients, recipes and cooking – your body and mind will thank you for it!
Making a new routine or positive patterns in the kitchen at this time will continue when lockdown finishes.
If you don’t cook every day, perhaps challenge yourself to cook one meal from scratch each day. You can use the leftovers as lunch for the following day. This cook once, eat twice, pattern is time and cost effective. Plus, it will ensure you are eating delicious and nutritious food daily.
2. Pack in the flavours
Ginger, Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Turmeric, Chilli, Rosemary, Parsley, Thyme & Asafoetida are just a few of the wide range of culinary herbs and spices to make our foods taste great and which also support the body. Fresh, dried and frozen, they are easy to store and so simple to add into everything from smoothies, to soups, sauces, salads, curry’s, pie's, Bolognese etc etc the list is truly endless! Ensure you add them to every meal.
Herbs and Spices are the worlds natural medicine cupboard. They contain lots of potent actions - anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-fungal, anti-viral & anti-bacterial.
Plus they make our food taste fantastic!
3. Focus on eating Nutrient Dense foods
Longevity Studies agree that the most important thing you can do for your health is to eat more fresh whole foods. These studies demonstrated an increase in lifespan and a decrease in disease and chronic conditions which can hamper our physical and mental health. Our most nutrient dense foods come from plants, so focus on eating 10 portions fruits and veggies per day. Think colour and variety. 1 portion = the size of a cupped hand of vegetables and fruits, 2 cupped hands for leafy greens and berries.
Plants are full of amazing phytonutrients that have a variety of health giving and protective properties; antioxidants, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancerous. Eat an abundance of colourful fruit and veggies daily to get the full benefits.
Why not challenge yourself by adding an extra vegetable or fruit to every meal
– your body will thank you for it!
4. Utilise your freezer
Plenty of fruits and vegetables are available in frozen form and they remain nutrient rich from being frozen when picked. They also contain fewer preservatives, which are sprayed on foods to keep them fresh from farm to shop.
I always make sure I have the following in the freezer;
Broccoli has a much higher vitamin C and antioxidant content when bought frozen and is generally cheaper than fresh. Gently steam to keep crunchy and add as an accompaniment to meals, in warm salads and buddha bowls – dress with lemon juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper to make it sing!
Peas (always a freezer staple of mine and most households) retain their Vitamin C levels much better when frozen and are easier to prepare. Try adding them to the end of curries - they add a little cool crunchiness to each mouthful!
Spinach contains far more B vitamins and beta-carotene and lasts much longer then its fresh counterpart. It is also so versatile - from smoothies to soups, I love it in Bolognese, ragu, ratatouille and curries. Just throw into the sauce and allow to defrost.
Bananas freeze well and make a useful addition to smoothies, ice cream, baking or porridge. I love making N-ICE cream – bananas, coconut milk, avocado and vanilla paste – and boom you have a delicious added sugar free desert. You can freeze a banana whole with the skin on, but its easier to chop them into a freezer bag than to grapple with peeling a frozen banana with a knife – although I have done it on many occasions! I like to freeze them when they are turning to ensure they don’t go to waste.
Frozen Berries are loaded with vitamin C making them antioxidant packed and anti-inflammatory. They can be added to smoothies and deserts, taken out of the freezer and allowed to defrost and eaten at room temperature, or add to water on hot days as tasty ice-cubes that can be eaten afterwards!
Don’t forget to freeze any fresh vegetables that may go to waste. Or batch cook meals and freeze them so you have nutritious foods ready to eat when you are short on cooking time!
5. Stock up on Store Cupboard essentials
Store cupboard staples which have a long shelf life and are bursting with nutrients and fibre are essential all year round. Many of these I use on a daily basis!
Oats - are a good source of fibre and are a pre-biotic for our gut bacteria. They also contain compounds called Beta-glucans which supports healthy immune function. Oats are a fantastic breakfast foods but also work very well in baking as an alternative to regular flour. Just blitz the oats in a blender to create a fine flour - perfect if there is none available in the supermarkets.
Tinned oily fish such as anchovies, sardines, mackerel, salmon and herring contain lots of the healthy omega 3 fatty acids which are anti-inflammatory and also support mood and brain function. Aim for 2-3 portions of oily fish per week – fresh, frozen or tinned, wild and sustainably fished if possible. Tuna fish is not an oily fish and should be limited as it also can contain high levels of mercury which can be dangerous to the body.
Beans, legumes and pulses – tinned or dried are excellent stock piling foods as they are cheap, last for ages and are so versatile. They are fantastic sources of fibre and mineral content. Just remember to soak them overnight before you use them. They are versatile and great as a meat alternative in curries, they can be used in healthy baking and make a variety of tasty dips.
Dried Fruits, Nuts & seeds – great to have in your cupboard great snack foods full of good levels of minerals and healthy fats, just go easy on the fruits due to the sugars. I love using dried apricots in salads or cooked grains with spices to give a flavoursome Moroccan taste. Flax and Chia seeds are often my go-to breakfast, great for digestive and hormonal health.
Tahini – Made from sesame seeds, Tahini is rich in anti-oxidants vitamins and minerals. It’s a staple in my kitchen for everything from hummus to smoothies, dips, salad dressings, halva, drizzled over grilled peaches and other fruits and in baking, it’s so versatile.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Is packed with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties from its polyphenol compounds, monounsaturated fatty acids especially oleic acid, and vitamins E and K. I use EVOO every single day. Drizzle over salads, roast your root veggies in it and toss steamed broccoli and other cruciferous veggies in it with a squeeze of lemon and a little salt and pepper for a very tasty accompaniment to any meal.
