In light of the coronavirus and being told to stock up on food, here are some tips for having a solid supply without compromising your health or needing to break out the piggy bank. For those of you working from home or choosing to not eat out while the coronavirus runs rampant, these tips will ensure you always have something to make at home. As a hungry couple, you can count on us to know a good stash of food. Here’s a sample list: 10 staples, 10 items of fresh stuff, 5 freezer items, and 3 just-for-fun splurges.

PSA #1: For the sake of humanity, do not raid the grocery store shelves. If you’re looking at your cart and wondering “Have I gone too far?” you probably have. Get enough for two weeks and you’ll be fine. These tips will show you that you don’t need the whole shelf of beans to keep you going, nor will you run into the “rice and beans again?” debacle. So, please, be a good human and just get what you need.

Note: The food tips are based on a vegan diet but meant for anyone and everyone. 🙂

Staples:

1. Quick cook brown rice: great for making your own festive bowl
2. Lentils: simple dahl and curries are hearty and stretch past one meal
3. Oats: oats with mixed fruit is a simple no-fuss breakfast
4. Pasta: get whole grain noodles if you can; pasta is cheap and always sounds good (to us)
5. Tomato-based pasta sauce: find one with lower sugar content; this will make a veggie-licious pasta creation come together
6. Olives: green pimento olives are great in pasta (have I said how much we love pasta?)
7. Nutritional yeast: great for sprinkling on pasta, or mixing in salads; use it to make vegan cheese (the vegan’s crack):
   • ½ cup chopped walnuts
   • 2 T nutritional yeast
   • ½ t cane sugar
   • ½ t sea salt
   • Combine in a blender and pulse until you get a fine meal-like texture
8. Nuts: walnuts, almonds, and, if you’re feeling a little fancy, macadamia nuts
9. Beans: the obvious go-to for stocking your pantry; think chili and bean salads
10. Peanut butter: get the natural kind (just nuts and maybe salt); great for stirring in oatmeal, making the classic PB&J (how is this sandwich always so good?!), and spreading on pancakes (don’t get me started on pancakes…)

Fresh stuff:

1. Garlic: either you’re a garlic lover or not, but you will want it to keep things exciting (plus you’re not going out much anyways, so who cares how you/your breath smells?)
2. Onions: the base of any good sauce and stir-fry
3. Avocados: my favorite food (next to pancakes); see this fun story on avocados
4. Sweet potatoes: think chili again, or that festive bowl
5. Apples: chop them up and throw them in oatmeal, or on top of pancakes
6. Bananas: to give you a boost before you go for a walk or jog (go outside!)
7. Spinach/kale: for big salads or topping sandwiches; greens are critical in a time of hunkering down!
8. “meat”: baked tofu (sandwiches), beefless ground beef (you guessed it: pasta), tempeh (stir-fry)
9. Rainbow carrots: these keep well and can go in most anything (sans breakfast…?)
10. Bell peppers: chili, salads, dipped in hummus

Freezer items:

1. Blueberries: a great way to cool down your pot of oats; plus, hello antioxidants!
2. Peas: if you’re making dinner in a pot/pan, chances are you could use some peas
3. Broccoli: see peas
4. Bread: keeps longer in the freezer; just toast it to defrost it, or, obviously, make toast
5. Veggie medley: will make your meal look healthier when you’re running low on fresh stuff

Just-for-fun splurges:

1. Chips and dip: get bean- or grain-based chips (e.g., black bean and quinoa) and bean dip/salsa; tip: jarred salsa will make your chili next level
2. Ice cream: vegan ice cream is usually pretty expensive, but we all need a little fun in our freezer
3. Oat milk, barista blend: if you like coffee, this is the closest I’ve found to half & half; we are far too dependent on this stuff—see you at the alternative milk section?

PSA #2: When you get home from the store, before you do anything else, wash your hands like you just chopped jalapeños and you need to change a contact lens. And keep washing those hands like you’ve never washed them before.

Stay well!