NATUROPATH MAMA’S WHOLE FOODS QUARANTINE PREPPING

Quarantine prepping?! Who would’ve thought I’d be talking about this? Certainly not me!

What to do then, when you eat whole foods, but you may have to quarantine yourself and your family for 2 weeks? I think the hardest part of this is not really knowing when it will happen. I could have a full fridge today, but find myself having to quarantine as my fridge starts to empty out next week. Can’t just pop to the shops at that point! (and many online delivery places are booked out well in advance!) 

So Mama’s, here we are, making our way through tricky times, thinking about things I never thought I’d have to. Like “How the heck can we keep eating whole foods while in quarantine?”

RESISTING THE PANIC

I’ve been studiously trying to resist panic buying, it was very hard at the Whole Foods shop the other day – the panic and fear were palpable. I’ve only been buying what we need and what we can fit in the fridge. Let’s face it, how much space you have in the fridge and freezer is a limiting factor with what you can buy and store for a 2 week quarantine like we’re being asked to do if you start having symptoms of Corona Virus. (Let me add that I think we should all be mindful of staying at home any time that we feel sick! Keep those bugs at home and lessen the spread of germs).

WORKING ON ME & MY IMMUNE SYSTEM

We’ve been working on boosting our immune system, using food, nutrients, and herbal remedies. The aim is to have our bodies in great shape to respond to the virus when we get it. Yes, not if, but when folks, that’s where it’s at. The health departments are saying we will all likely get it. So, if you’d like to know more about your immune system, how it works, and how to make sure your body is ready for action, I’m running a webinar on Saturday 21st March at 3.30 pm. If you can’t make the time, don’t worry, there’s a recording. Find out more about the webinar, and save your spot here.

QUARANTINE PREPPING MADNESS

I noticed when I was at the supermarket last (maybe a week ago), that all the early quarantine preppers had taken the crappy processed foods like white flour, 2-minute noodles, tinned spaghetti, baked beans etc. I know they last for a long time, but they’re some of the last things I’d put in my body when I wanted it to be in top shape to fight a virus. There were still heaps of whole foods available.

Yeah, some things like fruit and veg won’t last as long as we need them to, but when I was writing a shopping list today (with my fingers crossed that these things are available still!) I thought of loads of whole foods that are perfect for quarantine prepping.

That is, they’ll be good in the pantry, fridge, or freezer for a while. So I’m going to share my list with you, to help you with quarantine prepping the whole foods way. I will say, that some things on the list might not be what I would ordinarily buy, but they are on the list because they should be available, they’ll last and they’re nourishing. So yeah, the frozen salmon may not be the best option, but it’s going to feed us and keep us nourished, so let’s stick with that.

PRIMAL STYLE EATING

Another note is that we eat more primal style – like paleo but with some dairy products. We’re not super strict, but we still don’t really do beans and lentils. (Although my teen who loves to cook often asks for beans for Mexican meals!) I do give my kids more grains or carbohydrate foods too, because I feel their bodies need these more than I do. If you eat those things then add them to your list. I’m guessing they’ll be hard to come by right now as everyone’s panicked and bought up all the long-life stuff.

It’s important to remember that in the current situation, you are being asked to socially distance yourselves, not isolate. So at this stage, you can still go to the shops next week or beyond and re-stock food. You only need to isolate if you are unwell or have recently traveled. Please consider the current government warnings before you start stockpiling. This means that people who can’t afford to buy in bulk or at this time, won’t be able to get what they need when they have funds to do so.

STORING VEGETABLES LONGER

I keep my fruit and vegetables in a Tupperware fridge mates. My sister uses the vegetable bags ‘The Swag’ with great success, and that’s what I’ll be moving to when my Tupperware gets old or broken. They keep the vegetables fresh and crisp for a longer time. So no limp carrots or soggy spinach leaves in your crisper drawer.

HERE’S MY QUARANTINE-PREPPING SHOPPING LIST

Yep, keeping it real simple here. I’ve made a list, you can look at it on your phone in the shops, or write your own out with quantities on it.

DAIRY/FRIDGE

• organic/biodynamic yoghurt – natural/greek/plain cows/sheep/goats milk
• organic salted butter
• organic unsalted butter
• cheese sheep/goats/cows
• dips (avoid those with canola oil)
• kombucha
• kefir
• sauerkraut

MEAT, POULTRY, FISH

• minced and diced beef/lamb
• frozen salmon portions (Aldi)
• tinned pink/red salmon (Aldi is wild caught, make sure whatever you get has bones & skin in to)
• tinned sardines in springwater (Aldi or Brunswick brand are wild caught)
• smoked chicken or ham
• pate
• eggs – lots of lovely free range, organic

PANTRY

• extra virgin olive oil
• coconut oil
• bone broth concentrate (EG Meadow & Marrow)
• crackers
• curry powder
• herbs & spices
• coconut cream
• passata/tinned tomatoes
• tomato paste
• sauces & condiments
• fresh ginger, turmeric

STURDY VEGETABLES

• potatoes – white/sweet
• onions, leek, garlic
• beetroot
• leafy greens like baby spinach leaves, rocket, kale
• cabbage
• carrots
• radish
• zucchini
• broccoli
• cauliflower

FRUIT

• oranges
• lemons, limes
• apples
• pears
• rhubarb
• stone fruits
• frozen berries

GRAINS, NUTS, SEEDS

• rolled oats/quinoa flakes
• buckwheat kernels
• rice
• quinoa
• almonds
• cashews
• walnuts
• pepitas
• sunflower seeds
• chia seeds
• hemp seeds 

WHERE TO PUT IT ALL?

Full disclosure: I have a giant fridge/freezer, plus a bar fridge and an upright freezer. There are 6 of us, 4 adult-sized eaters, so we need the space. I did think that most crunchy Mama’s that I know have extra freezers and fridges, so I’m confident you’ll have no prob fitting my shopping list in your home. hehehe. We are planning to turn on our giant camping fridge too, so we can put some extra food in there when we really have to quarantine ourselves.

Now one more thing. You’ve got all this beautiful food, don’t let it go to waste.

DO SOME PREPPING TO MAKE IT LAST EVEN LONGER

Many of you may already be making your own kombucha, kefir and sauerkraut. Just like our ancestors made these traditional, fermented foods out of necessity, you can too! Fermenting foods enhances the nutrients and flavour, as well as helping it last a long time. So if you run out of fresh vegetables, no worries, you’ve got fermented vegetables to bridge the gap. Our family loves ginger carrots, kimchi, and sauerkraut.

I made my Vegan Kale Pesto today with basil, mint, parsley, and silverbeet, all from the garden. Kids will eat that, but they won’t eat silverbeet if I serve that up! The Pesto can also be frozen into ice trays. Once frozen, pop them into a storage container in the freezer, and you can defrost smaller amounts when you need them. With the beetroot, make my Pickled Beetroot. You won’t regret that and it lasts for ages.

With the seeds, you can make my favourite Seedy Porridge or these Seedy Crackers. The Seedy Porridge blend can be cooked and eaten warm or made into a chia porridge with the yoghurt you’ve bought. The crackers are a great vehicle for pate. Yum.

WHAT’S ON YOUR LIST?

I’ve done some online bulk shopping, but heading out to get some things later this week, wish me luck! 

Please take some time to look after yourself and be mindful of your stress and anxiety levels, as it is really easy for them to rise up and stay up in this climate of fear and uncertainty. Stress has a negative impact on your immune system and many parts of your body. You can read more about that here. Remember that for most healthy people, this virus shouldn’t be too bad. Stick with the basics – washing hands thoroughly, avoiding crowded places, and people who are unwell. If you feel unwell in any way, please call the Australian Government’s Coronavirus helpline on 1800 020 080 for advice on whether to see your GP or get tested. You can access the Australian Government’s Corona Virus symptom checker here.

Naturopathy is well placed to help support your body and your immune response, I always offer free acute consults. These will only be available via video conferencing with Zoom at this time. Remedies are extra and can be posted or delivered locally. Find a time to talk to me about your health and what you can do to support it at this time, here.