Getting ready for a coronavirus self quarantine? Meal prepping can keep you well fed during rationing and limited availability of food. Wondering what to meal prep for a coronavirus self quarantine? Coronavirus has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Many national events are being cancelled and businesses are asking their employees to not come into work.
Coronavirus self quarantine
This potential disruption to the food supply chain could mean shortages of food availability. Planning ahead for a self quarantine is easy and it’s best to do it early. Hopefully you’ve already stocked your emergency food pantry. In this article we share six tips for meal planning and meal prep during self quarantine.
Coronavirus self quarantine meal prep tips
Below are a few easy meal prep tips for coronavirus self quarantine:
Stock your kitchen
First: Stock your emergency food pantry with this printable list >
Use the Easy Vegan Meal Planner™ to plan your emergency food kit >
Plan for long term needs
Having a 30-day food supply can help you prevent extreme rationing and maintain satisfaction in your meals throughout a self quarantine. It is uncertain how long a self quarantine for coronavirus will last, it could be fourteen days, or much longer. Plan for enough food for thirty days multiplied by the number of people you feed, additionally, plan for waste and spillage.
Stock up on basic healthy foods
Each day, it is recommended we consume leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, berries, fruits, seeds, nuts, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and herbs and spices.
- View Dr. Gregor’s Daily Dozen recommendations >
- View healthy recipes >
Freeze perishable foods
Focus on stock piling and freezing perishable vegetables and fruits. Make sure and have a plan for storing and meal prepping perishable foods such as leafy greens, fruits, cruciferous vegetables, and others. Having a variety of frozen, dried, and canned leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables and fruits will help you maintain a healthy and satisfying meal prep routine if you’re under self quarantine for coronavirus.
Stock up on non-perishable foods
In addition to perishable foods, also stock up on easy to eat foods such as canned foods, snacks, and baked items, if desired. Look for foods that are oil-free, whole grain, plant-based, and ideally made without chemicals and preservatives. Here’s a list of items at Trader Joe’s that are oil-free and vegan.
Prep your ingredients for quick and easy meals
If you can, take a couple of hours to meal prep some of your food so it’s easy to prepare meals quickly. This would include meal prepping vegetables for the freezer, as well as other kitchen staples such as legumes and whole grains. Restaurants are likely to be closed during a coronavirus quarantine so having ingredients on hand that are ready to go is a good idea.
Print this freezer meal prep tutorial for your recipe binder:
How to freeze fresh vegetables
Equipment
- Freezer ziplock bags (reuse these by washing throughly after each use with soap and water)
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Large cooking pot with steamer basket and lid
- Large bowl with ice water
- Tongs
Shopping List
- Fresh vegetables (such as kale, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, chard, collard greens)
- 1 tsp Iodized salt
- Water
- Ice cubes (optional)
Instructions
Prep
- Wash vegetables.
- Remove stems and chop vegetables to desired size and shape.
- Fill a large bowl with cold water and salt. Place prepared vegetables into salt water bath. Toss well and let for several minutes to sanitize vegetables. Drain water and rinse salt from vegetables with fresh water. Next, refill bowl with icy cold water and ice (ice is optional).
Cook
- Steam or boil vegetables: 3 minutes for leafy greens, 5-7 minutes for thick and fibrous vegetables. Use a sharp knife to check for doneness of fibrous vegetables.
Flash chill
- Transfer cooked vegetables to icy cold water bowl and submerge them into the cold water (this stops the cooking process and keeps the vegetables crisp).
- Drain completely.
Freeze
- Place vegetables into freezer: Leafy greens can go directly in a ziplock bag. Portion into serving sizes if desired prior to freezing. You can also puree the vegetables and freeze them in ice cube trays to make easy vegetable soups and sauces.Large fibrous vegetables should be spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and frozen on the tray for 1 or 2 hours before placing into freezer bag.
Notes
Tips for freezing vegetables in plastic bags
Store frozen vegetables in ziploc freezer bags for easy rationing and storage. Wash and reuse these bags to minimize waste. Press all of the air out of the bag prior to freezing. Prior to placing food into the freezer bags, consider freezing the vegetables on a baking sheet or in a muffin to prevent food from freezing into one giant block.Tips for freezing vegetables on a baking sheet
A good practice for freezing vegetables (and almost anything else) is to first freeze them on a flat baking sheet. This is called "open freezing". This allows you to freeze the vegetables separately to avoid one giant block of frozen vegetables. Place cooked and chilled vegetables onto a parchment lined baking sheet and into the freezer for about four hours, or until frozen solid. Then, transfer vegetables to freezer bags for long term storage.Tips for freezing vegetables in a muffin tin
Muffin tins are great for freezing fresh vegetables. Once you've cooked and chilled your vegetables, portion them into 1/2 cup servings (or less) in a muffin tin. This is helpful for both freezing vegetables without creating one giant block, as well as meal planning and rationing. Lightly grease the muffin tins or line them with parchment paper, however this is generally not necessary because most often the food will easily pop out when frozen. Allow food to freeze for about four hours in muffin tins, or until solid, prior to transferring to a freezer bag.Tips for freezing meal kits
A good idea when freezing vegetables is to consider making meal kits at the same time. You can easily add several different frozen vegetables, sauces, cooked legumes, cooked whole grains and other items to one bag. This will create an easy-to-reheat meal kit, such as a stir-fry, smoothie, or similar dish. Storage: Frozen vegetables will last in the freezer for at least a month, if not many months if frozen properly. This is a great way to ensure you have plenty of leafy greens and vegetables in stock for quick and easy cooking. Tip: Ziplock bags are advised. We suggest avoiding freezing vegetables in glass jars because if the glass jar falls from the freezer it can land on your foot and seriously injure yourself. Tip: Drain your vegetables as thoroughly as possible before placing into your freezer bags. This will help prevent ice crystals from forming which can make your frozen vegetables soggy.Save this post on Pinterest and Facebook:
