What to Eat in Quarantine

They say that the best way to limit the spread of a virus is through quarantine. For those who have to stay at home due to a contracting or transmitting risk, or for those who have to work from home because of school and daycare closures, here are some recommendations on how to make your place a base camp for the next two weeks.

The pantry

Here are 5 tips for choosing and coordinating your meals.

1) Planning is the key word: Get organized to make a menu for the next 14 days with what you have at home first. If more items are absolutely necessary, then go to the grocery store afterwards.

2) Clean the freezer and focus on frozen products in grocery stores (fruits, vegetables, seafood, meat). You can also cook foods that can be frozen and saved for later (muffins, soups, spaghetti sauce).

3) Think canned goods and preserves! Anything that stays at room temperature is preferred. There's nothing more practical than having canned tuna, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, legumes, vegetables, fruits and RICARDO cooking sauces on hand, which will allow you to have a tasty meal without spending hours cooking.

4) Make sure to have a supply of dry goods such as pasta, oats, rice, lentils, nuts and dried fruit, which can be eaten once fresh foods—that have expiration dates—have been consumed. You can even take advantage of this period to make your own bread and bagels. It's time to take flour, salt and yeast out of the pantry.

5) In the refrigerator, vegetables and fruit that stay fresh longer should be favoured (root vegetables: potatoes, parsnips, carrots, onions, apples, squash), as well as firm cheeses and eggs. You can even make sure you have foods that are not yet ripe, such as avocados, bananas and pears, so that you can wait a few days before eating them.