Good nutrition is vital, and a balanced, healthier diet is needed now more than ever. With the pandemic going stronger, a good immune system is your best bet to healthy survival. The key to this is good food and better hydration. Isolation makes it trickier, but don’t worry; we’ve got your back. Here is how to eat well during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Grocery Shopping- Buy Only What You Need
Hoarding has become a common practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Panic buying is, contrary to popular belief, an ill practice. Not only does it increase food prices and lead to uneven distribution, but it also leads to overconsumption and unhealthy binging. Speaking of increasing prices, you can fight them using grocery coupons from Coupon XOO, where all you have to do is enter the coupons you’re looking for, and voila, they shall appear. This way, you can save your cash while eating well.
Also, when you bring in too much food, you make yourself vulnerable to eating stale items. So, instead of over-purchasing, buy only what you need with your concern being up to a week. Come up with a diet plan and assess what you already have. Shop based on this data. This will allow you to consume food while it is still fresh, and no food will be wasted either.
Fresh First
Use fresh ingredients with lower shelf life, like fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, first. For two reasons, the first is that using them first ensures that no food is wasted and you eat at their pinnacle of healthy nutrition, and the second, that fresh produce is conveniently available at all times.
Eat Home Cooked Meals
When you spent all day at work, you did not have time to cook at home. Now, when you’re in isolation at stuck at home, use the opportunity to cook food from scratch. No matter how healthy the food you eat out is, home-cooked food is always healthier. Look for simple recipes online. You can find many easy, healthy, and still delicious recipes rather easily. Experiment with ingredients you can find. You can keep these in your budget by using coupons from Coupon XOO, where you can easily get your hands on all kinds of coupons for free.
Food Delivery
While eating food at home is your best option, not everyone is privileged enough to find the time to cook at home, what with the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, illnesses, and instances of longer working hours. So, if home cooking is not an option, know that many businesses deliver COVID-19 precautions and safety. Opt for no contact delivery that a lot of businesses offer. This way, you get the food you need without any human interaction required. Remember, only use reliable sources that provide services in your area if you’re worried about overwhelming prices due to reduced wages and overwhelmed systems, head on to Coupon XOO and find coupons that help you reduce the food and delivery charges.
Limit Salt, Fat, and Sugar Intake
We recommend fresh
food because canned foods contain large amounts of salt, fats, and sugar. You should try to eat food with low or no salt and sugar, as these tamper with your health in ways greater than you can imagine. The World Health Organization suggests that less than 5 grams of salt and less than 5% of total energy intake of sugar should be consumed for adults.
Salt intake can be reduced by rinsing canned foods if you cannot avoid them. Also, try to avoid pickled foods. You would find it surprising that about 50-75% of the salt we consume is the salt already present in the food, and not that added ourselves. So, avoid adding salt on and instead try using other herbs and spices.
Sugar intake can be reduced by entirely avoiding canned juice and fruits as they contain large sugar amounts. When you crave sugar, always opt for fruits instead of empty-calorie foods. Opt for desserts with low sugar amounts or eat in small portions if you cannot entirely avoid them.
Avoid trans fats as much as possible. You can do this by reading labels and avoiding common foods like doughnuts, cookies, and pizzas. Pro tip: any food is as healthy as less it is processed.
Hydrate
It may seem obvious when we say “drink water,” but it is not. Most of us do not consume enough water. When we say hydrate, we mean you should avoid sweetened drinks, caffeinated drinks, alcohol, and energy drinks. Water is and always will be the healthiest thing you can provide to your body.
Consume Fibre
Fiber is your best friend. Not only does it help your digestive system, but it also gives an illusion of fullness, which helps you avoid overeating. Try eating whole grain foods. For example, replace your bread, rice, and pasta, with brown bread, brown rice, and wheat pasta.
Conclusion
You are what you eat. Remember, the trick is to not skip any meals and not replace meals with unhealthy substitutes. Also, while we are at it, to eat well is good, but to integrate exercise into your schedule, divine. What’s better? You can now get coupons so that your pocket does not hurt your path to health. Head on to Coupon XOO now! Stay well.
