The world has gone insane right now. Here in Toronto, our schools are shut for the next three weeks, grocery stores are full of people grabbing essentials and fighting over toilet paper. Grocery shopping during coronavirus is nuts, and nobody really knows how all of this is going to unfold.

It’s pretty scary. Even our Prime Minister’s wife has it! OMG!!

But one thing I’m determined to do is to give you all the best, more current, and more science-based information about nutrition and the covid-19, as it becomes available. I’ve seen more than enough horrible advice online about how to prevent and treat the virus, and I always call out whoever is trying to make a profit from peddling this sort of bullshit to panicked people.

We’re all vulnerable and anxious right now, so we need to think rationally. 

We all know how to grocery shop, but during the covid-19 outbreak, is there anything out of the ordinary that you need to consider before heading to the store? What exactly should you buy?

Here’s some do’s and dont’s of grocery shopping during coronavirus:

Get groceries delivered if you’re vulnerable.

Grocery delivery is a great way to avoid the store altogether if you’re immunocompromised (or just hate crowds). Covid-19 is spread through contact and sneezing, so if you’re not around anyone else, you lessen your risk dramatically.

Stock up on foods that are nourishing and less-perishable.

That means the following (things that can be frozen are marked with a *)

Canned beans and lentils, tomatoes, and tomato paste, anchovy paste, tuna

Nut butters and nuts*

Pasta, whole grains like quinoa, freekeh, and wheatberries. rice, oatmeal

Chicken/vegetable stock*

Frozen Ezekiel bread*

Eggs

Butter*, cheese, and yogurt*

Frozen vegetables and fruits, plus longer-lasting produce like citrus fruit, broccoli, cauliflower, root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, squash*, onions*

Avocados* (pit, slice, and freeze)

Meat like turkey*, ground beef,* chicken*, shrimp* 

Tofu

Olive oil, canola oil

Chocolate and ice cream*

Spices – I always keep chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, dried oregano, dried tarragon

Pet food

Prescriptions, Tylenol, Advil, thermometer probe covers, Kleenex, toilet paper (but not 50 packs, please), paper towel and wipes

Laundry and dishwashing detergent

Hand sanitizer, hand soap, dish soap

According to authorities, there is no need to buy water. 

Remember that if you get this coronavirus, chances are that you’ll come out of it just fine. Most healthy people get only mildly ill with flu-like symptoms. 

What not to do:

Don’t be an asshole at the store. 

I’ve seen a couple of posts on social media this morning that had me shaking my head. People butting into checkout lines in grocery stores, others being totally rude with store staff because the store was sold out of certain things…as my followers, I’m sure none of you are assholes to begin with, but anxiety and panic can make us behave differently.

Remember, we’re all afraid. Be kind.

Don’t hoard food and supplies. 

I think we’re all born with the impulse to go nuts and stock up during an emergency. I think it’s because we feel such a loss of control right now, that holding things close and buying everything in sight is a way to feel like we have some sort of power over the situation. 

But if you buy more than your share, that leaves nothing for others, who may then be the person who infects someone because they couldn’t access hand sanitizer, soap, or whatever.

Hoarding contributes to the pandemic, it doesn’t flatten the curve. 

Stay inside if you’re sick.

This goes without saying. Don’t be like that idiot who chose to get on a plane and fly to Palm Beach when he knew he was infected. 

Don’t listen to charlatans.

The only thing that prevents covid-19 is social distancing and handwashing.

Not vitamins.

Not supplements.

Not a keto diet.

Not a vegan diet.

Not elderberry syrup.

Not zinc. 

There are a TON of people who call themselves ‘doctor’ on the internet, who aren’t actually medical doctors at all. Here’s one of them (and my response to his tweet).

Check your sources. Don’t panic-buy colloidal silver or anything else that some asshole is selling just to take advantage of people during this time.

Remember: if any of this worked, we wouldn’t have a pandemic now, would we?

Don’t go nuts with vitamins.

Again, these won’t prevent anything. You get enough vitamins and minerals in your food, as long as you’re eating a balanced diet.

Please don’t complain.

This is a hard one that I’m guilty of as well! 

Yes, the world is upside down now. Yes, the kids are home for weeks on end, and your vacation got cancelled, and your schedule is thrown off and omg! It’s all annoying.

But we’re all in the same boat. It sucks, but what the world needs now is positivity.

Now’s the time to do the stuff you’ve been meaning to do but haven’t had the time! 

Start a blog, clean the basement, batch cook 100 bags of tomato sauce.

This too shall pass. I’m here with you!

 

Abby XO