Top 15 Nutrition Tips During Quarantine
While staying at home is good in
terms of slowing down coronavirus, it can absolutely cause a strain on our
health. Staying mindful of how much food we're eating and how much we're moving our body is important at a time
like this, especially if you're learning how to cook for yourself for the first
time. Yet while these things are important, it can also cause anxiety. What
does eating healthy for your body really mean? What are some of the healthy
habits you should be cultivating right now?
To answer our questions, we
turned to a few registered dietitians for their knowledge on how to eat
healthier. Not just to lose weight (even though that's always a plus), but
also to feel your best during this time. From healthy eating
tips to tricks on how to stop snacking all the time, here's what a few of these
experts had to say.
Can't stop thinking about food
while you're home? Here are 39 Ways to Turn Off the Chatter in Your Head About Food.
1. Make a schedule for yourself.
"Structure is key right
now," says Rachel Paul, PhD, RD from Best
Body. "Set times to wake up, start working, [times for] your meals and
snacks, exercise, and going to bed."
For other easy ways to take care
of yourself, here are 28 Simple Tips to Improve Your Health.
2. Still meal prep for the week.
"You can still meal prep
even if you're not leaving the house," says Paul. "Cut up veggies,
cook your proteins and starches. Even if you want to actually make your meals
right before you eat, doing this prep will make it easier to choose a healthy
option. Do this on Sundays and Wednesdays to keep your food fresh."
Make your meal prep even easier
with these 15 Meal Prep Containers You Can Buy for Under $25.
3. Use a formula for your meals.
"Try to build your meals and
snacks around a vegetable, protein, and source of starch," says Casey Seiden MS,
RD, CDN, DCES. "When possible try to order and purchase complex sources of
carbohydrates, so think whole wheat or chickpea-based pastas, brown rice,
beans, quinoa, farro, or oatmeal. All types of vegetables can work- fresh,
canned, and frozen! For proteins, freezing chicken, turkey burgers, beef, and
fish is a good way to preserve fresh purchases, but having eggs, cheeses, and
canned fish can be excellent sources as well."
4. Listen to your hunger signals.
"I think another thing many
of us struggle with is how often to eat, and my best advice is to use this time
to try to tune into your hunger signals," says Seiden. "If you find
yourself eating more mindlessly without feeling physically hungry, try to have
other non-food related activities you can participate in, such as reading,
journaling, organizing the house, or painting your nails."
5. Sip on green tea.
"Consider sipping on green
tea throughout the day," says Crystal Cascio, RDN and Health Coach for
the Anticancer
Lifestyle Program. "Green tea is rich in epigallocatechine gallate
(EGCG) which has been found to have antiviral activity, and has
anti-inflammatory properties to keep your immune system healthy."
6. Eat your fruits and vegetables.
"I know you've heard this
many times over however, I cannot stress this enough during quarantine,"
says Cascio. "Fruits and vegetables contain flavonoids—beneficial
plant-based compounds—which can help you lower inflammation. Inflammation plays
a role in many, if not all, of diseases and illnesses. Flavonoid rich fruits
and vegetables include, and are not limited to, the following: Apples, onions,
tomatoes, oranges, nuts and seeds, berries, green leafy veggies, herbs such as
parsley, celery, etc. Turmeric and green tea are also rich in flavonoids."
Cascio recommends you eat 5 to 7
servings of vegetables a day, and 2 to 3 servings of fruit. She says vitamin C
rich foods, in particular, are a great place to start. "Fruits and
vegetables high in vitamin C include citrus fruits, red bell peppers, green
bell pepper, strawberries, tomatoes, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cantaloupe,
cauliflower, spinach, and green peas," says Cascio.
7. Keep fresh or frozen vegetables on hand.
"One of the easiest things
to do to boost nutrition and improve your body's immunity is to keep fresh or
frozen vegetables on hand to steam and toss into any meal," says Lyssie
Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT from NutritionTwins.com. "If neither of those are
available, low sodium and no sodium added canned veggies can work too (and as
an alternative, you can rinse salt off regular canned vegetables). If you're
making or ordering in Italian, Mexican, Chinese, American, or any other
cuisine, there's no easier way to ramp up fiber, antioxidants, phytonutrients
and vitamins then to do this. Using kitchen staples like eggs, pasta or rice,
you can add the veggies to omelets, burritos, pizzas, pastas, soups,
casseroles, stir-fries and more."
Stock up your freezer with
these 31 Healthy Store-Bought Frozen Foods To Stock In Your Freezer.
8. Put your oil in a spray bottle.
"Many people have olive oil
in their pantries and they pour this heart-healthy oil liberally into their
pans for cooking and on their salads without thinking about it," says
Lakatos. "Each tablespoon adds 120 calories, so it's easy to add upwards
of 500 calories in a day from oil, which could result in a pound of weight gain
each week. Simply spritzing the oil on food can prevent 5 pounds from
accumulating on a person's waistline over the course of a month. If you're
looking to lose a few pounds, this small change can make a big difference."
9. Don't let your produce spoil.
Have fresh produce that is
reaching its last leg? Jeni Hollifield, RDN at HealthyGroceryGirl.com recommends
throwing it in something you're cooking. "Add your produce that is about
to spoil into stir fries, soups or roast in the oven for a quick side!"
10. Work away from your kitchen.
While it's tempting to work near
your snacks all day, try to avoid it by setting up a place to work outside of
your kitchen. "To avoid snacking all day long, keep with a regular food
schedule and make sure to work in a room away from the kitchen," says
Hollifield.
11. Add in some zinc-rich foods.
"Zinc is a micronutrient
that is essential for immune health including having antiviral
properties," says Cascio. "Consider eating zinc rich foods including
beans, plain yogurt, almonds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, whole grains such as
oatmeal, peas, and fish. Zinc is also found in other animal based foods
including lean meats such as poultry. Aim to get most of your zinc from plant
sources, as they will provide you with other beneficial compounds for immune
health found in plants such as flavonoids. You can also use zinc lozenges which
may provide protective effects for the upper respiratory tract."
12. Drink bone broth.
"Bone broth is becoming very
popular but has been around for thousands of years," says Jan Wellmann, an
Integrative Nutrition Health Coach (INHC) with certification from the Institute
for Integrative Nutrition. He is also the co-founder and CEO of WaveLife Technologies USA.
"It is filled with collagen, which supports digestion and gives our immune
system a boost. The gelatin in the bone broth repairs our intestinal lining and
reduces inflammation."
13. Eat fermented foods.
"Fermented foods augment
antibodies to help protect and fight diseases, thus providing a boost to our
immune system," says Wellmann. "The existing flora acts as a
protector to the small intestines and also produces antioxidants that cleanse
our bodies and improve digestion." Wellmann suggests consuming fermented
food and drinks like kombucha, sauerkraut, and tempeh.
14. Add in some healthy fats to your diet.
"Focus on healthy fats such
as avocados, nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, fish, grass-fed,
pasture-raised meats, and fresh whole foods whenever possible during
self-isolation," says Wellmann. "Don't forget to hydrate heavily with water."
15. Integrate whole grains into
your meals.
"Dry goods like oatmeal,
lentils and whole-grain pasta and cereals can be great sources of fiber, iron,
and magnesium, and some cereals are also fortified with Vitamin D,"
says Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, and Sr. Director for Worldwide Nutrition
Education and Training at Herbalife Nutrition. "The most important feature
is to ensure that you're buying "whole grain" to get the full
benefit, so read labels carefully."
If you order food, make sure to
keep these 7 Tips for Safe Food Ordering Amid Coronavirus Concerns in
mind.
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