*Stocking up does not mean hoarding* please do not feed into panic-buying and clear out the shelves, leaving nothing for your fellow human. This has and is already occurring around the world, and has resulted in unnecessary shortages of essential items, like soap and toilet paper.
Some areas have not been as heavily hit as my town has been and the stores are still pretty well stocked. Take this opportunity to buy a month’s worth of supplies, if you are able to do so. If stores are limiting the number of items they can sell per customer, be respectful of them. Cashiers at my local store have told me toilet paper is re-stocked each night, but every morning, the same people clear it off shelves, leaving nothing for anyone else.
This isn’t a 100% complete list, of course — we all have our own personal, individual needs. So do what you have to do to stay healthy. Buying a bit more now might mean having to make less trips to the store later, and the less we have to go out, the better. Again, this doesn’t mean clearing the shelves, it just means buying one or two when reasonable and affordable.
This guy got all dressed up just to get some broccoli and water bottles:
Here’s how to stock your pantry for a lockdown:
Long-lasting fruits:
Bananas – unripe bananas will ripen over the course of several days, so you can enjoy them as you go
Apples – extend their life in the crisper drawer.
Citrus (oranges, grapefruit, clementines.) Citrus fruits are packed with vitamin C, which is crucial for keeping your immune system strong.
Freezing fruit:
All fruit freezes well for smoothies. Pineapple, mangoes, berries, avocado and peaches are perfect for making smoothies or topping yogurt and oatmeal.
Long-lasting veggies:
Start your at-home stay with hardy veggies, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peppers and cauliflower, which, when unwashed and uncut, stay fresh for several days.
Carrots (in the refrigerator) chop off carrot greens and place the carrots in a sealable container. Completely cover the carrots with water. Keep container in the refrigerator, changing the water ever 4-5 days.
Potatoes – keep best when placed in a well-ventilated container and stored in a dry location, away from sunlight, and at temperatures between 45 and 55 degrees F
Sweet potatoes – last even longer when stored in a dry, cool area – like a cabinet. Not the fridge – they’ll spoil faster!
For a more complete list on how to store fruits and veggies, click here
Freezing Vegetables:
Like fruit, many vegetables freeze well, which mean you can stock now and make less trips to thee store later. Broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin, butternut squash, sliced bell peppers, and green beans all freeze well and make great stir fries. You can even freeze potatoes (for hash browns/latkes) by following these steps.
Kale and spinach also freeze perfectly for smoothies.
Protein:
Dried beans, chickpeas, seeds, popcorn kernals, nuts, nut butters, and seed butters… or make your own, see below. Buy what you enjoy eating, you’ll certainly have time to try out some new recipes and improve your cooking game.
Recipes:
Paper Bag Popcorn: 3 Zero Waste Popcorn Recipes: Microwave, Stove Top, and Popcorn Balls.
Dried Goods:
Flour and sugar have been mostly out of stock around here, so I would buy a bit extra if still available where you are. Stock up on oats, rice, yeast (for making bread), trail mix, granola, and any healthy things you like to snack on. Chia seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids (About 75% of the fats in chia seeds consist of the omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid, while about 20% consist of omega-6 fatty acids!)
Coffee/Tea:
Coffee: store coffee in an opaque, air-tight container at room temperature
Tea: Do not store tea near foods with a strong odor, like onions and keep delicate teas separate from strongly scented teas. Store tea in a dark cabinet or opaque container. Tea does not like humidity, so find a nice dry spot!
Other:
Buying maple syrup or other sweeteners might not be a bad idea. Sometimes I substitute them for sugar when baking, or add a bit to smoothies.
And it’s okay to treat yourself, these are stressful times. I definitely bought a few chocolate bars.
It’s also okay to be a little lazy, we’re giving the Earth a chance to heal. Just don’t get too complacent! This is also an opportunity to learn a new hobby or skill. Improving ourselves empowers ourselves. For some more isolation-creation-inspiration, check out: Staying Active in Isolation: Zero Waste Activities and Craft Ideas
Food Waste:
I know we already are doing our best to avoid wasting food. So here’s another anti-food-waste hack to revive stale bread.
Stale Bread Hack:
Have you ever noticed that fresh bread, you know, the stuff that isn’t injected with preservatives, goes stale quite quickly (probably from the lack of preservatives). Especially bread you may have baked yourself. Here’s a way to revive bread that has just gone stale, but is still perfectly safe to eat. Of course, we’re not talking about week-old moldy bread. No way. You know how you can make croutons or breadcrumbs, or even French toast from day-old stale bread? That’s the type of bread we’re talking about. WE CAN REVIVE IT!!!! *lightning crash* BWAHAHAHAA.
For a more complete list on how to store fruits and veggies, click here
Learn how to preserve your fruit and veg for longer shelf life.
Zero Waste California 