Help! I’m stuck at home and my diet has gone out the window! I’ve got you!
First things first. You are not alone. This is new territory for us all, and we’re all doing the best we can. With that said, I almost wish I would have invested stock in pasta. In grocery stores all around America, the spaghetti isle has been ransacked. Chips, frozen pizzas and peanut butter—they can’t stock the shelves fast enough. Conversely, walk over to the produce section and options are boundlessly available (and on sale! I’ve never been able to purchase spring mix as inexpensively as I did this week.) The trend is apparent. We’re stocking up on packaged foods because produce seem far too perishable. Here are a few tricks to make ensure we’re not compromising our vitamin, mineral, and nutrient intake as a result of quarantine.
- Sweet potatoes, potatoes, squash, onions, carrots, cabbage and beets have an impressively long shelf life. You can leave them on your counter uncooked to be added to meals and they won’t rot.
- Pasta, bread, and even most rice foods are a large degree devoid of nutrients. They’re often referred to as “fillers/empty calories”. Quinoa, lentil pasta, and even basmati rice offers far more nutritional value for a comparative cost and shelf life.
- Apples and oranges stay vibrant up to 2 weeks! Stock up. You can even smear some peanut butter on your apple as a snack. Normally Ayurveda doesn’t recommend eating fruits with other foods because it can cause gas, but right now we’re focusing on getting more nutrients into our bodies.
- Blueberries and strawberries freeze well. You can add a handful of berries to some almond milk and blend for a smoothie or add berries to your cereal.
- Cereal—it’s usually not ideal, but it preserves well and can provide fortified nutrients. The brand Kashi can be trusted. And good news—almond milk can last up to a year unopened and has a longer shelf life than regular milk in the refrigerator. (Plus, it’s way healthier).
- Frozen veggies! You can freeze your own or buy ready to steam bags of your favorite veggies. Even if you choose to enjoy a frozen pizza, you can always pop a bag of frozen veggies in the microwave to compliment your meal.
- Frozen food is better than canned food. Manufacturers must add a large amount of salt to canned food as means to preserve it. If you’re eating a lot of canned beans for example, rinsing then will cleanse away the excess sodium.
- Supplement with good stuff! You can add 1 tsp of golden milk powder to your hot almond milk, oatmeal, or smoothie. This ensures that you’re ingesting immune building compounds.
- Drink detox & replenish tea. Add 1 tsp to 8 ounces of hot water. This boosts your metabolism and helps to flush out toxins.
- Cook with Agni spices. This blend burns away toxins, reduces inflammation, and tastes so good that you won’t need to relay on sugar and salt filled sauces.
A recipe for you:
Ingredients
2 cups basmati rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons of Agni powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup vegetable stock
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
One 13.5-ounce can coconut milk
1 to 2 tablespoons honey
1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
Cook Basmati rice according to the package instructions. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until onions are dark brown and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in the Agni powder and garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in vegetable stock and stir to scrape up all the brown bits in the pan. Add chickpeas, coconut milk, honey and a squirt of sriracha. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Warm the naan in the microwave. Serve the curry over rice.
- By Kristen Schneider, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Writer, and Yoga Instructor
Kristen’s website is www.wellblends.com which includes items like Golden Milk, detox & replenish tea, and Agni. Right now they are 20% off with promocode: Wellness2020.
Kristen Schneider teaches Power Yoga and Flow 2 and shares her wisdom with our students at Bella Prana Yoga & Meditation, Tampa, FL. Voted Best of the Bay and offering over 95 classes a week.
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