Cooking Healthy at Home During the Coronavirus
As countries around the world go into lockdowns, every one of us is obliged to ensure better health while staying indoors. Restricted exercising and inactivity can make our lifestyles quite unhealthy. Eating greens is also not so easy these days because fresh produce is not accessible. And yet, in this current scenario, good nutrition is vital to keep the immunity system strong. So, how to you maintain optimal health?
Here are some ideas for cooking healthy at home during the Coronavirus pandemic without worrying about going outdoors for grocery shopping.
Limit the Intake of Highly-Processed Food
When using fresh produce is not possible, boost your immune system by limiting the intake of highly-processed food. They include packaged snacks, instant food, and desserts. They often contain a high amount of saturated fat, unhealthy sugar, and salt. Thus, compromising the immune system by not providing enough protein and nutritional value.
In addition to the processed food, avoid sugary soft drinks as well. The frizzy and even the fruit juices contain preservatives that are not good for health. Instead, drink homemade lemonades, lots of clean water, and homemade soups.
Make Cooking and Mealtime Fun
With the onset of the pandemic, a certain amount of negativity can surround the household. While keeping abreast with the current affairs can be inevitable, they can cause distress. Such negative emotions can also affect health in the wrong way.
Making cooking and mealtime fun will lower the tension and give your new routine a sense of normalcy. Doing so will also strengthen the family bonds.
You can have fun while working in the kitchen by involving other family members, especially kids. You can engage them in petty tasks like washing the veggies or sort kitchen items.
Try Out New Recipes
Use the opportunity of staying indoors to try out recipes that you wouldn’t have time to try otherwise. Bake the goods you’ve always wanted to but had no spare time for. It will put you in a good mood, take your mind off all the pandemic thoughts, and create something delicious.
When we talk about being healthy during coronavirus scare, we also mean mental health. Taking care of your mind is just as important as your body. So, if cooking new dishes and experimenting in the kitchen make you happy, then do it.
Remember not to be wasteful in the times of lockdown and limited supplies.
Follow General Food Hygiene Tips
An imperative part of keeping yourself healthy against the virus is by keeping your body and surroundings clean. Even while staying indoors, you can never tell if the delivery packages of food are infected, spat on, or coughed at. Take all precautionary steps to lower the chances of infection.
Take all unnecessary packaging out before entering the house and dispose of it in an outdoor bin. Wash your hands, then your delivery items, and then again sanitize your hands to be sure. Leave the washed produce for at least a day before using it to cook.
In case, any food item perishes, dispose it immediately to save the rest of your perishable kitchen supplies. Always keep all your utensils, plates, chopping boards, and cutlery clean.
Switch to a Vitamin C Enriched Diet
When it comes to boosting immunity, Vitamin C is your go-to nutrient. It is an antioxidant that strengthens your body against harmful elements like the COVID-19. White blood cells (WBCs) have a large concentration of Vitamin C, thus making it an essential defense against infections. Its detoxification and anti-inflammatory properties fight respiratory conditions. Thus, making it an essential nutrient during these times.
Most Vitamin C-enriched sources include green leafy vegetables, mango, papayas, cabbage, and citrus fruits.
Include the Following in Your Diet
The overall diet during coronavirus will be healthiest when it includes regular intake of immunity boosters. These include clove, cinnamon, bell peppers, curd, ginger, and turmeric. If possible, include lots of dry fruits such as nuts and almonds too. They are wholesome and work as healthy snacks throughout the day.
Regular intake of hot water and green tea will also prove beneficial for the body and mind.
Change Your Feel Good, Comforting Food
Replace ice-cream with sprouts or even warm salad. They are easy and quick to prepare, healthy for the immune system, and help in maintaining your ideal weight despite inactivity. The best way to prepare nutritious and tasty comfort food is by playing around with staple ingredients such as dried beans and chickpeas. Cook them in the basic form or recreate soups, the choice is yours!