As Coronavirus cases continue to rise in the US, people are bracing themselves for another lockdown, which means they'll have to smartly stock their kitchen in order to avoid frequent trips to the grocery store. A dietitian weighs in on how to get the most out of fresh, frozen, and canned goods when shopping for foods that last from weeks to months at a time.
As far as fresh foods go, here's what you should you be scanning aisles for. Citrus fruits, hardy vegetables, red and orange peppers, and dairy products are long-lasting. Oranges, grapefruits, and lemons will keep in your fridge or on the counter for a couple of weeks. Broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts keep up to five days, but you can also batch-roast them to eat through the week, or freeze them for later. Be mindful of the sell-by date on dairy products, which is usually a few weeks out, but note that isn't the end-all, be-all of when you can consume them. Almond and soy milk products also tend to keep much longer than dairy milk products.
Keep your pantry stock with these long-lasting meals and snacks. Pulses, legume-based pasta, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, whole grains, low-sodium canned soups, canned seafood, and condiments keep for a long time and also keep you nourished. All of these things are versatile ingredients, too. Nuts and seeds, as well as peanut or almond butter, can be consumed in a variety of ways. Chickpea or lentil versions of pasta have much more protein than regular pasta, which means you can skip buying meat - which won't last - and still get just as much protein in one meal. Dried fruits provide tons of fiber and antioxidants and last for a long long time.