We have all spent considera- ble time in our homes these past few months. Staying in can feel nice, it can inspire us to view our home as our sanctuary, as our place to retreat, recover and rebuild. But, naturally, it can also lead to frustration, boredom and melancholy. Resorting to food to deal with these emotions can be even more common these days.
If there’s anything we have learned recently, it is that there is no better time to start taking care of our health and wellbeing than right now. Here are a few tips to help you make healthy choices when staying at home.
1. STOCK YOUR PANTRY WITH NOURISHING FOODS
A well-stocked pantry has been an essential lately, but how many of us consider whether the contents in our pantry promote our health? Work on reducing the food that is not health-promoting, such as chips, biscuits, sugar. To make sure you’re getting more nutrients, fibre, and flavour out of your meals make a few simple swaps. Instead of white pasta, white rice and white bread, stock up on spelt, lentil, whole-wheat pasta and sourdough bread (even better if you can make your own!). Make sure you have enough whole grains, such as quinoa, millet, oats, brown rice and amaranth and start using more dry beans in your cooking. Stock up on vegetables that can keep for longer, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, squash.
2. STORE YOUR FOOD CORRECTLY
A well-stocked pantry has been an essential lately, Knowing how to properly store food is important to pre-serve the freshness, flavour and nutritional value. Store your grains and legumes in air-tight containers in your pantry, and keep your raw nuts and seeds in an airtight container in your fridge. They contain delicate oils that can become rancid when exposed to heat and air.
3. USE FRESH FRUITS & VEGETABLES AS DECORATION
Having fresh fruits on your kitchen counter is a beautiful sight but make sure you only store certain foods at room temperature, as not all will love it. Display your fresh herbs by placing them in a container with water or plant up a herb pot.
4. KEEP YOUR KITCHEN CLEAN & INVITING
If your kitchen is a mess, you will not feel inspired to spend time there. Keeping your counters clutter-free and wiped down is pleasant to the eye and invites us to spend more time in the kitchen preparing our food.
5. START COOKING
Cooking is taking back control over our nutrition and health. Knowing what goes into our meals and paying attention to the ingredients we use can only be beneficial to our health and wellbeing.