Cheaper, Healthier Eating During Lockdown

I’ve heard it said that when the lockdown is all over, some of us will not be able to leave our homes anyway because we will not be able to fit through the door! Lol. That’s because many of us have been overeating and snacking on mostly unhealthy foods.

Well, I’m taking heed. I too am guilty of overeating and I want to do something about it. It’s hard. I know. And the food is so good! But for the sake of our health, we have to take control of things before it is too late.

One of the best pieces of advice is to make your own food from scratch. That way, you can avoid adding ingredients you know are bad for you.

Have you ever seen an episode of my 600-pound life? I see so many persons struggle when the doctor tells them that they need to lose a small amount of weight before their next appointment. Oh, the struggle! Take that as a warning.

With all this online food ordering as well, many of us are not taking stock of how much we are spending. I have noticed that my food shop is now at least 20% more than it used to be. Now there are a number of factors that contribute to this, I know, including eating more due to being home more, leading to mass boredom and thus overeating. I’m not complaining too much, in fact, I am grateful that we are still able to afford to pay for food because many are struggling in that regard right now, which leads me right on to my next point.

Avoiding food waste and enjoy eating during the lockdown

You can have a look at this post which encourages us all to avoid wasting food which will mean less money wasted. Some basic principles to avoiding food waste include:

• meal plan so that you buy ingredients just for meals that you have planned
• do not cook more than you need unless of course, you plan to freeze or refrigerate some for later.
• use a compost bin and use the compost in your garden, avoiding the need to buy compost
• use a simple system of first in first out when it comes to using up the foods you have

We have found also that some of the nicest meals we have had are from clearing out the pantry and freezer. And as well, some of our meals just seem nicer in lockdown. I really don’t know what it is. Perhaps it is because we have all the time in the world so there are no short cuts.

I know you have come here for some of these meals so here goes:

One that we sometimes do when we want to give eating meat a break is this Vegan version of Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish. 

If you are missing your favourite treat from your favourite places, well you have all the time to learn to make your own so here is Frankie and Bennies

And if you are more of a Nandos fan, then here goes.

As we know some of you love a roast dinner, and since some items are not readily available, we have this recipe that shares how to make your own stuffing with ingredients you have at home to go with the dinner.

Now is the time to make more of an effort to get more fruits and vegetables in your diet because they help to keep us healthier. So make it easier and more interesting for your family to get more of these in.

If you are inclined to try recipes from other cultures other than your own, well why not try this Jamaican run dung or make your own meatloaf. They are both delicious and will give your taste buds a real flavour zest. Or why not eat like a Jamaican for a week? That, I am sure, you will find exciting and different.

I recently found this post which is absolutely well researched and resourced that will help you with decision making regarding food at this time.

So there you go. Simple ways to cook, with fresh ingredients and make interesting meals that you can be proud of. Why not treat yourself and be a healthier version of you in time for when lockdown is over. Be good, be safe, and eat well.

Love, Jo and Leisa

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