Jaclyn Maurer Abbot, instructor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, said it is important to plan out which groceries to buy in advance and to remain flexible while shopping in case the product is unavailable.
Jaclyn Maurer Abbot, instructor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, and Kaitlyn Eck, a Rutgers graduate student in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, are members of the American Society of Nutrition and provided insight about healthy eating during the coronavirus disease pandemic.
Eck said individuals may not eat healthy during this time due to difficulty accessing food and financial constraints due to the loss of jobs, disrupting people’s eating habits. People have turned to frozen food which are high in calories, sodium and fat.
Abbot said emotional eating and lack of time are also some of the reasons for the consumption of less nutritious food.
“There are many factors that can affect the quality of one’s diet during this pandemic, including limited access to (or ability to afford) healthy food options, increased levels of stress which can lead to emotional eating that tends to favor consumptions of less nutritious foods,” Abbot said.
While it is important to maintain healthy eating habits while social distancing, Eck said some foods offer comfort for people.
“While it’s important to do our best to maintain a healthy diet during social-distancing (or) self-isolation, it’s also important to acknowledge that during this stressful time food can be a source of comfort and enjoyment, and this is acceptable,” she said.
She said people are baking more than usual or craving for childhood favorites due to stress and said it is okay to indulge in such treats during this stressful time which will not have a negative impact on health.
Abbot said healthy eating can also boost one’s immune system.
“It is key to choose nourishing foods, those that pack the most nutrition into each calorie, so that we can support a healthy immune system,” she said.
Both Eck and Abbot advised eating fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and legumes for a balanced diet to ensure individuals are getting the proper nutrients.
Eck said it could be helpful to plan out weekly meals in order to stay healthy.
“It’s a good idea to plan out meals and snacks for several days to minimize trips to the store while maintaining a healthy diet,” she said. “Plan to use fresh fruits and vegetables soon after visiting the store and stocking up on hearty shelf-stable options like carrots, oranges and apples or frozen or canned fruits and vegetables for later in the week.”
Abbot said it is important to be flexible when planning meals.
“The key to limiting trips to the grocery store is to plan ahead and then be flexible. Know that not everything you may desire will be available at the store, so have options,” she said. “Choose more shelf-stable food options like frozen or canned vegetables and fruit, dry beans, canned beans, canned chicken, tuna or salmon, frozen fish fillets, shelf-stable dairy or plant-based milk.”
Eck said to choose fruits canned in water or juice (not syrup) to avoid added sugar and calories. She also said to choose canned vegetables which have a “no salt added” label or wash the canned vegetables thoroughly to wash away some of the sodium.
Eck said working from home is affecting everyone’s health in both positive and negative ways. For some, it means more time to prepare meals, whereas to others it means mindless eating. She said it is important to stick to a routine and have regularly scheduled meals and snacks during the day. It is also wise to turn off the TV or step away from the computer screen while eating to cut down on distractions which lead to mindless eating, she said.
Another very important question was how could remote education be incorporated into making healthy choices for children. Both Eck and Abbot said children should be involved in meal preparation and cooking.
“Cooking itself is not only a valuable life skill but (also) involves everything from reading, to math, to science,” Abbot said.
Involving kids in making grocery lists, meal preparation and reading recipes from a cookbook can help them improve reading and writing skills, she said. Cooking using measuring cups or listing numbers of grocery items will help their math skills. Baking bread, cooking an egg or creating a salad dressing will help discover the science behind why ingredients change when they are combined, heated or blended.
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