Here’s What To Buy In Case You Are Quarantined
This dang coronavirus! Do we plan for a quarantine? Whether it’s going to happen or not, better safe than sorry, amirite?!?*
But, where do I even start with buying products? What does one get if they are going to be cooped up in their house for, possibly, weeks?
Don’t worry. We got ya, boo!
Here is a list of things that will help you jump off that deep end, and into the world of quarantine.
FIRST OF ALL. Be prepared. Have this stuff on hand BEFORE they announce a quarantine. If you wait, it’s too late.
Take a look at what you already have in your freezer, refrigerator, and pantry area. It isn’t time to reinvent the wheel, here. Let’s build on what you already have.
You want to plan for about two weeks worth of meals and snacking.
Start with things like pastas, rice, dry beans, boxed mashed potatoes — things with a longer shelf life, that can be used as the base for many meals.
Have plenty of canned veggies and fruit on hand. You can add these to any meal to make it complete.
With FRESH produce, you run the risk of spoilage. So, it’s time to hit up the freezer section of your store.
Of course, you want to MAKE SURE you have room in your freezer, before you get crazy with buying food!
Frozen veggies and fruits, to supplements the canned varieties you’ve already gathered, would be a good place to start.
Then, you want to think about meats or proteins. Frozen chicken will go with just about ANYTHING, and should have a pretty good shelf life. Make sure you check the expiration dates!
Any cheese, or other dairy products you choose to get, should have an expiration date at least two weeks in the future.
Consider things like boxed almond milk or powdered milk, as fresh milk will spoil rather quickly.
As far as breads, we have decided to go the way of crackers for our starches at our house. You can make a good sandwich on a matzo cracker. My kids also enjoy Ritz, Saltines, graham crackers, and Flip Sides. Get things your family will eat and enjoy.
Stock up on peanut butter, or other nut butters, as these are great proteins eaten plain or with one of the cracker choices.
You might want to stock up on a case or two of bottled water. You can get a generic spring water pretty inexpensively, and it lasts a very long time unopened.
I realize it isn’t good for you, but if you drink soda, have a good supply of 2-liters on hand. Two weeks is a LONG time to go without.
Same thing goes for coffee. If you love it, make sure you have it. It’s the little things that can sometimes make a BIG difference when cooped up at home for long periods of time!
Now, don’t forget necessary things like toilet paper, hand soap, shampoo, body wash, paper towels, dish soap, and laundry detergent.
Ladies, I’m talking to you here. Make sure you are prepared with what you might monthly need, if you know what I mean. *wink*
And finally, while you shouldn’t just stock a bunch of snacks for the duration of quarantine, have SOME on hand. I can tell you first hand, it SUCKS to be stuck inside with NOTHING to stress eat! Ha!
Consider things like granola bars, cheese crackers, single-serve bags of chips, and maybe some sort of cookie — because cookies are GOOD.
Just be prepared. No need to panic, just have a plan.
It would help to be prepared with a list of meals you are going to make during this time of getting REALLY close with your family.
Maybe make it a fun game, and have everyone in the house have a “chore” when it comes to getting ready for, and staying in quarantine.
Now, what did we forget? Surely there is SOMETHING you can add to the list of necessities.
*This does NOT mean I’m going to go crazy, and buy into the hysteria. One needs to keep a level head, here.
