Meal planning during the Covid-19 pandemic

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Many East Texans are focused on keeping their families fed during current stay-at-home orders. For many, this means more meals at home rather than going out.

Our Brennon Gurley talks with a registered dietician about some ideas to keep in mind before your next grocery store run.

Many of you are used to running from school to other extracurricular activities, but that’s no longer the case. Under these unexpected times, families are able to slow down and cook a meal together.

Lauren Clark is a Registered Dietician and tells KLTV, ”It’s actually a nice thing to be able to slow down and sit down around the table and share a meal together.”

Clark says it’s important to be intentional while shopping for groceries which can help your budget. “If you’re going to the grocery store without a plan, without specific intentions to buy specific foods you’re more likely to make impulse purchases,” explains Clark.

Clark advises families to not stress if items on your list are not available at the grocery store. “Once you get to the store be flexible. If they’re out of something that you need don’t panic. That’s the time to let your inner chef come out and start making some substitutions,” says Clark.

To minimize the number of trips to the grocery store, health professionals recommend stocking up on ingredients that can be re-purposed.

“We had tacos one night and we reused the leftover taco meat to make taco salads the next night. You can also throw that in a crock pot or a soup pot with canned or frozen vegetables, some beef broth and make it into a taco soup.”

In addition, she suggests making meals that can easily be prepared and last in the freezer.

“Stir fry’s are a great option, casseroles are a great option cause you pretty much throw everything into one pan, bake it in the oven, generally makes a lot of servings, and casseroles are things you can freeze,” adds Clark.

Dietitians also encourage families to get their kids to pitch in and learn about cooking.

“Teaching kids how to cook a meal, how to plan for a meal, how to shop for a meal, and really just how to be creative in the kitchen,” explains Clark.

Clark suggests looking for recipes online as there are several dishes to be made with few ingredients.

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