This post contains my tips for what food to stock up on for Coronavirus. Practical and economical suggestions so you don’t go on a wild spending spree, only to end up with a pile of groceries you’ll never use!
Also see 15 Day Quarantine Menu Plan including complete grocery list, plus how to sanitise food.
What food to stock up on for Coronavirus quarantine
Whether you agree with food stocking or not, it’s hard to avoid thinking about it in these uncertain times.
And after sending a somewhat lengthy email to several friends and readers with some recommendations for what food to stock up on in the event of a Coronavirus quarantine (whether mandatory or voluntary), I thought it was time I shared it with all my readers.
So here it is!
TOP TIPS
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Shop at the right times – find out when stores do major restocking. Opening times are ideal – I go at 7 am.
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Skip bread. Buy tortillas instead. Compact, versatile, keeps in pantry – and plenty available (people haven’t figured this out yet!).
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Buy stock cubes and powder instead of broth/stock in cartons. Cheaper and way more space efficient.
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Know what can be frozen – and what can’t. Read the list below.
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Get my Essential Herbs & Spices listed below – they’re the basis of 50% of my non Asian recipes.
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Get my 5 Asian Essential Sauces listed below – covers 60% of my Asian recipes.
If you’ve got stock powder and plenty of herbs and spices, you can make ANYTHING delicious!
Other useful resources
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RTE recipe pantry essentials – list of key ingredients that form the basis of the majority of my recipes Coming shortly
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Coronavirus food handling safety – Coming Wednesday
What food to stock up on for Coronavirus quarantine
This is a general list of tips and advice for food to stock up on that will form the basis of many recipes. See above for links to specific prepared lists.
1. How long to stock up for
At the time of writing, authorities require a quarantine period of 2 weeks, so I add a buffer to this and round it up to 2.5 to 3 weeks.
Be sensible when stocking up. You’re not going to starve, you just might not eat exactly what you want when you want it. Take this time as an opportunity to get creative with what you’ve got!
2. Space and cost saving food options
Storage space is premium when stocking up. Here are my top tips for space saving food items:
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Dried beans instead of canned (tip: go to the whole food places like Scoop. They’re a bit more expensive but they were fully stocked with all dried beans as of yesterday)
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Stock cubes & powder (bouillon) instead of cartons of liquid broth/stock (1 cube/1 tsp powder in 1 cup boiling water = 1 cup liquid stock/broth)
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Tomato paste over canned tomato or passata (Whisk 1.5 tbsp flour with 1/4 cup water until lump free. Then mix in another 1 1/4 cups water, 4 tbsp tomato paste and 1.5 tsp sugar. Bring to simmer on stove until it thickens to gravy consistency. Use in place of 1 can of crushed tomato)
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Powdered milk instead of fresh milk or long life milk cartons
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Tortillas instead of bread – no refrigeration required, highly versatile. All things Mexican, lunch wraps, or ham and egg breakfast pockets anyone?
Be flexible when cooking. Substitute freely. Skip minor ingredients used in small quantities. Focus on the main ingredients!
3. Use freezer space selectively
Unless you have a deep freezer, freezer and fridge space is valuable real estate, so use it for things that you can’t (or refuse to!) buy in cans (like meat).
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Skip large roasts – Bone in chicken thighs and drumsticks instead of whole chicken, chops instead of bone in lamb leg
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Space efficient frozen veg – Frozen peas and diced vegetables are way more space efficient than broccoli and cauliflower.
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Take things out of boxes – like frozen spinach. More space efficient!
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Chop your own veg so you can pack them efficient. See below for a list of freezable vegetables.
4. Dairy & deli
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Keep extra eggs on hand, always – possibly the most highly versatile ingredient you can stock up on and it has a shelf life of several weeks. From breakfast to baking, frittatas to quiche, fried rice to soup, if you have plenty of eggs, you just can’t go wrong! Because they don’t last for months, buy several weeks worth and keep cycling through them.
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Milk – powdered milk most space efficient. Otherwise get long life milk. You can also freeze fresh milk (it just takes up a lot of space!)
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Cream – freezable!
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Fresh butter – get plenty, for spreading, cooking meals with and baking (you’re certainly going to have the time!). Also freezable.
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Shredded cheese – freeze it. (Some blocks of cheese will change form once frozen, best to stick to shredded). Buy lots!😂
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Parmesan – buy the pre grated kind and freeze it (if it’s from the fridge) or buy it from the pasta aisle (it might not be real cheese but it’s tasty, and hey, these are desperate times!) You will find I use it a LOT in my recipes!
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Bacon and ham slices / bits – freeze
If there was ever a time to skip takeout and make your own food, that would be now
5. Herbs & spice essentials
Here are the most used herbs and spices that appear over and over again in my recipes.
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Onion
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Garlic
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Cumin
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Coriander
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Paprika
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Oregano
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Thyme
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Cayenne pepper (or pure chilli powder)
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Beef and chicken stock powder or bouillon cubes (1 cube or 1 tsp powder in 1 cup / 250 ml boiling water = 1 cup stock/broth)
6. Asian Essentials (60% coverage of Asian recipes)
The following sauces will cover ~60% of the sauces in the Asian recipes on my website:
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Light and dark soy sauce
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Chinese cooking wine (shoaxing wine) and/or Mirin or dry sherry
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Rice wine vinegar
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Oyster sauce
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Sesame oil
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Sriracha or any chilli sauce
7. Pantry essentials
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Olive oil – the one oil I always have on hand. Close second is vegetable oil.
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Salt, pepper
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Brown sugar and honey
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Apple cider vinegar– single most versatile vinegar, will be fine to sub for virtually any vinegar when necessary
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Dried or vac packed carbs – rice, pasta, noodles (skip the instant mash, potatoes last for ages!). Things to make – see:
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Stir fries to serve over rice
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How to cook white rice and basmati rice
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Essential baking ingredients – flour, cornflour/cornstarch, sugar (white followed by brown)
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Baking powder, baking soda/bi carb, yeast – for baking projects
There’s never been a better time to try your hand at homemade bread! Start with a simple no yeast Irish Soda Bread, then work your way up!
8. Vegetables
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My Top 6 I can’t live without: Onion, garlic, cabbage, carrot, green onions, lemons
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Freezable vegetables (chop and freeze, or buy frozen, to use in cooking) – capsicum/bell peppers, onion, garlic, ginger, carrot, celery, corn, pumpkin, squash, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli / broccolini, frozen spinach, kale, lime*, lemons*, avocado^, chopped Asian greens, green onion/scallions
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Cabbage is gold. Highly versatile, lasts for ages in the fridge. Use for salads like Coleslaw, Asian Slaw, pickle for tacos, use in Chow Mein and soups.
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** KEY TIP: Frozen spinach and kale – worth hunting down. Vast quantity of fresh spinach and kale jam packed into tiny boxes. Stir into soups, stews and pastas for an instant high nutrition veg hit. Get the handy portion size cubes if you can.
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Canned vegetables – corn is my most used, followed by Asian ingredients for stir fries (baby corn, bamboo shoot slices, water chestnut)
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Up to 4 weeks out of fridge, even longer in fridge crisper drawer – Onion, garlic, potatoes (sweet and normal)
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Up to 4 weeks in fridge crisper – ginger, cabbage (wrap in cling wrap/freezer bag to extend even longer), carrots, lemons
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Fresh herb pot plants – nothing beats fresh herbs! Buy in pots as these will last indefinitely if you care for them properly
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Avoid: watery and leafy vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, leafy greens. These will not freeze well and have a short shelf life.
* Thaw and use juice and rind
^ Frozen avocado – use mashed in Guacamole or in puree form such as Avocado Sauce, not for eating cut in chunks like salads.
Keep buying and eating nutrition dense fresh produce on a day to day basis because you might not have access in the event of a lockdown.
9. Fruit
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Up to 4 weeks in fridge – apples and oranges
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Freeze your own or buy frozen – most fruit can be frozen. Great for smoothies, slushies, crumbles (use either this Apple Crumble or Strawberry Crumble recipe, choose which one is most similar to your fruit)
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No added sugar canned fruit
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Dried fruit
10. Breakfast and snacks
I know my list is very focussed on meals – but don’t forget about breakfast essentials and snacks! Cereals and spreads for breakfast, bacon and/or ham (make ham and egg pockets with tortillas!), frozen fruit for smoothies, fruit and nuts (ideal for snacking), crackers etc.
11. Don’t forget your pets!!
Whatever you feed your pets, make sure you have plenty of it in stock for them. And don’t forget treats!! Half my freezer is dedicated to BONES for Dozer 😂
12. Booze
I’ve seen shopping lists where wine tops the shopping list…… my darling friends, I’m talking to YOU! 😂
Lucky for me, my sister is currently storing some of her wine at my house. In the event of an emergency, I cannot be held responsible for what happens to those wines….😇
And that’s a wrap!
That’s it from me today! I will be back with more this week, assuming you found this post helpful.
If you have any specific questions, just drop them in the comments below and I’ll get back to you.
Stay safe everyone! Remember to wash your hands frequently, and when you’ve been out and about in public, be conscious to avoid touching your face. Disinfect your hands regularly especially while you’re out and about.
Please remember – be kind to others. Help your neighbours. Share your toilet paper with family and friends. Don’t be greedy stockpiling food, just get what you think you need.
And don’t stop living life! – Nagi x
Life of Dozer
Coronavirus? Food hoarding? Toilet paper crisis?
He’s completely oblivious to it all. That’s #LifeOfDozer 😂
Nagi, thank you for being so thoughtful and taking the time to actually make a meal plan. You have such a sweet heart. Lots of warm love, Arredondo family
Thanks so much, stay safe ❤️
Thanks for the tips!
Hoping that you and Dozer are staying healthy (oh, to have the life of a beloved dog who is oblivious to all this craziness!)
So glad that in this time of social distancing, we can at least reach out over the internet and encourage each other!
And that we will continue to do Rose! ❤️
Eggs will freeze well . Beat up a whole egg pop in a tiny zip lock bag . Into the freezer . I freeze singles for biscuits 2 for a little scrambled egg,or cake and 3 for cake cooking as well .
Hi Deirdra, yes I find they freeze well when scrambled, just not as a whole (the white goes rubbery) N x
What a great list. The most amazing thing is that other than a few foods I don’t like, I have everything on it already. I think it is because my mom grew up on the farm in the depression. She always kept a good stock of staples in the house and so do I.
That’s great to hear Gordon! N x
Thank you so much Nagi. You have obviously put a lot of thought and effort into this, it’s fantastic and most appreciated! Like many, being a fan of yours, I have many of these items stored in pantry, just need to pick up a few bits and pieces and we should be good as gold. Best wishes to you and Dozer, stay healthy! Kate
Hello Nagi! By total fluke, we are actually vegan for the period of Lent – so not buying or looking for meat protein has been a godsend for us. Having said that, I have been really concerned about super hoarding behaviours. We really all need to ‘share’ and look out for our elderly neighbours. I was thankful that our larger supermarkets had a ‘seniors’ hour this morning. Time will tell if it is enough.
We are really enjoying your avocado dip at the moment – it’s a firm favourite in our house… the one with chickpeas and avo, lime and salt. DELICIOUS!
Stay safe. Keep cooking. Diana x
Yes definitely, everyone needs to keep them in mind! N x
Thank you Nagi, this is very helpful in these crazy times. I came across long life cream which should be handy at the moment. Looking forward to enjoying your recipes
Perfect Jeanine!! N x
Wonderful had not thought of getting tortillas instead of bread! Much easier to store, doesn’t go mouldy like old brad can. You are a legend! Again, thank you Xx
YES! It’s sooooo handy!! N x
This is just what I need. I have covered a lot but there are some great ideas I had not thought of. Thank you so much for this post.
You’re so welcome Christine!! N x
Thank you so much, Nagi for your menu plan and grocery list. I’ve most of the ingredients on hand so can now follow the menu and not stress out about what to cook next. I’ve been making your recipes this past month after finding you, everything’s been fabulous and so easy to prepare. Stay safe and warm wishes to you & Dozer.
That’s awesome to hear Gail – thanks so much! N x
This is super helpful, Nagi! Thank you.
You’re welcome Ellen! N x
Thank you for sharing this very well thought-out list/suggestions! I wished I saw this before I went shopping but having followed your recipes for some time, I feel like Ive got most of the items you listed here 🙂 Thank you for the suggested subs/practice advice!
Hi Nagi!!!
Very good information to help non-hoarders shop. Me, I always have a stockpile of non perishable. It’s the way we were raised but I was surprised to see people’s behavior because they are so worried. I went to get salt and it took 45min just to pay for it. Make sure you take care of yourself, Dozer and the mom’s. Thank you for all your wise and kind words.
It’s crazy at the moment Mary! Hopefully everyone settles down soon! N x
Thanks Nagi as always fabulous & just what we need in these times – kind, sensible, practical & delicious
Stay well , take care xx
Thanks Toni! N x
Can I use milk powder in my cooking and baking as a substitute for creme…? How ?
Hi Britta, you can reconstitute it as per the packet directions and use it as a substitute for fresh milk 🙂
You angel!! I was shopping in the aisles where nobody else was and got everything on your list in one go. Easy Peezie!
….after a week of stress and leaving almost empty handed. THANKS
Wahoo, that’s great Jen! N x
I love the tortilla tip – super helpful and they are really long life!! We average a 12 pack bag a week normally with some sliced bread. I think we’re in for a funky adventure!
Thank you Nagi. That was alot of thoughtful work and will be very helpful. 10/10. Love your recipes and ….Dozer! Hope you and yours stay safe. <3
Thanks so much Carol-Anne! N x
So brilliant and thoughtful of you, shall follow your lists and recipes over here in UK, so strange for all, you anchor us. I am 88 but a tough old thing.
Thank you, really we are all neighbours now!
You’ve got this Jo! Wishing you well!! N x
Hi Nagi and Dozer! Thank you for this wonderful and helpful information. Sadly, I apparently got the word a little too late that food was being hoarded. I went to get my usual groceries last week, and shelves were already empty. I fully expected not to see paper products and sanitizing products, but was stunned at what I saw. No dairy, no meat, no pasta or rice, no canned goods, no flour, and on and on! I typically shop for a few days at a time or at most a week. I guess if this shortage goes on for any length of time it will be slim pickings at our house!
Stay safe everyone.
They will restock, people just need to calm down and shop sensibly! N x
Gosh, Nagi, I was starting to despair. As a 70-year-old, 20 minutes from groceries, not sure what to get…your post was very welcome. I really like what I’ve heard of Oz grocery stores setting apart an hour for “elder-shopping”! Love you and the “Doze”…stay safe.
It’s definitely needed to allow those that are over or less able time to get their items!! N x
Thanks heaps Nagi your the best, I love your recipes and ideas 70% of our meals are yours and I have my kids cooking them now too stay safe x
Wahoo! That’s great Diane!! N x