Grocery Shopping During the Stay Home Order
/Dear Community
After almost 10 days, I (Dr. March) went to the grocery store and I learned so much about HOW to get food and help you stay healthy during this time (and maybe get some toilet paper).
We have all heard by now that we are trying to stay home as much as possible.
You can still go to the grocery store
You can ABSOLUTELY still leave to walk, hike and exercise
You can still go take care of another person like an elderly mom or pet
I can leave the house for groceries, but should I?
If you are immunocompromised, please try not to. Ask neighbors, family to help, they are happy to have something to do, I promise.
OR
As of last week, I was teaching my patients how to use online grocery/supplies ordering. This seems daunting at first, but it is a marvelous way to reduce the number of people you come into contact with and help keep you healthy.
The ones I have been recommending are:
- Target pick up (free for supplies or that too-early summer top you found)
- Kroger pick up(Clicklist $5 per order)
- Whole foods delivery
There are many others like Walmart, and Shipt for Kroger, Instacart for almost every store including CVS & Costco.
These are starting to hit their capacity and are sometimes-experiencing delays though, so if you have to go to the store, consider this:
1) If you are over 60 or immune compromised:
Stores are offering certain hours where it is JUST for you aka Elder hour.
This makes it so that you aren’t surrounded by as many people and its wonderful. Here is a quick list (double check website before going):
- Costco: Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
- Meijer: Tuesday and Thursday 7-8 a.m.
- Target: Wednesdays at 8AM
- Walmart: Tuesday 1 hour before store opens
- Whole foods: 1 hour before the store opens, everyday
- Walgreens: Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
2) If you are in neither of those categories and you DON’T need toilet paper, go 30 minutes after opening. Things are the best stocked then AND clean then and you missed the people who rush in for toilet paper.
3) If you need toilet paper, ASK on neighborhood apps like nextdoor.com that connect your neighbors to you.
Going to the store right at opening or shortly thereafter is your best bet. This is how I scored my 9 roll pack this morning after several unsuccessful attempt
If you are immune compromised, skip the 900+ person line first thing in the morning to get into places like Costco. Instead places like Target and smaller and less frequented.
So, how can you protect yourself at the store?
1) Carts are now mostly being sanitized, but if disinfectant wipe is available, wipe your whole cart down. The edges where you may pull or push your cart.
Yes, you can wear gloves, but if you touch you face on accident, that won’t help.
2) Try to maintain as much distance (up to 6ft) even when shopping. Be patient and let people shop before going near them
3) Don’t pick things up that you aren’t buying.
4) Wash your hands before and after the store.
5) I recommend sanitizing as soon as you get into the car, because you may have an itch on your nose or suddenly get an eyelash in your eye while driving
6) Clean your items after you buy them
a. Metal or plastic things can be wiped with a disinfectant wipe
b. Well wash fruits and vegetables. You aren’t going to get a virus from eating it.
So what should you get at the store?
Here’s 11 things
Still continue to buy fresh produce but here are the things I’m suggesting you buy because they generally keep well AND are nutritious
1. Sweet Potatoes, organic if possible. Keeps well, good carb. Can be made into “toast”
2. Onions and garlic- add great flavor to food, have cancer fighting nutrients in them.
3. Oranges – little mandarins even. They are in season, sweet and light snacks with Vitamin C
4. Frozen fruit- berries, a nutrient powerhouse, freezes great, can add on almost anything
5. Oatmeal and grains you like: Quinoa, Wild Rice, Cereal Gains
6. Almond butter, hemp hearts
7. Dehydrated beans or Soup mix or Canned beans. Beans are a protein packed, great for protein, fiber and stay well in pantry
8. Canned fish- brands: Safer Catch, Wild Planet, Season ( Or Frozen fish)
9. Lentil Pasta & Sauces like Banza and Rao’s
10. Crackers- Mary’s Gone Crackers, Simple Mills (almond flour crackers)
11. Bars like Kind, Lara or Simple
Bonus: A chocolate bar you absolutely love.
How can you be healthier right now with what you eat and what you do?
Lets think of your body like a garden. Your garden has many species of plants just like we have organs in the body. The food we eat is what nourishes the soil so we can live, sustain and grow. It’s not just the soil that the plant need. The atmosphere matters. The sunshine matters. It all matters.
Right now, there is a LOT we can do to help the soil- with what you are eating and how you are eating. There’s a lot we can do to manage your atmosphere, too.
With what’s going on, you may be feeling a bit anxious and somewhat bored. It feels nice to comfort eat yet we know its not what’s best for us.
1) Continue to eat fresh food when possible. Get some berries into your diet.
2) Reduce stress by LIMITING how much news you consume
3) I’m here to help you get through this period. Make changes to being in doors with your whole family.
I will be seeing patients in the evening hours to accommodate your busy, full houses and children home from school. This way, work may be done, the children may be in bed and we can talk about how to get through this.
Lastly, I know things feel really abnormal and uncertain. Remember when we talked about how viruses have been around forever?
Our ancestors fought natural disasters and disease.
When you think about that, this is the BEST time in the history of the world to get hit with a pandemic.
We have more technology, more doctors, more medical treatments than EVER before. We will get through it. Together.
Heck, I am seeing patients and even people over 60 by teleconferencing. I’m teaching them how to order groceries from their phone. From their PHONES.
It is still an amazing time to be alive.
Call me, Dr. March at (248) 798-2942 for support in getting good and nutritious food at this time.
I am available to you to set up your delivery options, shop together online, choose the right items based on the nutrition recommendations I have made.
I am here to support you.
Drs. March and Dr. Roy
