Indefinitely, the majority of us will be stuck in our homes with few opportunities to go out, or order, in for dinner. During this time, it’s important to emphasize healthy eating for not only our wellbeing, but with the increasing numbers of sicknesses, our immunity as well. This cheat sheet will help you to know what, and how much, to eat while we are practicing social distancing.
The Basics
For some people, detailed instructions about what and how much to eat might be helpful. If you’re one of those people, these details will follow later in this guide. However, before we get into those details, it is important to understand the basics of a healthy lifestyle. The following are some rules of thumb to practice while you’re stuck at home.
· Eat when you’re hungry, don’t eat when you’re not. Being at home all day can sometimes result in boredom. And boredom can sometimes result in mindless eating. When you find yourself walking to the fridge throughout your day, stop and ask yourself “do I feel hungry right now?” If the answer is yes, go ahead and eat. If the answer is no, close the fridge and do a quick 5-minute boredom reliever exercise (a quick power-walk around the house, 10 pushups, 5 deep breaths, etc.)
· Drink enough water.Water makes up over half of our body, and it plays several important functions in our bodily processes. For example, water provides us with minerals, it helps transports substances, it helps lubricate and cushion our tissues, among many other important functions. Also, oftentimes we confuse thirst for hunger, which might cause some of that mindless eating we just talked about. Aim to get around 8 cups of water a day, adding in 2-3 extra cups if you are active or working out. Drink one glass of water with each meal, and keep a water bottle by your couch-desk for sipping throughout your day.
· Focus on eating mostly whole foods. When life is busy, it’s easy to reach for the convenient, not-so-healthy foods that can be ordered for takeout, delivered to our doorstep, or heated up in a microwave in 2 minutes. These convenient foods are often highly processed, and lack many of the essential nutrients that our bodies need. The plus side of quarantine is that we have much more time on our hands! This extra time can be used to find and make new recipes that incorporate plenty of whole foods. Whole foods can be described as foods that are in their natural form: fruits, vegetables, and many whole grains such as rice and quinoa. These foods are full of the vitamins and minerals our bodies need to function properly. Checkout a recipe blog to find a delicious, whole foods meal to make for dinner tonight!
· Plan and prepare. Being home all day means that most people will put meal planning and meal prepping aside. Why bother “prepping” a lunch for work/school if you can just go into the kitchen and grab whatever you want out of the fridge? Not having a plan, or a “prepped” lunch and snacks can cause us to make poor, convenient decisions. Just like you would on a normal workday, prepare a plan for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner ahead of time. Maybe pack a lunchbox, or a bag with your pre-planned meals and snacks for the day to keep in your fridge. This practice can also help with the boredom snacking we talked about previously.
The Details
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s look further into details of how we can eat optimally during this time of quarantine.
Macronutrients:
The following 3 food groups are considered “macronutrients”, or nutrients that our bodies need in large amounts. We should strive to be eating enough of each macronutrient to keep our bodies functioning properly.
Protein:
Protein is essential for muscle, skeletal and connective tissue building and maintenance, building neurotransmitters and enzymes, synthesizing immune system chemicals, helping us feel satiated after meals, and athletic performance and recovery.
How much protein do we need?
Most people should aim to eat lean protein at most meals. A good measure of protein intake is using the palm of your hand. For most people, 1-2 palm-sized portions of lean protein per meal is a good standard of protein intake. Athletes who are training most days during the week might need a bit more protein to support their athletic performance and recovery. Athletes should aim to eat 2-3 palm-sized portions of lean protein per meal, oradd in an extra 1-2 meals with lean protein.
What type of protein should we eat?
There are many foods that contain protein. The following are some examples of lean (~97% fat free) animal-based protein products that you can incorporate into your meals.
· Chicken
· Lean turkey
· Lean ground beef, bison
· Lean pork
· Eggs or egg whites
· Wild caught fish (tuna, salmon, tilapia)
· Fat free/low-fat Greek yogurt or cottage cheese
· Whey protein powders/protein bars
As we’ve all seen, meats tend to be the first to go at grocery stores when everyone is stocking up. Luckily, there are plenty of plant-based protein sources that are just as beneficial if your supermarket’s deli section was empty (or if you’re a plant-based eater!). The following are some examples of plant-based protein sources. Warning:the grocery stores seem to be full-stocked with all of the plant-based “fake meat” products. While these are a great source of protein every now and then, they are highly-processed, so these protein sources should be kept to a minimum.
· Beans and legumes (chickpeas, lentils)
· Tempeh
· Tofu
· Nuts and seeds (keep these to a smaller portion as they are higher in fats)
· Seitan
Fats: Dietary fat is needed in the body for energy, hormone balance, forming of cell membranes, forming of brain and nervous system, and vitamin transport.
How much fat do we need?
Using our hand-size portion template, a good measurement of one portion of dietary fat is the size of one thumb. Most people should aim for 1-2 thumb-sized portions of dietary fat per meal. For athletes or other highly-active individuals, add in an extra portion of fat per meal (~2-3 thumb-sized portions).
What type of fats should we eat?
Much of the processed foods, such as takeout and microwavable meals are high in fat, though, this type of fat is not the healthiest form of fats that our bodies need. Below is a list of healthy fats that should be consumed regularly.
· Avocado or avocado oil
· Nuts and seeds
· Coconut or coconut oil
· Nut or seed butters (peanut butter, cashew butter, tahini)
· Olives or olive oils
· Eggs
· Wild caught fish
· Dark chocolate
· Omega-3 fatty acid supplements
Carbohydrates:
Energy transfer depends on carbohydrates, aka, carbs keep our body going. Tissues such as the brain and red blood cells cannot make their own glucose(a type of carbohydrate), so their functioning depends on our consumption of adequate carbs. Carbohydrates also aid in athletic performance and recovery.
How much carbohydrates do we need?
The hand-size portion template for carbohydrates is one cupped hand. Most people need about 1-2 cupped-hand portion of carbohydrates per meal. Again, athletes who are training and other active individuals will need a larger portion of carbohydrates. These individuals should aimto get 3+ cupped-handfuls of carbohydrates per meal.
What types of carbohydrates should we eat?
Most foods contain carbs. That being said, not all carbs are created equal. Though candy, fountain/sports drinks, breakfast cereals and donuts are all sources of carbs (and fine to eat every once in a while!), we should aim to be eating more nutrient-dense, whole-foods carbohydrates rich in fiber. Below are some examples of healthy carbohydrates to fuel up on.
· Fruits
· Whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, oats, whole grain breads or cereals)
· Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams
· Beans and legumes
· Vegetables
· Whole wheat pastas
· Bean pastas (chickpea pasta, black bean pasta, edemame pasta)
Eating For Immunity
With the COVID-19 spreading fast, along with the seasonal cold and flu, what we eat is extremely important in allowing our immune systems to function optimally, giving us the best chance of staying healthy. Many micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are essential in immune system function. Though we should be striving to include all vitamins and minerals in our diets, the following are most essential in immune system function.
Vitamin A and Carotenoids are involved in immune function and wound healing. These vitamins can be found in:
· Red/orange/yellow vegetables and fruits (carrots, pumpkin, winter squash, sweet potatoes, peaches, apricots)
· Dark leafy greens (spinach, collards, kale, mustard greens)
· Egg yolks
Vitamin B6 is involved in immune system function. It can be found in:
· Potatoes and sweet potatoes
· Sunflower seeds
· Chickpeas
· Bananas and plantains
· Spinach
· Fish
· Pork, beef, and poultry
Vitamin D is involved in immune system functioning. It can be found in:
· Fish
· Egg yolks
· Mushrooms
· Shrimp
· Beef liver
· Fortified dairy products
· BONUS! Go outside and enjoy a few (20-30) minutes of sunshine for the best source of vitamin D
Vitamin E contains eight antioxidants and is involved in the expression of immune and inflammatory cells. It can be found in:
· Nuts and seeds
· Avocado
· Dark leafy greens (see above examples in Vitamin A)
Along with vitamins, there are several minerals that can also support a good immune system.
Copper deficiency can result in low white blood cell count. This is important because white blood cells help the body fight infections and diseases. It can be found in:
· Dark chocolate
· Mushrooms
· Nuts and seeds
· Beans and legumes
· Beef liver
· Seafood
Iron deficiency can result in lowered immunity. **To enhance the absorption of iron, make sure to eat it along with some vitamin C. It can be found in:
· Beans and legumes
· Dark leafy greens
· Whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat, quinoa)
· Peppers
· Seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, tahini)
· Fish
· Shellfish
· Organ meats
· Red meats (beef, pork)
· Dark poultry (chicken and turkey dark meat)
Zinc is involved in immunity. It can be found in:
· Beans and legumes
· Nuts and seeds
· Whole grains
· Seafood
· Beef, lamb, pork, poultry, wild game
· Eggs
· Mushrooms
These vitamins and minerals are important for immune function, but I do not suggest going out and loading up on vitamin and mineral pills. The most important practices for immunity are ones that we’ve touched on before; drinking enough water, focusing on whole foods, planning and preparing, along with the new advice of eating a variety of whole foods. As you saw in the above section, these vitamins and minerals come from a range of different types of foods, therefore it is important to diversify your diet. Eat a variety of whole foods, when you’re hungry, with enough macronutrients to fit your needs and you will not only stay healthy, but come back stronger and more robust than before this break.
I hope everyone is staying healthy during these trying times. If you would like more nutrition information, or would like to work on your own diet and lifestyle changes please feel free to reach out to me at hubbsconsulting1@gmail.com