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 😂
Karen Dusing says
Excellent list for those of us who are cooks and also for those who don’t have time or the inclination to cook. You are one of my favorite food bloggers and I have used many of your recipes. I love Dozer.
Judy Millman says
Nagi
You are an angel. I hope you are taking care of yourself what about the homeless man you feed all the time? Take care of yourself and Dozer you are important
Judy from Canada
Trudy says
Thank you so so much for going to all that trouble regarding your menus and information regarding Covid-19. It is much appreciated.
Sharon Caulineau says
Nagi, thanks so much for the guide to shopping/pantry for the current coronavirus. Was so helpful. Have a blessed day, Sharon
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Sharon, thanks so much! N x
Leilani Tanaka says
You are a true lifesaver as the rest of the world sinks a bit in their panicked response to the COD-19 pandemic. I am truly thankful for your passion and compassion to help others. Although a large ocean separates us, whenever I read your posts, I really feel that I’m talking to a loving and caring friend. Aloha to you and Dozer!
Nagi says
That’s so lovely to read, thanks so much Leilani! N x
Julie says
Thanks Nagi, great tips & ideas along with the recipes. You’ve put a lot of thought into this. We need all the help we can get in these crazy times. Lucky for Dozer that he is oblivious to all the chaos. Keep up the good work.
Nagi says
Dozer’s priority is food… (then sleep) 😂
Adrienne Dudley says
I want to be Dozer!
This was really helpful. I already had most stuff although I will get some onion powder and tortillas (hadn’t thought of that) as I only eat 2 slices of bread a day for breakfast (I am fussy about which bread). I have a couple of cans of chickpeas but I might try and get a packet of dried ones. Thanks for putting this together!
Nagi says
Don’t we all want to be Dozer?!!!
Kaye Underwood says
Hi Nagi,
I just wanted to thank you for your Coronavirus Post. At a time when everyone is madly running around thinking about themselves it is so refreshing to see someone who is thinking about everyone else. These posts would have taken you ages and I for one am extremely grateful! Kaye
Nagi says
Thanks so much Kaye, that really means a lot! N x
Ose says
Yes again I agree with you 100% .
Nagi you are most certainly made for times like this ! The list you compiled is spot on ,
I am 75 and just about everything you suggested is a staple pantry item in our house. The only NOT item are the tortillas – i make our own bread, so an extra bag of flour was purchased as well as a can of good Olive oil. Good suggestion to get cabbage I’ll get that tomorrow- thanks ! We live in Adelaide and things have got way out of hand- I guess people are scared and therefore erasionale .
Nagi I pray that GOD will keep you safe and healthy , as well as Dozer , bless you – Ose
Minerva Stevens says
wow amazing, thanks for the tips and recipes
Robina Thompson says
Wow. All that wonderful info. So helpful in these times. Will be cooking up your recipes for sure. Thank you for thinking of others.
Carole Coushaine says
I just love you to death! You are such a caring and loving person!
Jaqs says
Thanks so much for this. We are in our 70’s with underline medical problems and live in the UK. Your help and menus are what keeps us going and we love your recipes. All of your advice about store cupboard essentials along with the other essentials are sooo helpful to us. Can’t thank you enough Nagi. Love to Dozer. X X
Grandma Genny says
Nagi, thank you for bringing a ray of sunshine into this Covid 19 crisis! Your list of supplies to have on hand is so helpful! I think the people who are hoarding don’t know what they really need. A huge fan of your website!
Deborah Garrett says
This was really useful information. Thank you from the US. Take care and I so appreciate your humor regarding the wine! Remember, we are in this together!
Jana says
I never put ginger in the fridge anymore. It’s fine to freeze it, but in the fridge it goes bad fast. I just leave it in the wrap it came in or none on my counter and it does well. This is a great list! I did stock up on tortillas before this all happened. I downloaded your excel sheet, where the squares were it now says FALSE in each spot. Ugh!!
Amy Morgan says
Wonderful and helpful post!
Judith says
Thank you! Your list is most helpful!
Anita says
Lovely list Nagi. Thank you !
Margaret says
What a great list Nagi, and some excellent suggestions and recipes – thanks 🙂
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Margaret! N x