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 😂
Sandi says
Thanks Nagi, brilliant as always! Stay safe and keep those great recipes coming.
Nagi says
Thanks Sandi! N x
Annie says
Dear Nagi, Bless your huge heart for these wonderful tips. I’ve taken note and the next time I plan to venture out of the house I will stock up on those remaining items. Stay safe and lovies to Dozer.
Nagi says
I hope it helps Annie – stay safe ❤️
SaraB says
Thank you Nagi for your thoughtful work on this subject and all your recipes! It is much appreciated.
I am hoping it will help stop people stockpiling to such an amazing degree! We need to be a bit more community minded 😀 The “at risk” category are exactly those people that can’t rush around and check every shop for food and essentials (or be able to afford a big shop?). They will be the ones that suffer from selfish behaviour 😕
Nagi says
Yes I totally agree Sara!!
Lani says
Regarding eggs! You can make them last 7-9 months if you rub each egg with a light coat of mineral oil (found at pet stores or farm supply stores). I learned this trick from a “prepper websire)
Nagi says
Great tip Lani!!
Melanie says
Great list. I was glad to see you include booze. It’s not only great for passing the time and reducing stress (in moderation of course), it’s great for cooking. I’d be lost without my dry sherry and vermouth, which I put in SO many things. Also the long lasting veggies like cabbage and potatoes. I would add winter squash to that list, as it also keeps for months and is very versatile.
Nagi says
Tequila – a total necessity 😉
Jenny Sinclair says
Fantastic post. Thank you. I have loads of staples in already but just a reminder of a few things that I might have overlooked (tinned sweet corn, then saw the anchovies so squirrelled those away!) The tip on tortillas was great. We don’t eat a huge amount of bread, so the idea of packs that last for ages – fab. And of course having baking ingredients to hand – stocked up on baking powder and some quick action yeast! So really helped me focus and get my act together. Now I’m not shopping for a month whether I can or not!!
On a side note your catalogue of noodle recipes has transformed my (eating!) life! So many great takes on basically store cupboard ingredients with just a bit of protein and veg. Perfect for these times. Robin 🐕 sends love to Dozer – and doesn’t know what all the fuss is about!
Nagi says
I’m so glad you found it helpful Jenny, give Robin a big belly rub from me 🙂 N x
Martha B says
I thought I was pretty well stocked but you’ve given me a lot of good information. Thank you so much. And keep the Dozer pics coming. Always brings a smile to my face.
Nagi says
Thanks so much Martha! N x
Marjie says
Nagi, how thoughtful of you to share this. Thank you for taking the time to put this info out. Had me double checking! Hope you & your family remain safe & healthy!
Nagi says
Thanks so much Marjie – you too! N x
Melody Roy says
Thanks for these practical tips and all your wonderful recipes.
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Melody! N x
KITTY says
What a wonderful idea. Thank you. It is so kind of you to do this for all your readers and so very helpful
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Kitty!
Kimberly says
Nagi, thank you for providing practical advice during this difficult time!
Kari says
Thank you so much Nagi for this. It’s so nice to have some very practical steps to take to eliminate some of the constant uncertainty and not have to come up with yet one more thing to figure out!
Wishing you both, and all of us, good health and continued patience!
Kari, Joe, Kayley and Dobby
Alexandria, VA USA
Nagi says
Wishing your family all the health and strength Kari!! N x
Yogue says
Great advice..you are a gem & your recipes are the best😍 Thanks
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Yogue, thanks so much!
Jean Clarke says
Common sense and delicious recipes in spades. Thanks Nagi,x
Nagi says
And that’s what we need Jean! 🙌
Raelene Wang says
Thank you Nagi for all you do! You are greatly appreciated by my household. You have made me a much better cook and my husband really appreciate s it. Quite honestly i was worried about stocking foods that we would never eat. That would be such a waste of space and money. Thank you so very much for this post. You make so much sense in these crazy times. Thank you! THANK YOU!!
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Raelene, you’ve got this!! N x
Denny Felizzi says
Thanks for the advice. Here in SWFL things are getting slim. At the local market yesterday,not much fresh meat left!!! WTH?
Heading back to my Walmart and Save-a-lot to try and get a few things.Stay healthy!!
Love to Dozer!!!
Nagi says
Good Luck Denny! N x
Sarah Karlson says
Love you, Nagi!!! I just discovered your site about a month ago, and the recipes I’ve already tried of yours have been a hit. I love how clear and detailed your recipe writing is, too. I’m thrilled to have this meal plan because I know everything is going to taste great and that the recipes are going to work. We need sure-fire winners only these days, no duds! You all take care, we are thinking of you in Connecticut, USA. <3
Nagi says
Thanks so much Sarah, that truly means a lot! N x
Jeanne says
love your Coronavirus food selections and lists!! Thank you so much, I’m going to grocery today!!!!
Nagi says
Thanks Jeanne!
Sabrina says
Amazing! Thanks Nagi 😊
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Sabrina!!
Linda Turner says
Thank you so much for the amazing recipes the tips ditch the bread and the cabbage tips. I don’t want to panic buy but I do want to eat, we will be having most of these recipes. I’m finding it all very scary now and I can’t help but worried we are in the vulnerable group I’ve plenty of time to cook.
Nagi says
Don’t panic Linda, we will all get through this ❤️