Sometimes life gives you lemons! So, throw them in the pasta!
The past couple weeks (and probably more to come) have been a challenge for all of us. I especially feel for young people in school - about to graduate high school or college, or anyone trying to get off the ground with their new endeavors. I know first hand how hard starting something new is, as Nutribridge llc just celebrated its first year as a private practice of nutrition counseling and medical nutrition therapy services. It has been a challenging first year in many ways, but I’m so grateful for all of it. I’m proud of how much I’ve learned and achieved in the business of a healthcare private practice.
Most recently, it’s also been my pleasure to help someone else get off the ground, as well. I have had a Dietetic Intern, Caroline Guilford from Simsbury, CT, working with me through these past two weeks of “social distancing” due to the coronavirus pandemic. We weren’t able to do all the activities I had planned, but thankfully for telehealth and telecommuting, we were able to make it work - and I think pretty well, considering the circumstances. Caroline recently graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a BS in dietetics and has started her masters degree in nutrition with a concentration in business through Northeastern University. She is currently a Dietetic Intern through Wellness Workdays and aspires to become a clinical Pediatric Dietitian. She is compassionate, bright and diligent with her work, and I know she is going to succeed as a Registered Dietitian, very soon, as she is about to complete her internship program and will be ready to take the board exam.
Making the best of what we’ve got is all that we can do, and I believe this resonates with all aspects of our life right now, through this unique and challenging time. Since we’re all home more, I am sure we can all find some time to dig into the back of the cupboards and get creative with your cooking, while also staying focused on maintaining or improving your health. Caroline put together some great ideas to use some of the pantry items you might have on hand, while also eating healthy. Thank you, Caroline, and best wishes for a fun and bountiful career!
Easy Meals with Everyday Pantry Items - by Caroline Guilford, Dietetic Intern
We all have those moments of looking in our pantry or refrigerator and concluding that we have “nothing to eat”. As we begin a staring contest with our various bags of rice and other perishable items, our mind tries to come up with new ways to work with these less than exciting items to create a satisfying meal. During these times of not being able to purchase our usual items at the store and making less grocery trips than usual, we all may need to work with what we have. There may just be endless possibilities for meals that can be made with these unpopular foods.
Although everyone’s pantry or refrigerator may look different, there are items that most people have on hand. These options include pasta, bread, canned items such as beans, corn, tomatoes, rice, broth of some variety, peanut butter and spices. Other items that may be in the fridge consist of: eggs, milk, butter and condiments. When we are unable to make a grocery trip or simply do not have access to our favorite food staples, we may have to whip up dinner with what we have. Listed below are tips to delicious meals with very few items that we are left with!
Breakfast for lunch or dinner: most people have some sort of bread product lying around that can be put to good use! If you do not know what to make for dinner or lunch, there is always breakfast to consider. Whipping up some French toast with a side of scrambled eggs is an easy meal that requires little ingredients. All it takes are eggs, bread, milk and maybe some cinnamon and butter. Even if you don’t have syrup for your French toast, using peanut butter is a great way to add flavor without the extra sugar syrup contains. In addition, if you want to make pancakes but do not have any batter, mixing regular oats with eggs, baking powder and milk will create a fluffy pancake that is also healthy.
Pasta: pasta is an item most of us have lying around in our kitchen. Pasta is cheap, easily stored and has a long shelf life. Ways to make pasta a more exciting dish include: adding lemon, garlic and any veggies you may have to cooked pasta for a bright easy dish, dice some canned tomatoes and add water and few spices (garlic, basil, salt) to create a quick red sauce for any kind of pasta, cool down your cooked pasta and add any vegetables you have on hand with olive oil and spices for an easy pasta salad!
Sandwiches: making a sandwich for a meal does usually sound like the best option. However, there are ways to change it up when it comes to our usual sandwich making habits. Try making an open faced sandwich with different toppings such as : tuna and avocado, tomato and mozzarella with basil, egg and avocado, peanut butter and banana with honey. This way you can add extra toppings to your slice of bread to fill you up rather than getting full on all the carbs!
Although these are just a few ways to make meals with our everyday items, there are many other options to creating a tasty meal with few ingredients. Click the links below to try additional recipes without having to run to the store!
https://goodcheapeats.com/meal-planning-101-12-easy-meals-to-make-when-theres-nothing-to-eat/
https://blog.williams-sonoma.com/what-to-make-when-you-have-no-food-in-the-house/