When you are managing your diabetes, meal planning and simplified grocery shopping can always help. Now that COVID-19 has changed many day-to-day routines, these tips can help even more.
If you are looking to change your eating habits and add more nutritious options, then meal planning is a great place to start. Preparation can make cooking and meal times less stressful.
Here are some ideas on how to get started with meal planning.
Save Recipes
Meal planning starts with recipes that work for you. Be on the lookout and keep track of recipes that meet your individual needs. Find a balance of healthy recipes, recipes with affordable ingredients, new recipes to try, recipes with minimal prep, and any recipes you love to cook.
Start a Grocery List
While you’re deciding what to cook in the coming week(s), work on your grocery list at the same time. Check off each item that you need for each recipe so you don’t miss important ingredients.
When you’re ordering for pickup or delivery, add the items to your cart. If you’re going to the store, organize your list by where you find each item. Many meal-planning apps can also help you organize your list. By planning ahead, you can minimize trips to the store and keep each trip as short as possible.
Stay Safe
Wear a mask when you grocery shop and use a disinfecting wipe to clean your cart. You can also choose to wear gloves or use a plastic bag like a glove for extra precautions. But remember to dispose of the gloves before exiting the store and avoid touching your face or your phone with the gloves on since gloves carry germs.
Wash your hands and disinfect as much as possible when you get home. Here are more tips from the American Diabetes Association on safe grocery shopping for people with diabetes.
Take Notes and Organize Recipes
Not every recipe is perfect. Write down what you like or don’t like about a recipe. Was it easy to make? Would you adjust the amount of some ingredients?
When you find a recipe that you enjoy, make sure you bookmark it, print it out, or find a way that helps you keep track of your favorite recipes. It only takes a few moments each time and makes things easier the next time you’re in the kitchen.
Enjoy Cooking
Most importantly, try to have fun. Figure out what works for you and what doesn’t.
Here are our 5 tips on how to enjoy cooking during COVID-19.
If you are a BlueStar user, be sure to check out our new food and meal planning features that make all of this easier. Our customer care team is here to walk you through it too. Just give us a call at 1-888-611-4794.
