I’ve been living in my house for about two years. Our old apartment was tiny and we had infinitesimal space for backup food storage. We bought food when we needed it and that was it Fast forward to our new home. While I don't have a designated “pantry”, I do have ample storage. Maybe it’s out of habit, but I never prioritize stocking up on items. Our cabinets, as seen in my #organizeoctober posts from last year, are certainly not overflowing with food. However, due to recent events, ah hem, *coronavirus* (yikes), it had me thinking that I should have some reserve food and supplies in the house –– just in case. I dislike the scenario where I have use this stuff, but it’s a reality that we all probably need to face. Scary things can happen, and while the probability is small, it's better to be prepared. Keeping this in mind, I recently took a trip to Costco to stock up on food and household items. The things I purchases were nothing so out of the ordinary that we will never use, but items that I maybe only had one of. As a nutritionist coming at this from a health perspective, I’m sharing my list with y'all.

Proteins

Legumes
Meat
Quinoa
Tuna
Nut butter

Some items here are in cans and some will go in the freezer. We were fortunate enough to recently acquire a spare fridge and freezer so I am utilizing the extra freezer space for meats and frozen vegetables.

Frozen Items

Frozen broccoli
Frozen peas
Frozen green beans
Frozen berries
Whole grain bread

Having a toddler, I wanted to make sure I chose items that the whole family enjoys. Broccoli is a sneaky source of protein, so it’s a great vegetable to keep on hand.

Dried goods.

Quinoa
Oatmeal
Rice
Pasta
Coffee

Random

Applesauce pouches
Low sodium chicken broth
Diced tomatoes
Toilet paper
Disinfecting wipes
Tissues
Water
Olive oil
Pedialyte
Diapers + wipes
OTC meds

Nothing too exciting here, but I figured I would share. I don’t often use disinfecting wipes, but they may come in handy at some point.

Hopefully this stockpile will just be used to make soup and chili in the future. It’s a good idea to make sure you have proteins on hand, as well as frozen vegetables. Most of us think of stocking up on carbohydrates, but you have to make sure you have vegetables and proteins too, to make your meal complete.

Here’s to staying healthy, but also being prepared.