Pandemic Vegans

Thoughts on Eating Healthy In Survival Mode

My husband and I have been scouring the scientific studies on nutrition on and off for the past five years now (okay, let's be honest, Dustin is the main researcher, and I'm the glad recipient of his findings). We became vegans in November of 2015. We slowly got rid of everything in our kitchen that was a meat or dairy product and replaced it with whole, plant-based foods; mostly grains, starches, and vegetables. We weren't super strict: we were basically social omnivores and strict vegans at home because some social occasions just called for flexibility. But overall, making this lifestyle change has transformed our lives and made us feel like our best selves.

Dustin and I went shopping the other day, preparing for a whole month of food, and bought as much fresh food as we thought would not go bad before we had a chance to eat it, and then stocked up on the longer-lasting items. And this has had me thinking about survival situations. Actually, more honesty, I've been thinking about prepping a lot in the past year. Obviously if we're willing to be social omnivores, then we are definitely willing to be survival omnivores. If things got really bad, and supply chains forced us to run out of food, you bet I would be crossbow hunting deer and trapping rabbits in the nearby forests until I could get a good vegetable garden going. But I'm getting ahead of myself... I don't think it will come to that, and produce isn't whats running out on the shelves right now, so I know we can still eat healthy while stockpiling.

Here's some helpful tips for those of you younger folk, or less experienced in cooking at home. If you're reading this and you have good insights you'd like to share, I'd love to hear them!

First of all, eat lots of cruciferous vegetables to boost your immune system. This is the absolute best thing you can do to help your body fight covid-19 if you catch it. If you hate veggies, force yourself now to eat things like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, collard greens, bok choy, etc. If you really can't stand vegetables, try tomato juice. Drinking it twice a day can drastically improve your immune system function, so stock up on that V8, baby! (Watch, Using the Produce Aisle to Boost Immune Function if you'd like to see a summary of the studies on this). Also, if you have some extra cash to spend, get yourself some elderberry syrup or gummies to eat on the regular. This is also highly immune-boosting.

If you are vegan, don't forget to stock up on your vitamin B supplement! <-- very important

Fresh foods are extremely important. If you're looking for longer lasting fresh vegetables, buy cabbages, gourd-type vegetables like butternut squashes, and root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and onions. Citrus fruit and apples will last quite a while. You can freeze your bananas, but be aware they do still turn brown after a couple of weeks. And definitely do not store your bananas with other fruit or veggies. bananas produce gases that speed up the ripening process...

Buy your normal one-week or two week load of fresh veggies, and then buy your longer-lasting fruits/veggies in larger quantities and then your dried foods in bulk. You can also buy freeze-dried and dried foods, but that can get pricey. If you have a dehydrator, you can stock up on those fruits... Mentally prepare for some monotony later on in the month(s) as your supplies dwindle. (Rice and beans for the win!)

Here's another thought: simplify! Dustin's grandparents have become experts at making delicious food with just salt and pepper and a few basic ingredients. I think this is the way to eat for cheaper and to make your groceries last longer. Dustin and I LOVE spices and flavor, but we are also learning to enjoy subtle natural flavors. This month I developed a dish that is only cabbage and noodles and salt and pepper (and a dash of curry and soy sauce). Since I don't have butter in my fridge, I found out that cabbage has a lovely buttery flavor when sauteed. We are learning to cut back on our more spice-heavy recipes so we can make our food last longer.

Also, don't despair... You can actually live and survive on potatoes or rice and beans for a long time. I believe if you go too long, you can come out with some real deficiencies... But you'll be fine for a few months. The same goes for other unprocessed whole grains, and legumes. They have a lot of basic vitamins and nutrients you need, even some protein. Ideally, you should eat widely and get all kinds of nutrients from different foods. But in survival mode, you can make it if you're stocked up on a few basic whole grains, dried beans, and potatoes. Lentils are particularly jam packed with nutrients (stock up!). I'm also learning recipes for split peas and fava beans.

(soak those beans overnight and rinse before use even if you have an instant pot... soaking removes the enzymes which give you gas... your family members stuck in quarantine with you will thank you later.)

Quinoa is an awesome little grain jam-packed with protein. But it can get pricey, and for various reasons, I'm concerned about supply chains here.

Also, you can re-grow things like green onions and herbs. Store your cut bunches of herbs in the fridge with the stems in a cup of water and cover it with a bag (or use an herb-saver). That will give your herbs at least a whole extra week in your fridge.

I haven't even talked about canning yet, which is something I want to eventually do from my kitchen. It's not as good as fresh foods, because you lose some nutrient content, but it is definitely better than having no vegetables at all! Canned foods are what got our grandparents through the winters before refrigerators.

These days, the only canned foods Dustin and I buy are tomato-based (like sauces, salsas, and various forms of tomatoes) or nut butters, jams and jellies. Most American canned foods are packed with too much salt and sugar. Plus, fresh foods taste so much better. But, in survival mode, canning is a great way to get through. Dustin's grandparents have an entire shelf of foods they have canned themselves, and these foods last for years. My favorite is their canned asparagus. One of these days I am going to buy all the necessary equipment and start a seasonal canning habit. Until then, I'm relying on my stockpiled dried foods for the long haul.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you are preparing for the next couple of months during this weird apocalyptic lockdown.


Photo by Ella Olsson on Unsplash