By Veronica Beltran

Maintaining a healthy life during a pandemic

TYH: Staying healthy as we adjust to the reality of COVID-19

Apr 7, 2020 | 8:30 AM

This is my fourth week working from home and I am not going to lie, getting into a new routine is hard.

One of the things I’ve found myself wondering during this time is how I should grocery shop if I want to eat fresh and maintain my healthy diet as we adjust to our new realities (not being able to head outside as often).

Another thing that’s been on my mind is how to stay active indoors, this one though is a bit easier for me as I do have an at home gym but I know for many this isn’t the case.

So we spoke with a local dietitian on both of these areas of concern.

Laurel Burton, a Population Public Health Dietitian for Northern Health spoke with us outside her home, as she—like many of us —has been working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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She told us that meal prepping is a great way to plan out healthy meals and get you in and out of the grocery store quickly, because you know exactly what you need when you go in.

“Maybe meal planning isn’t what you can…really cope with at the time…(so) just understanding…that you’re going to get things like frozen pizzas and things that last a little bit longer.”—Laurel Burton, Population Health Dietitian, Northern Health

Burton stressed that especially during these times we should check in with ourselves, maybe meal prepping isn’t something you can handle at the moment, and if that’s the case reminding yourself that it’s okay to grab a frozen meal or two to help alleviate some stress.

Making meals in large batches such as soups, casseroles and freezing them can keep you from reaching for something maybe not so healthy when you are really hungry. As well as having canned goods that can accompany an assortment of dishes.

As for exercise, getting outside is still a possibility says Burton, however, she does urge caution.

“If you aren’t in quarantine or you haven’t been asked to isolate for 14 days and you aren’t showing any symptoms, getting outside a little bit is okay just as long as you’re being very careful to practice physical distancing.”—Laurel Burton

Lastly she points out that if you can’t get outside there are at home workout options with locals offering classes virtually.