{"id":9579,"date":"2020-05-13T08:00:07","date_gmt":"2020-05-13T13:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=9579"},"modified":"2026-03-05T13:36:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T19:36:22","slug":"tips-for-pantry-cooking-during-a-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/tips-for-pantry-cooking-during-a-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for pantry cooking during a pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Need healthy meal ideas?<\/p>\n

Get recipes<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

During these times of staying at home due to the novel coronavirus<\/a> (COVID-19<\/a>) pandemic, it\u2019s probably fair to say you\u2019re spending a lot more time in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

And since grocery store runs are more limited<\/a>, next time your family asks \u201cWhat\u2019s for dinner?,\u201d turn to your pantry and get creative.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to use the five food groups and try to get at least three of them in each meal \u2013 such as some sort of protein, a grain and a vegetable. That makes it easy for me to think through what to include in a meal,\u201d said Kaela Ketcham, a clinical dietitian in the OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center<\/a> Weight Management Center<\/a> at the RiverPlex in Peoria<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cUse your food groups to guide you because that will give you a variety of food in your diet, which provides a variety of nutrients to keep you healthy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

What to keep in the pantry<\/h2>\n

When it comes to your pantry (freezer and fridge, too<\/a>), Kaela said to focus on the five food groups \u2013 protein, grains, fruits, vegetables and dairy.<\/p>\n

She offers the following tips on what three staple items from each food group you should always have on hand for easy-to-create meals.<\/p>\n

\"\"Proteins<\/p>\n