Quarantine cuisine

Bronwen King, Nutritionist

Supermarkets could be understocked and crowded, and it’s quite probable that restaurants – even fast food chains – will not operate in a pandemic. Food supplies may even be cut off entirely.

“Have enough food for one or two weeks in your cupboard,” says Christchurch Nutritionist Bronwen King, author of Survive Bird Flu and Other Disasters.

“In a pandemic situation, the whole world is affected. Food services could well break down. The borders may be closed. Distribution and transport systems may be impacted, too.”

Joining a last-minute panic at the supermarket will mean you are exposed to crowds of people, and possible infection, so stocking up in advance is extremely important.

“A bonus in preparing for a pandemic is that you are also preparing for earthquakes and other disasters.”

Think about your family’s favourite basic, comforting meals when stocking up. “The most simple guideline is to buy familiar food,” says Bronwen. “If you hate lentils and don’t know how to cook them, don’t go out and buy lentils. If you are convenience food people, buy packets of pasta meals, two-minute noodles, canned casseroles – readymade meals.”

Take a look at the long-life foods you already have in the house. Chances are, with just the food you already have, you can prepare pasta and sauce made from canned tomatoes, fried rice with frozen veges, corn fritters, scones with jam, and plenty of pikelets or pancakes.

Many fresh ingredients can be substituted with long-life alternatives - make sure you include powdered milk in your emergency pantry. Use frozen, dried or canned vegetables instead of fresh ones. Onion salt or dried onion can be used if you run out of fresh onions.

Cooking in a quarantine situation is a little like cooking while camping - it takes a little more time and imagination than usual. Try making bread from scratch, or teaching your children how to cook.

Most importantly, if you are quarantined in your home stay active and stay positive.

“Ninety-eight per cent of the population survived the last major pandemic in New Zealand,” says Bronwen. “The vast majority of people suffered nothing more than a nasty bout of the flu.”