We’ve all seen the effects COVID-19 has had on grocery store shelves–empty stretches of shelves that once held dry goods and paper products. Perhaps you’ve only been able to gather half of the items on your shopping list. I know that last week, with all the components in my cart for fajitas, the only tortillas left were the smallest size (meant for street tacos). A minor hiccup, of course.
To get some suggestions of how to thoughtfully and carefully do your shopping during this time, we spoke with Ashley Wold, owner of local grocery service Mountains of Groceries. Her first tip: do your shopping in the fresh foods sections. “All the pasta, beans and rice are gone, but the produce department looks awesome, and that’s the best way to keep your immunity up.”
Tip number two: think ahead with your purchases–find recipes that make a larger number of servings, which you can then divide up and freeze for future meals. Lasagnas and casseroles are great ideas for this tip. If you can, make a shopping list for two weeks worth of meals for you and your household. Most produce will keep for this long, while we all get used to not popping into the store every couple days like we may be used to.
Keep up with your social distancing practices inside the stores–giving others in the aisles and the checkout lines plenty of space. However, this doesn’t mean you should neglect your in-store etiquette. “Be grateful and thankful to grocery store workers,” Wold reminds us. “They are working like crazy right now and getting a ton of grief.” A simple, “Thank you for being here,” can go a long way with these hardworking folks.
As far as sanitation goes, definitely wash your hands thoroughly before and after your grocery trips, and use the sanitizer wipes at the entrance to wipe down the handles on your cart or basket. Many people don’t wash their reusable bags, and just toss them in the bottom of the cart. But those don’t usually get sanitized, so it’s best for you and others if you instead carry your reusable bags over your shoulder or in a purse (or backpack). Wold says, “The stores are really good about washing down the check stand regularly.” And now, local stores have installed sneeze guards between cashiers and customers checking out.
When you can, utilize food delivery options, like Mountains of Groceries. They will deliver your shopping list straight to your door. Again, we are avidly staying on top of updating our list of local restaurants currently offering takeout or delivery. But if your favorite local restaurant doesn’t have a delivery system already in place, Mountains of Groceries can be the middleman and deliver takeout to you as well.
Not only that, Mountains of Groceries has partnered with Bistro Catering and Genevieve Catering to bring prepared meals to you. Because not all of us are kitchen-savvy! During this time, Mountains of Groceries is offering sliding scale pricing for locals. Wold encourages everyone to stock up on a bunch of meals at once and put them in the freezer!
Finally, Wold suggests we take any extra time we have on our hands to get in the kitchen with the kids and prepare some family meals you might not otherwise have the time for. Get your family involved in curating a menu, and teach your kiddos how to make a shopping list. Stock up on quality time right now, not two months worth of flour.
When things start to head back toward normal, if you’ve found you overstocked your pantry, consider donating extras to local organizations like Hole Food Rescue. All over town, local organizations are ramping up efforts to help the food insecure in Jackson during this difficult time.
