With the coronavirus being an evolving threat to older people, senior citizens over 65 are being told to stay in their homes and away from people. That can be hard for many reasons, one of which is feeding yourself throughout the emergency. Restaurants, bars and other unessential food spots are closing down, and supermarkets are packed with folks. Some restaurants have switched entirely to delivery. While that might be helpful, it would become expensive quickly. There are grocery delivery services that are less expensive, but even that will add up. Having good, younger, healthy friends and neighbors can be a huge help.
With more limited options for going to the grocery store, cooking meals from a wide range of foods is hard to impossible. Instead, we wanted to share some great, low-carb recipes that can be cooked mostly from pantry staples. While many pantry-dependent recipes use pasta, we are aiming for lower-carb options. The recipe highest in carbs still has few that 14 grams of carbs!
You can throw tuna salad into any salad, make lettuce wraps, enjoy it with low carb pasta or enjoy it on its own as a snack. It’s fast and easy to make, and you most likely have a tin of tuna in a cupboard, this is the perfect time to enjoy it! A few veggies, a bit of mayo, and you’re good to go. This will use up the jar of pickles you have in the fridge and be tasty to boot! A serving has 366 calories, 17 grams of protein and only one gram of carbs! Get the recipe.
Sloppy joe filling is delicious, but the canned versions you can buy can be so high in sugar and salt. You can either read the label or make this homemade version that you won’t need to buy new spices to make it tasty. If you have beef in the freezer, it’s time to use it in this saucy dish that can go with a wide variety of side dishes. A serving has 218.2 calories, 17.1 grams of protein and 5.1 grams of carbs. Get the recipe.
This recipe could not be easier: beans, broth and canned tomatoes. The recipe says you could put the soup in a blender, we disagree. We like to make this recipe with a potato masher. We enjoy a lumpier texture for this delicious dish! It really is up to you! We also use low-sodium chicken broth. We add pepper and some Italian spice mix to the soup, so it packs a lot of flavors while being lower in salt. A serving is 52 calories, three grams of protein and nine grams of carbs. Get the recipe.
How doesn’t love breakfast foods? When you’re home all day, breakfast lunch and dinner can all be variations on a theme. We love this south western omelet recipe, and it uses up any black beans you have left after making soup. We always have eggs in our fridge, and eating them boiled and scrambled can get dull. A nice omelet doesn’t even need a side dish and can be a full meal. An omelet has 181 calories, 20.2 grams of protein and 13.8 grams of carbs. Get the recipe.
In these fraught times, it can be easy to panic or get overwhelmed. Instead, take a breath, sequester yourself as much as possible and take this time to relax, refresh yourself and maybe clean out your cupboards! We hope you enjoy these dishes.
