Above: Canned foods gain more importance during quarantine.
Half a teaspoon of resourcefulness, a tablespoon of self-quarantine, and a cup of creativity create the fiasco of a meal we call the Coronavirus. Although the virus has caused many problems in our world, the meals we eat, and the way we prepare them, are often overlooked.
The food industry has experienced one of the largest changes during the pandemic. With most dine-in restaurants shutting down, many families must eat what they have on-hand. To avoid contracting the virus, many families have stocked up on non-perishable foods to make food supplies last for a long time. This has led to many families changing the meals they prepare entirely.
One of the changes from the pandemic is the supply of food. It’s a lot harder to find frozen foods during this time since frozen foods are able to be saved for a long amount of time. Another change in the stores is that when someone buys fresh meats, there is a limit to how many each person can buy in certain stores.
Personally, food during the pandemic has affected my family a lot. Jessica Smith, my mother, said, “The virus has affected food for us in many ways. For one, we do not eat out as much as we used to. We will still do takeout once a week, but we’ve shifted most of our meals to being prepared at home. This alters how often we go to the store, how much food we purchase, and how we make our meals.”
Even though the Coronavirus has caused many unfortunate events, there is still light at the end of the tunnel. For example, cooking with my family has helped me bond with my family. Since we have canned foods stocked up, we have to usually cook those foods to eat them. Before the virus, I had rarely helped my mother make a homemade dinner. Now, I help almost every time we have one. This has helped me bond a lot more with my family, as well as pick up a few cooking skills along the way. Also, since we are eating more homemade meals, we are generally eating healthier meals than before.
So even though the Coronavirus has caused a lot of misfortune, we shouldn’t lose hope. We can take this time during quarantine to improve. Whether it’s having a family game night, exercising at home, or even cooking, we can find something to do that creates joy while staying safe.
