I about lost my mind last night as I was preparing my Walmart grocery pickup order.

For the record let me state this is my every other Thursday ritual. I prepare and send the order on Thursday, my husband picks it up on Friday morning. We buy groceries every 2 weeks, it's what we always do. I was not sending an order in panic to load up on TP and water, I was trying to buy food for my family, but I couldn't, because pretty much everything I need was sold out.

This is not Walmart's fault, I'm sure they are working tirelessly to keep their shelves stocked, people panicking is to blame. I get that we are facing an extremely serious situation that requires preparation, but we need to stop, take a moment to breathe, and shop smartly.

That being said, I found an article from Huffington Post that talks about the things we should be buying, and how much of it we actually need, to prepare for a 2-3 week COVIV-19 quarantine. Here are some of the tips meal-planning experts are offering:

  • Take inventory of what you already have on hand. Plan meals using what you already hand in your pantry first, then go buy the staples you need to get you through the next two weeks. Rice, pasta, oats, whole grains and canned vegetables are the best choices because they have long shelf lives and are the staples for many meals.
  • Plan meals with common ingredients. Sit down and come up with a 14-day meal plan BEFORE you go to the store. Try to choose meals with common, long-shelf life ingredients.
  • The freezer is your friend. Meals that require fresh fruits and veggies aren't the best idea. Choose meals that can be prepared in advance and frozen and that use frozen vegetables and fruits as ingredients.
  • Skip the junk food. Shoppers seems to be flocking to easy-to-eat comfort foods like chips, cookies and granola bars. When stuck at home for a long period of time, those types of foods will go fast and encourage needless snacking.
  • Keep it simple. Being stuck at home for weeks is stressful enough. Don't worry yourself more by attempting new recipes. Stick to easy to prepare meals you already know your family loves.

Oh, and one more thing...only buy enough toilet paper for your family to use. Don't hoard it and force other people (like me) to figure out creative ways to wipe their parts because they can't find anything but 1-ply rolls in the stores. Please...that tip is from me.

Stay healthy, be smart, and don't panic, my friends!

Catch Lil Zim on ‘Q98.5 Mornings with Lil Zim & JB’ on Q98.5 from 5:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow her on TwitterInstagram, and Facebook

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