Stocking up on what??

123468

Replies

  • pancakerunner
    pancakerunner Posts: 6,137 Member
    jm_1234 wrote: »
    I'm in a shelter in place city and not stocking up, but I am rationing by counting calories and being strict with my daily intake. Decision to ration was because I'm hoping it helps others get what they need and lessens the impact of my reduced activity. Because of my reduced activity I'm also not ordering to go from restaurants (I can't afford the calories).

    My experience so far has been that ordering groceries online (Whole Foods) is more successful than in store shopping. And if the online store is out of an item one day the next day they have it available. Occasionally I go with a non-organic or alternative item if I don't want to wait.

    So far no real issue getting what I want when I want it.

    Agreed. A shelter in place was just declared for my state. Grocery stores will be operating as normal so don't see the need to stock up or hoard anything in particular. Local grocers are actually urging people to just buy a couple days worth of goods at a time. No need to panic buy!
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,945 Member
    I am not stocking up but trying to ensure I have ingredients on hand for a few store cupboard meals. Haven't managed to buy tinned tomatoes but will get a tin or two when I see them because puttanesca and a la vodka are easy store cupboard pasta sauces.

    What are your go to store cupboard meals? These are mine. Add some frozen or tinned veg to make a balanced meal if you don't manage to shop either due to low stock or feeling unwell.

    Pasta puttanesca
    Spaghetti aglio olio
    Spaghetti cacio e pepe
    Spaghetti carbonara
    Penne a la vodka (use tinned coconut cream instead of fresh cream)
    Vegan mongolian beef (tinned seitan in asian supermarkets is often known as buddhist mock meat)
    Baked potato with baked beans

    A girlfriend showed me some good tricks for making warm meals out of store cupboard fish. Smoked mackerel can be frozen and served warm after heating in the microwave. Tinned sardines can be fried in the oil that's in the tin. Serve either with a squeeze of lemon or a drizzle of vinegar and a good grind of black pepper.
  • bisky
    bisky Posts: 1,090 Member
    musicfan68 wrote: »
    I really wish people would quit hoarding toilet paper. Do they really think they need 50 rolls of toilet paper if they get stuck in their house for 2 weeks? Coronavirus does not cause diarrhea. For those of us who are just out of it and just need one package, we are SOL. Thanks to everyone hoarding toilet paper.

    I agree and it is so stupid. They are never going to quit making toilet paper. I just hope they are using it for something useful.....like a design for a N-95 mask. Why toilet paper??? It is not going to save anyone from Covid-19. If I run out of toilet paper there are other options........

  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
    edited March 2020
    acpgee wrote: »
    I am not stocking up but trying to ensure I have ingredients on hand for a few store cupboard meals. Haven't managed to buy tinned tomatoes but will get a tin or two when I see them because puttanesca and a la vodka are easy store cupboard pasta sauces.

    What are your go to store cupboard meals? These are mine. Add some frozen or tinned veg to make a balanced meal if you don't manage to shop either due to low stock or feeling unwell.

    Pasta puttanesca
    Spaghetti aglio olio
    Spaghetti cacio e pepe
    Spaghetti carbonara
    Penne a la vodka (use tinned coconut cream instead of fresh cream)
    Vegan mongolian beef (tinned seitan in asian supermarkets is often known as buddhist mock meat)
    Baked potato with baked beans

    A girlfriend showed me some good tricks for making warm meals out of store cupboard fish. Smoked mackerel can be frozen and served warm after heating in the microwave. Tinned sardines can be fried in the oil that's in the tin. Serve either with a squeeze of lemon or a drizzle of vinegar and a good grind of black pepper.

    5 out of your 7 ‘go to’ meals are pasta based. I’ve honestly not seen pasta in any supermarket near or even semi-near me for a month! 🙄

    Canned fish of all types is also invisible 😂
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,945 Member
    Although I have seen some off putting queues in large mainstream supermarkets, I am finding that near me in E London the ethnic grocers are still well stocked. Plenty of egg noodles at the asian supermarket. The Italian grocer still had proper pasta yesterday. The Italian was mostly expensive small scale imports but the asian shops are actually cheaper than mainstream supermarkets for a lot of items. Last weeekend I went to a Bangla supermarket and they seemed fully stocked and even had facial tissues, if not toilet paper.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,945 Member
    It occurs to me that the ethnic grocery shops might be better stocked because they probably don't use high tech "just in time" logistics for stocking which would likely fail when demand is higher than normal.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    acpgee wrote: »
    It occurs to me that the ethnic grocery shops might be better stocked because they probably don't use high tech "just in time" logistics for stocking which would likely fail when demand is higher than normal.

    I dont think so. I think they are better stocked because people still think of this as "China" virus, thank you emperor Trump, and are simply affraid to go in there. Here, I can go into any Asian store and get whatever, and I do mean whatever I want, but I go into any Canadian supermarket, and things are hard to come by.

    I talked to someone in NYC early on who said that Asian groceries were pretty picked over, although it varied by item and this was a week or so ago so it might have changed.

    The weekend before last I drove up to a BestBuy in Evanston (just north of Chicago) to get supplies for having to start working at home, and when driving back went through the area (not too far from me) where there are lots of South Asian groceries. I thought about checking them out, but hadn't any real need for anything and so many people were out and about I was afraid that they would be really crowded.

    I do think they are likely, here, to be better stocked, and the East Asian groceries too, unless the people in those areas have panicked, just because I think people tend to go to either places like Costco or else their big supermarket if panic buying.

    I've mentioned before that I normally do a lot of my buying from a local German meat market (that has a lot that's neither German nor meat), and even well into panic buying time it seemed totally normal for things like pasta, rice, beans, other grains. I think people weren't going panic buying there. Similarly my closest grocery store has consistently been one of the better stocked in the area, and I think that's because it's relatively small compared to places that were getting hit harder.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    It occurs to me that the ethnic grocery shops might be better stocked because they probably don't use high tech "just in time" logistics for stocking which would likely fail when demand is higher than normal.

    Yes, your bigger chains are likely moving towards (or have already adopted) stocking just-in-time and also reducing backroom storage by moving items by the unit (or smaller bunches) instead of by the case or pallet.

    Note: I work in supply chain and my team is involved in this process for my company, but this is just my personal opinion of general industry trends.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,221 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    A girlfriend showed me some good tricks for making warm meals out of store cupboard fish. Smoked mackerel can be frozen and served warm after heating in the microwave. Tinned sardines can be fried in the oil that's in the tin. Serve either with a squeeze of lemon or a drizzle of vinegar and a good grind of black pepper.

    I would never have thought about frying sardines since they're already cooked. I bet they're tasty. I might try it! I usually buy packed in water, but I can either use some vegetable oil or dig in to the one tin I have in olive oil (I just buy a few of those for days I want/need more calories than packed in water).
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
    Coincidentally, I just made dinner for my husband using a tin of Hickory Smoked Mackerel packed in Red Chilli Oil. I used the oil I drained off the fillets to make mayonnaise which I then mixed back into the flaked fillets adding chopped spring onions and a little sweetcorn. Used that to fill a baked potato and served with a large mixed salad.

    A bit of imagination and a tin of fish can go a long way!
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,945 Member
    It occurs to me that fish cakes are also a nice way to make a warm meal out of tinned fish. Leftover mashed potato (instant mash if potatoes are scarce), an egg (if scarce try those cartons of egg whites), some finely diced or grated alliums (plentiful in shops near me) with flaked fish and seasoning. Form into patties and shallow fry.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,221 Member
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    acpgee wrote: »
    A girlfriend showed me some good tricks for making warm meals out of store cupboard fish. Smoked mackerel can be frozen and served warm after heating in the microwave. Tinned sardines can be fried in the oil that's in the tin. Serve either with a squeeze of lemon or a drizzle of vinegar and a good grind of black pepper.

    I would never have thought about frying sardines since they're already cooked. I bet they're tasty. I might try it! I usually buy packed in water, but I can either use some vegetable oil or dig in to the one tin I have in olive oil (I just buy a few of those for days I want/need more calories than packed in water).

    Water and hot oil... be careful. Better drain the water from sardines, mix them with oil at this point and then add that to the hot pan.

    No kidding. I doubt I would fry the packed in water fish. I actually just like to eat 'em. I used to put mackerel in my winter squash soup; gave a nice depth. And I was in grad school; mackerel was cheap. If I did fry the packed in water fish, I'd drain 'em and pat 'em dry. I might even roll 'em in some crumbs. I doubt I'd coat them in oil first. I'd use as little oil as possible. But I'm not going to do it. Every now and then one of our fish markets has FRESH sardines. I might try it with those, but they also go great on the grill. That reminds me - I should take some fish out of the freezer.

    I just had the best workday lunch I've had in quite a while. I roasted some smaller russet potatoes that were just about to start growing eyes, a golden beet, and a parsnip. This is perhaps one of the greatest benefits of remote work. Well, that and every day is Casual Friday.

    5veodcmo9gok.png


  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,221 Member
    I also realized one thing I ~did~ stock up on.

    Seems every time I went to the grocery that carries the coffee I've been liking best, I'll go ahead and get a pound of beans. I should have a two or three week supply even if I keep up my habit of drinking LOTS of coffee.
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
    Coffee - I don't want to run out of coffee
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    I have rice and beans, canned and dry soups, frozen gr beef/chicken, veggies and fruits...our store is out of flour, baking mix, most large tubs of oatmeal, butter, eggs, most froz veggies and fruits...and tissues/tp/paper towels/napkins. It's pretty easy to get fresh produce...but I don't want to make the trip unless necessary
  • VegjoyP
    VegjoyP Posts: 2,772 Member
    Since I work in Wellness and Vitamins/ Supplements I got herbals, tinctures and food based immune support. AHCC, Elderberry syrup, Zink, Ester C ust to name a few. I got lots of steam and frozen cruciferous vegetables asparagus, seeds, seed and nut butters. I got plant based protein, electrolyte drink mix, herbal teas, coffee, avocado ( I measure out fresh avocado into little snack bags to freeze). My roomate is a DOM and she told me about a medicinal Chinese herbal to order, which I did.tofu, hemp seeds and protein.9
    I just got a Pur water filter however I was planning on it anyway
    Of course basics like to and some paper towels but I really didnt stock pile. Just prepared.
    I'm a firm believer in Functional medicine and having as autoimmune disease I take this seriously.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,945 Member
    We used to shop daily but are cutting back on shopping trips and buying for several days at a time. Since supermarkets began practicing social distancing they are limiting the amount of people in the shop so there are queues outside, with people standing 2 meters apart.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,221 Member
    I'm able to pick up a week's worth of produce when I go out; I just cook the more perishable things first and leave the sturdier (roots, cabbage) for later in the week. I've been thinking it's a good idea to keep two weeks or three of coffee beans because....

    I should have bought a larger bottle of hand sanitizer the one time I saw it on the shelves. I wanted EVERYBODY to get some, so I just got two ounces. Almost gone! I should have also got a refill bottle to keep the little one filled. Since I'm not really interacting with anyone else physically, I won't really need any until my next outing, and that's several days away. The irony is my shopping could be JUST to find sanitizer, I would be putting myself and others at risk seeking a way to keep myself and others safe. Crazy world out there.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    maryland went to shelter in place earlier this week but i'm an essential employee (yay...)

    not really stoking up per say - but instead of going to the store every day - i'm planning 3-4 days - i live by myself, so don't want to get a lot of fresh fruit/veg
  • vggb
    vggb Posts: 132 Member
    I've always kept a stocked pantry since the 70's when I lived in the mountains and a casual run to the store wasn't an option. I never got out of the habit. I'm going to the grocery store about every 1 1/2 to 2 weeks for perishables.
  • moonangel12
    moonangel12 Posts: 971 Member
    vggb wrote: »
    I've always kept a stocked pantry since the 70's when I lived in the mountains and a casual run to the store wasn't an option. I never got out of the habit. I'm going to the grocery store about every 1 1/2 to 2 weeks for perishables.
    That’s us - not crazy rural, but 20 minutes minimum for any groceries, with 4 children 5.5 and under made me mindful of store runs. My parents would be visiting and I would discover I was either out of a specific ingredient or it had gone bad as I was fixing supper, they would offer to run to the store “really quick” - had to explain to them it would be at least an hour and not worth it. I learned years ago to make do with what I have and can get quite creative as needed. I keep key ingredients on hand so I can make certain meals in a pinch. We had two weeks of illness before the chaos and my pantry and fridge were sparse, thankfully I was able to restock just a couple days before things disappeared off the shelves.

  • VegjoyP
    VegjoyP Posts: 2,772 Member
    edited April 2020
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    VegjoyP wrote: »
    Lol it is so interesting how people tend to " disagree" with my answers. I would love to know who is, what is your backround and education, licensing, degree, medical conditions, age, what you disagree on.
    FOR THE RECORD, I have 5 doctors in both western and eastern medicine. I have one of the most prestigious Rheumatologists in Florida. He monitors everything I do. I have a cardiologist, GP, DOM, Naturalpath and even my OBGYN feels I am doing well with my lifestyle and habits.

    We are all on MFP for our own reasons. I am for convenience of calculations, personal chalenges and get healthier with nutritional breakdown. I am 48 and have an extensive education.
    Sorry for rant to some. I guess I can just press disagree with the things that I dont think is the healthy and long term wise as answers but I would be doing that a lot.

    While I did not disagree with this post I would spend my money on actual food. If I had to be self-isolated for 2 weeks with no notice no amount of supplements would be of significant benefit when my body would be screaming for food I can actually eat.
    Also, if you are doing so well with your lifestyle why are you under the care of 5 different doctors? One is enough for me and even then I rarely have to see him because I am not often sick.

    I have 5 doctors for check ups or if needed and all are happy with me.

    Lol I guess I failed to mention food? I got broccoli cauliflower leafy greens nuts seeds avocado tofu pea protein Brussels edamame plant protein bars hemp pro vegan cheese cashew almond milk maranated artichokes coconut manna algae oil no
    Alyssa's oat bites, asparagus spinach Sunwarrior raw ginger garlic cloves tempeh
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,274 Member
    VegjoyP wrote: »
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    VegjoyP wrote: »
    Lol it is so interesting how people tend to " disagree" with my answers. I would love to know who is, what is your backround and education, licensing, degree, medical conditions, age, what you disagree on.
    FOR THE RECORD, I have 5 doctors in both western and eastern medicine. I have one of the most prestigious Rheumatologists in Florida. He monitors everything I do. I have a cardiologist, GP, DOM, Naturalpath and even my OBGYN feels I am doing well with my lifestyle and habits.

    We are all on MFP for our own reasons. I am for convenience of calculations, personal chalenges and get healthier with nutritional breakdown. I am 48 and have an extensive education.
    Sorry for rant to some. I guess I can just press disagree with the things that I dont think is the healthy and long term wise as answers but I would be doing that a lot.

    While I did not disagree with this post I would spend my money on actual food. If I had to be self-isolated for 2 weeks with no notice no amount of supplements would be of significant benefit when my body would be screaming for food I can actually eat.
    Also, if you are doing so well with your lifestyle why are you under the care of 5 different doctors? One is enough for me and even then I rarely have to see him because I am not often sick.

    I have 5 doctors for check ups or if needed and all are happy with me.

    Lol I guess I failed to mention food? I got broccoli cauliflower leafy greens nuts seeds avocado tofu pea protein Brussels edamame plant protein bars hemp pro vegan cheese cashew almond milk maranated artichokes coconut manna algae oil no
    Alyssa's oat bites, asparagus spinach Sunwarrior raw ginger garlic cloves tempeh

    me personally - would stock up on none of the above. But then I am not stocking up anyway- I would buy fresh cauliflower and maybe broccoli when I do my weekly shopping and it is isnt available thats ok.
    will manage without.

    But then I have no medical issues needing 5 doctors for check ups so that might change the equation.



  • VegjoyP
    VegjoyP Posts: 2,772 Member
    edited April 2020
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    VegjoyP wrote: »
    Lol it is so interesting how people tend to " disagree" with my answers. I would love to know who is, what is your backround and education, licensing, degree, medical conditions, age, what you disagree on.
    FOR THE RECORD, I have 5 doctors in both western and eastern medicine. I have one of the most prestigious Rheumatologists in Florida. He monitors everything I do. I have a cardiologist, GP, DOM, Naturalpath and even my OBGYN feels I am doing well with my lifestyle and habits.

    We are all on MFP for our own reasons. I am for convenience of calculations, personal chalenges and get healthier with nutritional breakdown. I am 48 and have an extensive education.
    Sorry for rant to some. I guess I can just press disagree with the things that I dont think is the healthy and long term wise as answers but I would be doing that a lot.

    I'm not sure but, perhaps your disagrees are coming from your statement that you work in the wellness industry and I imagine that you sell all those supplements that you are stocking up on. It smacks a bit of advertising and people on here dislike that. That's purely my opinion, of course. Other items that you bought are costly and not everyone has the luxury of buying that when stocking up--especially for a family.

    I do work in wellness- as a nutrition coach and Vitamin supplement company- however I tell ALL my customers and clients FOOD FIRST! No supplement can replace healthy eating.

    I was not advertising whatsoever. It is what I got in addition to food because I have autoimmune conditions and mitigate with nutrition and lifestyle. It's not luxury for me either. I sacrifice and do not spend money on things most people do, plus I use discounts, etc.

Categories