#Quarantine Time Meal Planning
QUARANTINE TIME (INDIAN) MEAL PLANNING FOR A WEEK
Tuesday, April 07, 2020
We all have been pretty much locked inside our
houses for the last few days. It is indeed the safest place right now; we must
understand that. It is for our own good, and of course, for the greater good. So, giddy-up,
everyone…
In this chaos, as a home manager, I have been struggling
a lot to arrange healthy foods for my family. Though right now, many online
services are available to many of us, ordering from them and getting the things
we want right on time, is a ginormous task. Most of the time, the delivery slots
are not available, and when it is, the things we want are gone, poof!!!
Anyway, I have been activating some extra
intelligence in my head to get the best out this situation. 😈 And the first thing
I have done is to note down a 7- day meal planning. This
has helped me in buying the exact things I want and also saved me big time not to
hoard things.
Most of us Indians are not used to a One-pot meal
concept, at least I am that person. So, meal planning is hard right now for me
because many things are out of my reach. Still, I have given some thoughts, and
this is what I have come up with.
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| Pic Credit: Unsplash |
I am gonna cover three main meals for the day. Remember, this is a typical
Indian meal planning, so things may vary according to your choice. Not only
this time, but you can include these meals in your daily diet throughout the
year. Bear with me and get some inspiration if you like to.
Here we go...
Here we go...
Monday:
Breakfast: Poha
(Flattened Rice)
Lunch: Palak
Paneer (Spinach with Cottage Cheese in a Curry), if it's available/ Malai Paneer (Cottage Cheese in Creamy gravy) and Roti/Rice (Indian Flat
Bread/ Rice)
You can make fresh cream at home with the help of milk which is widely available.
You can make fresh cream at home with the help of milk which is widely available.
Dinner: Rajma
Chawal (Kidney Beans Curry and Rice)
- Based on your preferences, you can switch between
Roti and Rice.
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Upma
(made from Suji or Semolina)
Lunch: Fish
Curry and rice (for Non-vegetarian people) or Soya Curry (for Vegetarian
people)
Dinner: Chole
Chawal (Garbanzo Beans Curry) and Rice/ Roti
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Masala Dosa (a
batter mixture of rice and lentil that you can make at home, it is also available in ready-made package when you have less time)
Lunch: When
you make Dosa batter, make some extra and have it in lunch as Uttapam (a
crepe-like dish made with the same batter as Dosa/ Idli) with various
vegetables. This will also save some time.
Dinner: Chicken
Curry with Roti/ Rice (non-veg option) or Paneer Bhurji / Paneer Butter Masala (veg option)
Thursday:
Breakfast: Idli
(pretty much same batter as we use in making Dosa, you can use the previous day batter), (can be prepared at home or can use ready-made package)
Lunch: Chana
Masala (Brown or Green colored Chickpeas Curry) with Rice/ Roti
Dinner: Egg
Curry with Rice /Roti (non-veg option) or Dum Aloo (Potato in thick gravy, veg
option)
Friday:
Breakfast: Bread
Toast with Egg Omelette/ Sandwich
Lunch: Mix Dal
(Mix of different Lentils) with Roti/ Rice or Lauki (Bottle gourd) dal or Palak
(Spinach Leaves) dal or Methi (Fenugreek Leaves) dal
Dinner: Paneer
Masala/ Kadai Paneer (Cottage Cheese Curry) with Roti/Rice
Saturday:
Breakfast: Oats/
Granola/ Muesli Bowl with Fruits and Nuts
Lunch: Vegetable Khichdi
(an Indian dish made with Rice and Lentils). You can add available vegetables from
your pantry.
Dinner: Chicken
Stu with Bread/ Roti (non-veg option) or Vegetable Stu (veg option)
Sunday:
Breakfast:
Heavy-duty Smoothie with various fruits/ Green Juice
Lunch:
Multigrain Chila (a crepe-like dish made with different flours like wheat,
Chickpeas, Oats, etc. with some added vegetables)
Dinner:
Vegetable Pulao (Pilaf)/ Chicken or Egg Fried Rice with Raita (a side dish made with Curd)
- If it is not possible to buy packaged Paneer right now, you can make Paneer or Chenna at home with only two ingredients- Milk and Lemon Juice/ Vinegar.
- You can have nuts, fruits, salads, curd, buttermilk, etc. as per your choice. They are good for your health. So, have them in proportion if it is possible.
I know, for many people, getting all these things are
beyond their capacity right now. My heart feels for them. As a family, we try our best to do something to help them in this situation.
Please mind that my sole intention is to give some ideas so that you can prioritize things to your choice and capability.
Please mind that my sole intention is to give some ideas so that you can prioritize things to your choice and capability.
A small disclaimer:
I am in no way an expert. So, choose your food according to your current health
condition. Seek advice from a health expert if you are allergic to something or
trying something new.
Hopefully, this can give you an intimation of what
to buy and what not for an entire week. You can also prepare some extra food and store them in the fridge to have it in the next day. I have mostly included non perishable food items for majority of the meals. This meal planning includes the
necessary amount of Protein, Vitamin, Minerals,
and fiber for an adult. Of
course, you can alter things that suits you the best.
Stay Healthy…
Cheers!!!
Happy Living…
