By Adam Sachs, RD, Campus Dietitian
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak has dominated the news and seems to be on everyone’s mind. It is important to listen to facts and experts on this topic when looking for new and updated information. Food preparation and diet can be one of largest factors to staying healthy and preventing the spread of disease. Make sure to use caution and follow some of these guidelines to adjust your diet and food preparation techniques
When preparing any type of food WASH YOUR HANDS FIRST. Especially if you are preparing food for others. Avoid touching your mouth, eyes or nose when preparing food. Make sure to clean and sanitize your work space and use clean utensils and equipment. Be very aware of food expiration dates, and the status of fresh items in your fridge. If anything appears or smells spoiled, it is safest just to throw it away. Remember to clean as you go during meal prep. It is also a great practice to prepare meals in large batches. Portions of these meals can be frozen and saved for later dates.
If you are eating out or getting food from a restaurant try to get take-out or delivery if possible. Many restaurants may also be dealing with shortages for certain ingredients or be unable to store everything, so be prepared to be flexible with some of the menu items.
There are also some diet and lifestyle changes we can all make to ensure that our immune system is functioning a peak performance. Make sure to get plenty of fruits and vegetables. Fresh, frozen, and even canned can all be equally nutritious. Many fruits and veggies contain vitamins and minerals that help to boost our immune function. Citrus fruit, tropical fruit, and cruciferous vegetables contain lots of vitamin C, which supports healthy immune function.
Also look for foods high in Zinc. Nuts/seeds, eggs, dairy, shellfish, and legumes are all a great source. Also make sure that you are consuming enough fluids. The average adults needs about 60-90oz of water per day, so try to meet that minimum if you can. Lastly, make sure you are getting an adequate amount of sleep. Sleeping fewer than 6 hours per night for three or more days has been show to suppress immune function. Taking regular naps, and avoiding screen time before bed can help to boost your sleep time and quality.
