The hurricane season is here and we’re now in full gear preparing for Dorian – while praying for it to go away and not hit any land. This can be very stressful (especially if you have to go to Walmart and Publix on the same day to buy food, water and other supplies); and this situation can also lead to buying a lot of canned food with little to zero nutritional value.
On the other hand, it’s hard to think about healthier food choices when we need to consider that we could be without power for a few hours or even days. So, as I was looking at the empty food shelves in the stores, I took a deep breath and came up with my “One Day without Power Meal Plan” (sounds fancy, eh?). This helped me focus on the items I needed to buy so I would make sure I was choosing healthier non-perishable foods and have an idea of what to eat while the power is out.
So here’s our meal plan, which will work in the worst case scenario (no power and nothing for cooking/heating your food) and the not so bad (no power, but you have a portable gas stove or can use a BBQ).
** Click on the blue links below for the (3) three recipes we recommend. **
BREAKFAST: Nut butter on apple or pear slices with a side of cereal - click for recipe
LUNCH: Power Outage Chicken chili - click for recipe
SNACK: Healthy snack bar, bag pistachios or almonds, or broad bean snack packs
DINNER: Canned soup with whole wheat bread on the side
As you can see, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to come up with a healthier meal plan during a hurricane… just a little planning! And as a side note, remember to buy bottled water for you and your family and freeze several bottles so you can also use them as “ice” in a cooler.
Lastly, take advantage of this time at home with the whole family and… make time for a devotional, sing and praise the Lord together, talk and witness to your neighbors… and just be intentional.
Stay safe!