Healthy living is one of the trends today in most people’s lifestyles. Most of us are looking for ways to stay healthy or to become more fit. A lot of people search for workouts, exercises, and even the best outfits to wear for fitness routines like what anaheart offers. Aside from exercising, having a healthy diet is also essential to stay fit. However, in times of emergencies, disasters, or calamities that may cause the power to go out for long hours to days, or maybe weeks, it’s challenging to think of healthy foods to eat.
Most healthy foods or meals consist of fresh ingredients. But when there’s no electricity, it’s difficult to store these ingredients, and they will eventually perish in time. And during calamities, it’s also hard to find stores where you can buy healthy foods and ingredients. So, how do you think you and your family can stay healthy when the lights go out?
If you are wondering about this, too, and you want to be prepared in case a disaster happens, then you’re in the right place. Today, we are giving you some of the best tips for staying healthy when the lights go out.
Fill Your Pantry with Healthy Nonperishables
For example, you’ve heard or read on the weather report that there’s a storm approaching, it’s better to shop for staples to have on hand while the weather is still clear in your area. Storms are one of the biggest reasons why electricity goes out occasionally. You can get an extra few packages of nonperishables that you regularly use when you do your usual grocery shopping. This way, there’s no need for you to run to the store to buy them before a storm.
You can rotate your item occasionally, so your stock is fresh. Some of the best and healthy ones you can opt for are canned fruits, vegetables, and beans, pouches of fully cooked whole grains, wheat crackers, snack bars, peanut butter, cereals, and as well as shelf-stable milk. If you are using an electric can opener at home, make sure that you have an extra that is manual that you can use if the power goes out.
Choose Healthy Foods that Will Last
Even if the power has been out for longer than 4 hours, foods like bread, butter, fresh fruit and vegetables, hard cheeses, and jelly can still be eaten because they will keep at room temperature.
For healthier options, you can opt for citrus fruits, apples, avocadoes, grapes, green beans, tomatoes, celery, carrots, cucumbers, and peppers because they can be eaten raw and they can be stored unrefrigerated for days. Therefore, it’s great to consider getting them ahead of a storm or when preparing for a power outage.
These foods can help sustain you, and aside from that, they are healthy sources of fiber, as well, which can keep your body running smoothly.
Make Sure to Have Enough Water
One of the important things to remember to stay healthy is to always be hydrated. During an emergency, it’s advisable to have at least a gallon of water per person per day. Therefore, storing some water ahead of time is also a great idea. It’s because when there’s a power outage, the supply of water is sometimes cut off as well, as pumps do not work without electricity.
It’s also great if you can look into using other ways to get water, like from a lake, river, or a nearby stream. You can also look for different ways on how to purify water, especially if it’s sourced from nature.
Stock Up Some Fresh Coffee and Tea
Coffee and tea are life-sustaining elixirs. If you’re a coffee-lover, get a freshly-ground bag before a storm or power outage. Plus, it’s very easy to make a cup of coffee, even without electricity. It’s because you can use a French press if your coffee maker is of no use. For tea lovers, on the other hand, having some loose tea leaves on hand is great, because it’s a calming luxury amid chaos. Hot water is all you need, and you’ll be able to enjoy a cup of tea even without electricity.
Be Creative in Preparing Healthy Meals
Without power, you won’t be able to use your electric stove. But that does not mean you cannot prepare healthy meals. When you’ve stocked up on canned foods and other nonperishables, you can combine them and come up with some interesting and healthy meals that you can eat while the lights are still out. You simply need to get creative with them. Here are some examples that you might want to try:
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Grains and Beans: You can mix drained canned beans with a pouch of precooked grains. Then add some olive oil and herbs and spices that you like. For more flavor, you can also add some nuts and chopped veggies.
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Carrots and Chickpeas: If you have some carrots and chickpeas in your pantry, you can also combine them. Grate the carrots and mix them with canned, drained chickpeas. Add some nuts, raisins, and a bit of cinnamon to taste. Then toss it with orange juice, vinegar, olive oil, or lemon juice.
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Overnight Oats: At night, you can mix some rolled oats with water and let it sit overnight. When the morning comes, and there’s still no electricity, you can add peanut butter and some dried fruits and cinnamon to the rolled oats and have it for breakfast.
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Tuna Tacos with Avocado: If you have some canned tuna, you can combine them with cubed avocado, chopped cucumber, and tomato. Then toss them with a dressing of olive oil, white vinegar, or lemon juice, then add some salt and pepper. After mixing, stuff it in taco shells or tortillas.
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Corn Salad: You can also mix some drained canned corn with veggies like chopped peppers, tomatoes, and onions. Then toss them in a dressing that is made of apple cider vinegar and olive oil. Add some fresh or dried basil, and some salt and pepper to taste.
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Bean Salad: This one is a very healthy option. Mix drained canned beans with chopped tomatoes, onions, and spinach. Then toss them with a dressing made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, whisked Dijon mustard, honey, and some salt and pepper. You can also add some canned tuna or salmon to it if you like.
If you really want to do some cooking even when there’s no electricity, then you can check out our guide on how to cook in the city without power for more tips.
These are some of the best tips we can give for staying healthy when the lights go out. Also, continuing your exercise and workout routines is also essential, even when there’s no electricity, as it can keep you fit, together with a healthy diet. If you really want to be fit and healthy, even a power outage won’t be able to stop you. We hope the tips we shared will be able to help you in being prepared when the lights go out.