Eating at home doesn’t mean you can’t eat well. And working at home may give you time to do a little advance prep to make healthy home-cooked meals. That’s a winning combination.

Planning ahead is the key. You may be having a hard time buying the groceries you normally do. And you may find that you need to make some substitutions.

“Use this time to consume foods that are in your pantry first,” says Judith Kolish, a dietitian. “Be creative with preparation.” You can search online for meals made with the ingredients you have on hand.

Kolish offers more tips for healthy cooking at home:

1. Check your freezer. Frozen vegetables are almost as good as fresh and can be kept longer. Choose ones that are prepared without salt or any sauces. Pick frozen fruits that don’t have added sugar. The label may list sugar as glucose or dextrose.
2. Look for new ways to shop. You may not be making your regular grocery stops, but you can still shop. That could include online ordering with store pick up, or grocery delivery services.
3. Consider meal delivery. There are many different meal delivery services that offer healthy foods shipped right to your home. These kits include all the items you need to prepare a meal. Grocery stores may also have meal kits with some of the work already done for you. All you need to do is cook it.

As always, remember food safety. Keep your hands and food prep areas clean. Don’t share food or drinks. There is no evidence currently that COVID-19 can be transmitted through food or water, but it may be present on surfaces, so avoid sharing food or utensils.

• Follow food storage rules, including promptly refrigerating foods and keeping raw and cooked foods separate.
• Heat food to the appropriate internal temperature.

Sources: Follow These Tips to Keep Your Family Safe,  EatRight.org, 2020; Food Safety and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19),   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020.