Meal Planning While Respecting Social Distancing

Social distancing means eating out at a restaurant is no longer an option. Here are a few options for meal planning without having to leave your home.

Meal Kit Deliveries

I’ve written about these services extensively in my past posts. There are many options even for those with food restrictions (including low carb and vegetarian). At this time, it may also be a good idea to order more food than usual (e.g. 4 meals for 4 people) to keep your fridge stocked just in case.

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Groceries Deliveries

I’ve tried Instacart a few times during the Christmas holiday season to avoid the crowds at the grocery stores. This is a great option for not only food items but also household needs. Note the price of the groceries are slightly higher than those in stores and there is also a delivery fee. Many big box supermarkets are participants including Loblaws, Walmart, and Bulk Barn. You can specify exactly how much you need of each item (e.g. number of bananas or weight of sweet potato, etc.) and chat online with your shopper through the app or via text, if needed to discuss issues such as substitutions. There is an option for drop off in front of your home and that is the option you should choose to minimize social interactions. For household items, specific vendors (such as Walmart and Costco) may also offer shipping direct from store.

Restaurant Deliveries

Traditional delivery from the restaurants as well as apps like UberEats, Foodora, and Skip the Dishes, etc. Have a special occasion you want to celebrate? You can order something special from a local restaurant. Aaron and Casey have created a website to help support local restaurants by listing which food ordering platforms each restaurant is on. There is also an option to add a restaurant if you don’t see it on there. Let’s make this a group effort to help our local small businesses during these challenging times. #supportlocal FYI UberEats is charging $0 for its delivery fee during this time. Also remember to select the no-contact drop-off option.

Grocery Shopping Tips

Understandably, there may still be situations where you must leave the house to go grocery shopping. If so, please make sure you are following public health guidelines by:

• Staying 2 meters (6 feet) away from others
• Washing your hands often especially after touching high contact areas like shopping carts, self-check out screens, and credit/debit card PIN pads, etc.

Stay healthy everyone! Thanks for doing your part in social distancing!