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Here’s the simple Trim Healthy Mama stuff I’ve been eating during coronavirus quarantine – or self isolation, rather. I don’t have the virus that I know of so I’m not sure that the term “quarantine” technically fits, but I didn’t think about that until I had the graphics for this post already made. 😛 I’m just doing the same social distancing and stay at home stuff as everyone else.
To be honest, our lives have not changed a whole lot. We had to cancel some travel plans which was disappointing but at the same time is giving me a chance to get some projects done in preparation for moving this summer. Even though Ryan is in healthcare, the rotation he’s supposed to be on right now is considered “non essential,” so he’d be staying home except for the fact that he prefers to be actively doing something and is currently volunteering at a hospital. I work from home anyway, and I can still go on walks and the occasional grocery run (although I’m keeping that minimal), so other than church being cancelled, life is pretty normal.
To all of you whose lives have been turned upside down, hang in there! This too shall pass.
Things I’m Keeping on Hand
I typically keep a good supply of things in the pantry and freezer by stocking up when stuff is on sale, so this “quarantine” has been a good opportunity to clean out some things that need to go anyway before we move this summer. Here are some things that I typically keep on hand and/or am picking up a little at a time (don’t be greedy!) at the grocery store when I do go:
- Frozen meat (basically just cooking through the stuff I already had)
- Frozen veggies
- Canned beans and tomato products
- Brown rice, quinoa, oats, white whole wheat flour for making sourdough bread
- Dry beans
- Regular milk for making yogurt and kefir, unsweetened almond milk
- Eggs, butter, sour cream, sometimes cottage cheese, cream cheese, half and half, heavy cream, shredded cheese
- Things like cabbage, cauliflower, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, onions, and carrots that hold up well for awhile
- Frozen fruit and berries
- Fruits like oranges and apples that store well, along with bananas for my morning oatmeal and strawberries because it’s strawberry season!
I make my own Greek yogurt (and sweeten it with stevia and vanilla), kefir, and sourdough bread, so that covers a lot of the basics!
Click here for a list of 40+ recipes using staple ingredients!
On my plate recently…
Fiber Porridge for breakfast topped with strawberries + Kroger natural peanut butter + Sweet Blend + half and half + sf chocolate chips. THM S
I had this mix left over in my pantry and it’s easy to dress up with whatever toppings you have on hand. You actually might already have all the Fiber Porridge Bulk Mix ingredients on hand if you do much THM baking.
Easy Chocolate Oatmeal :: my favorite breakfast. THM E
With collagen for protein, topped with half a sliced banana + a few sf chocolate chips + splash of half and half
Baked oatmeal makes an excellent breakfast as well! I have several variations to choose from over in my Breakfast recipe index as well as in Convenient Food, my second cookbook.
Ah, sourdough waffles…how I love thee! I’ve been dabbling with sourdough for the last year or so and while I don’t have any recipes to share yet, I dearly enjoy testing and tweaking and eating the fruits of my labor. 😉 These particular waffles were a crossover, I believe. I made them to put in the freezer for my husband to pull out for breakfast in the mornings since he’s been at home more lately and actually has time to eat breakfast….
I don’t have a recipe available for these particular waffles, but I do have a lot of other waffle recipes which you can check out RIGHT HERE.
Mashup of carby leftovers. Plain ol’ quinoa, a Korean BBQ Instant Pot chickpea experiment, a pinto bean baked bean experiment, and steamed carrots. THM E
Don’t forget about steamed or roasted carrots as the perfect side dish for a THM E meal! Bonus: carrots keep in the fridge a loonnnggg time.
Leftover pieces of steak that I marinated in a simple soy sauce/lemon juice/seasonings concoction + roasted mushrooms + coleslaw. THM S
Roasted non starchy veggies (fresh or frozen) are the perfect side dish for a THM S meal. Asparagus is in season right now and is on sale at our local grocery store; it’s the perfect candidate for roasting!
You can find a few coleslaw recipes in my cookbooks. I shredded up a whole head of cabbage and keep it in a bag in the fridge to make a small batch of coleslaw at a time. It keeps great.
Another batch of said coleslaw.
English cucumbers actually hold up decently well in the fridge too. I love fresh cucumber salads. Here’s a recipe from my website and you can find a Ranch Cucumber Salad recipe in Convenient Food.
Cleaning out my freezer. 😉 I had a few racks of ribs on hand from $1.99/lb. sales at Kroger. This is my favorite recipe to use to make them. THM S
Accompanied by sautéed cabbage with shredded mozzarella.
I had sautéed a whole head of cabbage, so I reheated the leftovers either in a skillet or on a cookie sheet in the oven and topped with shredded mozzarella cheese to melt and dress it up a bit. THM S
This is a rather strange concoction, but it’s SO good. Leftover brown rice, seasoned to taste, and some leftover peas – spritzed with some olive oil cooking spray and topped with some shredded part skim mozzarella cheese and baked in the oven until hot and on the crunchy side. It could be a crossover depending how much cheese you use. Otherwise it’s a THM E. I don’t get too picky when I’m in the middle of a pandemic and trying not to go shopping.
Homemade Greek yogurt is a staple in my house – how about you? Here’s an easy tutorial for you if you want to get into it!
PS – You can see this strainer setup in the Greek yogurt tutorial section in the back of Convenient Food, my second cookbook.
To all you naysayers making fun of my habit of putting peanut butter on mint chocolate chip ice cream – don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. I grew up doing this. No surprise, since we put peanut butter on everything from hamburgers to pancakes to peanut-butter-jelly-meat-and-cheese sandwiches. OK, that last one is just my dad.
This is the mint chocolate chip ice cream recipe I recently posted. THM S
Looking for a good strawberry shortcake recipe? This one is my favorite. I make it on repeat during strawberry season. It tastes good warm but I like leftovers even better cold. THM S
More Ideas
I was actually going to compile a list of recipes using staple ingredients for the bottom of this post to give you some more ideas, but it turned out rather long so I posted it separately as its own post. You can see it HERE (or click the picture below).
Click here for a post of 40+ recipes using staple ingredients:
Comment Below!
What are YOU eating right now?
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If you’re looking for family friendly easy recipes, check out my cookbooks!
Gail Ford Welick says
Briana, Hi from East Texas (near Shreveport.) You will miss this muggy part of the country when you move in the summer. What am I eating? I drink a lot of Vanilla spiced chia tea. I ice it most of the time because I like it. I drink smoothies with multi-collagen added for protein. I eat eggs prepared in many ways. I have thousands of ways to use chicken and many cuts of beef. Last night I prepared a meatloaf, pinto beans, and a beautiful green salad. I am an insulin dependant diabetic, have heart disease. I have quarantined seriously. I mostly miss going to worship services. I have adapted to online services, baking my own unleavened bread for communion. I ordered both your books today on the special sale. I do not care if this is published or not, it’s more of a letter just to you. gfw.
Briana Thomas Burkholder says
Good to hear from you, Gail! I’m glad you’re quarantining – you don’t need to get this virus! Your meals sound delicious!
Chelly says
This was a great post. It’s helpful to see what other people are eating. I’m starting a fuel cycle tomorrow because I feel like I need more structure this week and maybe next. Structure is comforting and sooo helpful when I start to feel the sugar beast awaken.
Vanessa says
Brianna I used your method of straining for years until I was gifted the Euro strainer. I milked goats for a couple of years & it was the best thing for straining out any hair that might have fallen in in addition to straining yogurt. i’m putting in a link if you’ve never seen it.
ALSO, I have both of your cookbooks & they’ve been my main source of meal planning for the last 9 months. We’re expecting our 7th child & I wanted to try a THM pregnancy. 1st baby I gained 60#, next 5 I gained 40# & while I always lost it all w/in a year I wanted to be healthier if I could as I get very low blood pressure, iron & varicosities, my right leg looks dreadful. I’ll be 37 weeks Tues & thanks to you I’ve FINALLY gained the recommended 25# , had no low iron & never even needed a nap this whole pregnancy. Thanks for using your talents & being a blessing! https://www.amazon.com/Euro-Cuisine-Yogurt-Stainless-Strainer/dp/B00IMH7SJY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=7NDXAQZMTKJK&dchild=1&keywords=yogurt+strainer&qid=1586031759&sprefix=yogurt%2Caps%2C176&sr=8-3
Briana Thomas Burkholder says
That looks neat! I’ve never seen anything like that! I’m so glad you’re having a good pregnancy!
Amanda says
Yummmm…. I love your cooking style!😊 Is the Korean BBQ chickpea recipe something you can share? That sounds amazing!!!
Briana Thomas Burkholder says
I’m sorry – I don’t have it written down. I have a Panfried Korean BBQ Chickpea recipe in Convenient Food that you could look off of for inspiration. This version was soupier and cooked in the Instant Pot.
Rachel says
Everything looks tasty, and beautiful pictures. Your family is eating well even during this pandemic. What brand is the batter bowl pictured? Looks light weight with a good pour spout. 🙂
Briana Thomas Burkholder says
I’m afraid I don’t know! I found it at a thrift store and there’s no brand marked on it anywhere. It’s my favorite!