In just a few short weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has completely transformed our lives, from how we work to how we handle grocery shopping—if we can leave the house at all.
With some cities and states now thinking about easing social restrictions to reopen businesses, it’s more important than ever to be extra careful when it comes to running even the most essential errands. Although online ordering through services like Fresh Direct or Instacart is a great alternative to taking an extra trip outside the house, in dense areas like New York and Los Angeles, it’s been almost impossible to nab a slot. Curbside pick-up from major retailers is also a good option, but not all stores offer it and, again, it can be hard to access.
Whatever the reason, a trip to get groceries is something many of us can’t avoid. Given that the FDA recommends planning shops so that you bring home enough food to last you at least one to two weeks—a little longer than most of us are used to—a little strategizing can ease a lot of stress and make the process safer overall. Here, we’ve rounded up some of the best tips to help shoppers stay safe while grocery shopping, including the best times to go, how to get in and out of stores safely, and what to wear to make the trip.
Before You Go
Get there before—or after—everyone else. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends going to the store early in the morning or quite late at night, when others haven’t started shopping or are wrapping up their days. Night owls, this is when to take advantage of those chains with 24/7 hours. Early risers, make sure to check your preferred retailer’s website before you head out the door. Some stores are reserving their first open hour or two for seniors.
Research when your local store is busiest. Google Maps tracks foot traffic at stores and other retail outlets with user-submitted data, then breaks it down by hour. Search your local grocery store before you shop to see when it’s emptiest. Sunday at 10 a.m., for example, is probably going to be busier than Tuesday at 7 a.m. If you have a flexible schedule, aim to go at a less busy time.
But also consider shopping somewhere you don’t usually frequent. Big-box stores aren’t the only option, especially if you live in a city with more speciality retailers. If the prospect of a crowded store stresses you out (understandable!), there are other options besides braving the masses or online ordering.
Look for mom-and-pop shops or mid-sized chains, like the beloved East Coast-headquartered H Mart, a Korean-American supermarket with 61 locations across the United States. Check out local grocers, which might have just the ingredients you need to inspire you to break out of a cooking rut.
But be sure to look up websites in advance; those are often tailored with specific information about what a store does and doesn’t have in stock and what policies it’s implemented to protect shoppers and workers. Call ahead to find out more or to ask specific questions.
Stretch your trip to the store and support local farmers or small businesses at the same time. Do quick search to see if there are any Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes in your area, or local butchers, bakers, or even restaurants, who’ve pivoted to delivering some bulk items or allow shoppers to pick up pre-paid orders from local greenmarkets or their storefronts.
With CSAs, you’re supporting local farmers and getting the freshest ingredients. Visit LocalHarvest.org to research CSA options near you.
I grew up going to farmer’s markets on weekends with my grandparents, and during summer holidays in the south of Italy where my mom is from, an old grocery truck would drive by our house once a week to sell us fresh fruit and vegetables. I’ve always loved the simple act of grocery shopping—smelling the earthiness of a tomato vine, feeling the firmness of an avocado, breathing in the sweetness of ripe melon (missing the outside, anyone?)—and so if you asked me a month ago whether I’d be okay with letting someone else do my grocery shopping, I would have said “no way.” But that was before the coronavirus pandemic, and well, here we are.
When quarantine first started in New York three weeks ago, I found it so hard to limit the number of trips I take to the grocery store, especially because the inside of my fridge is usually stocked with fresh fruits and veggies. But as things got more and more serious, I decided it was time to try ordering online, and turned to Hungryroot—a weekly food delivery subscription service.
What is Hungryroot?
Of all the healthy food delivery services out there, I was drawn to Hungryroot because the food it sells is the closest thing to what I’d actually buy, and because you can opt-out of the pre-selected ingredients and build your cart from scratch. Hungryroot bills itself as “a personalized grocery service that makes healthy eating easy,” and while I’m not a pescatarian or vegetarian, it caters best to people who eat little to no meat in general. There’s a wide variety of veggies to choose from, and proteins cover the gamut from fish to kale quinoa bites and spicy refried beans and plant-based meat alternatives (like The Beyond Burger and the Beyond Sausage Brat Original). They also have a bunch of vegan-friendly sauces to mix into your recipes—from kale pesto to green chile and thai peanut—and its virtual snack aisle is almost as tempting as an IRL one.
How much does Hungryroot cost?
Hungryroot subscription plans are based on how much food you order: they start at $69, but you can tailor your plan to be bigger or smaller, depending on your needs. You can choose between an ingredient-based plan or a recipe-based plan—either way, both operate on a credit or point system. So, for example, if you’re adding a pack of smoked salmon to cart it might cost four credits, while a bag of snap peas would be about two. If you stick with the recipe suggestions that include all the pre-selected ingredients, it averages at about 8 – 12 credits per meal (around $1.90 per credit).
Since I live with my boyfriend, I had to make sure I was getting enough food for two people, so I opted for grocery deliveries on a weekly basis. My orders came out to around $100 including shipping; or the equivalent of 51 credits. I scheduled my deliveries on Saturday and—despite many companies having issues fulfilling orders—my Hungryroot arrived on time, every time during my three-week test. I was impressed when I got an email from the CEO, Ben, about its response to COVID-19 and assuring me my order would arrive safe and on time.
A note from the founder
How long does Hungryroot food last?
Every order is packed and shipped in an insulated box to make sure your food stays fresh for up to two full days in transit. All the shipping materials are recyclable—from the cardboard divider to the ice packs and the silver bubble cooler. Hungryroot doesn’t have a return recycling program yet (I actually wouldn’t have minded using this if I were to sign up for Hungryroot long-term) but I did appreciate the nifty FAQ section on how to recycle the materials you’re sent.
Other than the snap peas, which lasted me an hour since I didn’t eat the bag so much as inhaled it, most of the fresh produce I ordered—baby broccoli, riced cauliflower, Asian salad mix, seven veggie stir-fry, shaved brussels sprouts—lasted about a week. I will say that I was disappointed on both occasions when the Bowery Spring Mix and the leafy baby spinach from Muzzi Farms arrived wilted and had to be eaten the same day because they were pretty much done for.
Is Hungryroot healthy?
Yes—this is not the service for you if you eat burgers and buffalo wings on the reg, but it is good if you’re looking to eat healthier or already follow a specific dietary need. There are options for vegans, vegetarians, and pescatarians, as well as people who are gluten-free, and dairy-free. Some of the grocery items (like many of its veggies) are paleo and keto-friendly, but it’s working on adding more options. You can also click on each item before adding to cart to learn about the full nutritional value. Selections rotate on a weekly and seasonal basis, so there were some things I peeped in this week’s menu (like butternut squash noodles and mini sweet bell peppers) that weren’t available when I was testing the service.
Aside from its own packaged foods, Hungryroot also carries a ton of vegan-friendly and gluten-free brands you’ve probably seen at your local grocery store—from Banza chickpea pasta to Beyond Meat burgers to Bobo’s oatmeal bars.
My Grocery Deliveries
Below is a snapshot of some of my favorite items from Hungryroot. Though, one thing worth mentioning is that while the food I ordered from Hungryroot made up the majority of my groceries each week, it didn’t include the usual fridge and pantry staples (milk, eggs, bananas, avocadoes, tomatoes, lemons, etc.) which I bought separately.
Breakfast: Ancient Grain Pancake Mix
I be in the kitchen flippin’ pancakes with my baby, yeah baby ?
Courtesy of Talia Abbas
This is not a house of pancakes, so I’m surprised no blood was shed between me and my boyfriend as we tried and failed to make these come out right the first time. I’ve actually never made my own pancakes, so I thought it’d be fun try this Ancient Grain mix. It’s gluten-free and made with quinoa, amaranth, flax, and other grains. We didn’t add sugar so it tasted very “healthy.” (Of course, I drowned them in honey afterward.)
Lunch: Hot Smoked Roasted Salmon + Rainbow Veggie Mix
Not a sad salad.
I’m the self-proclaimed queen of salads so naturally, this was one of my favorite fixings. I think I’ve had hot roasted smoked salmon only once before so I was surprised at how much I liked it. It was a bit salty but I still enjoyed the smokiness. It reminded of me of all the camping trips I never went on. After dressing this lil’ cutie with olive oil and balsamic glaze, I added half an avocado, some spring onion, and a bit of lemon and chili flakes. Chef’s kiss.
This was so good. Tofu has never tasted this good to me, and I actually plan on adding this to my list for my next grocery haul. These were supposed to be spicy tofu bites but they honestly didn’t taste very hot, which made them the perfect canvas for experimenting with other flavors. I combined the bell peppers and onions with half a bag of shaved brussels sprouts because it wasn’t enough for two people, and cooked everything in a single pan with peanut oil. Less dishes? Yes, please.
Another Dinner: Bowery Spring Mix + Everything Else in My Fridge
Look at my “fancy” presentation…who does she think she is?
I had ricotta and shiitake mushrooms lying around in my fridge that I quickly sautéed and threw over this bed of lettuce that I needed to eat STAT. I wanted to share this meal with you because it’s a prime example of how I combined Hungryroot groceries with things already in my fridge.
Is Hungryroot worth it?
I was skeptical at first, but since social distancing went into effect, I’ve become really paranoid about going to the store—and ordering groceries from Amazon Prime has been nearly impossible. Being able to rely on Hungryroot and its brave employees gave me some much-needed peace of mind, and though the average price per dish is higher than some other food delivery services, the quality of the ingredients you’re getting is high. You’re also paying a premium to have everything carefully shipped to your place, which right now is definitely a luxury.
Overall, I found Hungryroot worth it. It’s made me more excited about experimenting with ingredients and flavors outside of my comfort zone, and I really think that if you worked at it, you could stretch the ingredients to more meals and save money. Trust—the recipes are helpful, but there’s also nothing like throwing everything in a single pan and knowing it will come out great no matter what.
PS: Here is the pan and utensils I use, along with the olive oil subscription I swear by.
Material The Coated Pan Skillet
For the person who’s too busy to cook their own meals, get them this coated pan from Material. It’s crafted with a copper core, which means the pan warms up faster, distributes heat evenly, and keeps food hotter for longer. It’s so good, it even makes cooking an omelette sound exciting.
Even those with just a passing knowledge of The Bachelor trivia can guess that the contestants give up their smart phones, email, and other forms of contact with the outside world while they’re filming the reality series. But I like to think that the withdrawal is made easier given they’re all there to find love…or at least a trip to Bachelor in Paradise and some Instagram sponsorships.
And there’s another surprising perk to being on the show: The ability to ask for anything they want at the grocery store and have it delivered by production. Imagine an unlimited supply of popcorn and wine—pretty great, right? Because of that, I’ve always been curious what is on each season’s grocery list so, before Colton Underwood hands out his first round of roses tonight, January 7, I asked the production team to share all the items the contestants requested.
The biggest surprise (to me, at least)? The sweets category is kind of lame. Even ice cream and frozen yogurt, something I’d consider necessary after a long day of talking about my “journey,” are nowhere to be found. Turns out, according to one of the producers, the women simply don’t ask for it. So, it’s not stocked at the house. If the women do get a craving, though, “sometimes we’ll do a special ice cream social night to kill time,” our source reveals. Contestants also don’t ask for desserts like cookies or candy because they’re already there. (Production assistants fill up jars with those treats as soon as the women move into the mansion.)
I also learned that in addition to ice cream socials and cookie jars, the producers throw pizza parties for the women while Colton’s off figuring out the meaning of love. So while you may not get to go on a helicopter ride with the bachelor, at least your carb cravings will be satisfied back home. And to be honest, that sounds like a better deal to me.
So what else is on the list? Take a look, below.
Fruits
Bananas
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Pineapple
Apples
Grapes
Avocados
Vegetables
PHOTO: Rick Rowell
Erika brought her own bag of nuts to the mansion.
Meat & Eggs
Chicken breast
Ground turkey
Bacon
Turkey bacon
Sausage
Fish
Salmon
Shrimp
Beef jerky
Eggs
Egg whites
Dairy
Milk: non fat, soy, almond, and whole
Greek yogurt, plain and vanilla
Cottage cheese
Parmesan cheese
Cream cheese
Breads & Grains
White and wheat bread
Granola with mixed nuts
Oatmeal
Wheat tortillas
Instant rice
Breakfast potatoes
Pasta
Quinoa
PHOTO: Rick Rowell
Wine isn’t on the grocery list because it’s already well-stocked.
