Eating properly during confinement does not seem as simple as it seems. Indeed, while some take refuge in compulsive snacking and swallow comfort food, others, sick or not, lose their appetite. How to eat balanced when you are locked up? A pro speaks.
Corinne Fernandez is a dietitian-nutritionist and she takes stock of our questions. The mistakes not to commit, how to maintain a certain balance, the nutrients to promote, it tells you everything!
Even if, in the yardstick of containment, some people are in the grip of a form of idleness and take advantage of it to slow down, most of us however find themselves in a situation initially unexpected, therefore unprepared, and especially stressful.
Between solo moms (or dads), parents who have to work and teach at the same time, even go to work and find solutions for their children, and single people, sometimes even isolated, the configuration of the homes is disparate to say the least.
Corinne Fernandez highlights that all these patterns often have a good deal of anxiety in common. This confinement disrupts our organization of life, and therefore of course our food. So how do you maintain a balanced diet and do yourself good?
What to eat in times of stress?
We need more than everOmega 3, vitamin D (for the immune system), magnesium, copper, zinc (for cell repair), vitamins C and E, B vitamins (with magnesium) … says Corinne.
Without forgetting the probiotics, which strengthen the microbiota, which is basically our intestines, our second brain. These probiotics are found in fermented foods like yogurt, ribot milk, kefir, sauerkraut (and all fermented vegetables, have fun preparing them yourself! Recipes here), almonds with their skin , red fruits …
In times of stress, the need for magnesium are growing, says Corinne Fernandez. And to act on our organism, so that we can metabolize it at best, it should be combined with taurine and vitamins B1 and B6.
So what should you eat to find magnesium and B vitamins? "Whole foods, not refined flour pasta. Whole rice, semi-whole or whole pasta are preferred. Refined foods do not provide anything very interesting from a nutritional point of view, no fiber, no vitamin B1 … in short, not enough nutrients essential for health. "
What dietary errors to avoid during containment?
> Corinne Fernandez: "Well, store lots of pasta and eat too much grain! It is essential vary more than ever the content of his plate. Especially with pulses. And do not limit your meals to a starchy dish."
> And the dietician to explain to us that legumes like white beans, lentils, peas of all kinds, even beans are excellent food for health, necessary for the body and … inexpensive!
In any case, overeating one food at the expense of another, we create deficiencies, and that, confinement or not, turns out to be harmful for the organism.
> Another very common error in quarantine: the amount of nutrient intakes versus energy expenditure. Confined, and especially in apartments, we will limit our energy costs, so we should reduce our contributions, insists Corinne Fernandez.
Common sense ? Certainly, but not so simple to become aware of it!
Why are legumes so important?
"Because they are sources of essential minerals : magnesium, copper, potassium, zinc, manganese and iron (vegetable), and also provide the famous group B vitamins, explains Corinne. White beans, for example, are said to cover 100% of the amino acid requirements. But beware of protein intake, not necessarily sufficient. "
Certainly legumes provide protein, but to a lesser extent than other foods. Corinne Fernandez illustrates her warning: ok 100g of raw lentils provide 28g of protein, but who eats raw lentils? Cooked, for 100g of lentils, you only get 9g of protein, says Corinne. His solution? Complete your meal with a skyr or cottage cheese type yogurt, or even a soy yogurt.
Read also: why are proteins necessarily your friends?
What about vegetables?
For our dietician, composing a plate mainly of vegetables allows us to meet our needs for vitamins and fibers, and to reduce caloric density.
And in order to really fill up on vitamins, favor seasonal vegetables (here you will find seasonal vegetables in March, and here those of April).
Vegetables are THE solution to ensure the intake of good nutrients, not calories.
Should we also eat fresh fruit?
Corinne Fernandez nods and then corrects herself: "In fact, we must increase our consumption of vegetables and limit that of fruits, because fruits do not forget are sources of sugar. However, at the rate of 3 fruits per day approximately, we remain reasonable."
The little extra things from the pro: "It's soon the start of the red fruit season, let's take advantage! Because these are the least sweet fruits and they are rich in vitamins! And also abuse the lemon juice with each meal, because it will help the iron to fix."
Fruits recommended by Corinne during confinement:
- the banana, but be careful because it is a sweet fruit, it should be consumed at the rate of one per day and at breakfast for example. There, it's perfect!
- and add fruits rich in vitamin C such as kiwi, mango or papaya, red fruit, citrus.
I am not hungry, I may even be sick …
And you are sorely lacking in appetite! Our dietician-nutritionist then enjoins us to adjust the quantities: "It is necessary to privilege the nutritional density on small volumes, since one does not want to get sick. And if that turns out to be difficult, then split your food intake: a glass of thick soup, and an hour or two later, a protein-rich milk mix."Anyway, when you get the virus, you have to eat even if you don't feel hungry. The body needs energy to fight back.
Tips of the pro: You have to think of foodstuffs that are nutritious then, and easy to absorb, liquid or semi-liquid. Of soups made from potatoes, sweet potato, added flakes, semolina are good alternatives. The legume soups, of course, are excellent, and you complete your meal with a cottage cheese. If you are a vegan, you will be happy to turn to soy, a source of super-assimilable proteins. You can also mix tofu, seitan or tempeh in the soup, to keep it easy to swallow. You really have to work on the texture when you lack appetite.
What to drink in confinement?
Warn you that alcohol is really to be limited, even if the video aperitifs, it's nice, is certainly not a scoop, no need to make a drawing!
Corinne insists on the fact that we must drink a lot in confinement and above all some water. "The body is made up of three quarters of water, so we must remain vigilant about our hydration. And watch out for coffee: when you drink coffee, you don't necessarily want to drink water …" Especially since coffee, like tea, is exciting, and in times of anxiety, there is no need to get excited!
Finally Corinne Fernandez adds that coffee contributes to acidifying the organism, which tires the latter, and slows down the fixation of vitamins E and C, which are so useful in cell regeneration.
Corinne recalls, however, that one notion remains essential to survive during confinement: pleasure. Certainly we may have to be careful to limit weight gain (video aperitifs, crackers, influence of those with whom we share these weeks …), but we can completely think about what can replace crisps!
See also our dip recipes for (slightly) healthier appetizers, here.
Thanks to Corinne Fernandez, dietician-nutritionist: more information on her site.