As everyone is well-informed, the Movement Control Order (MCO) has been extended until 14th of April. As much as we miss doing our daily routines, kindly be reminded that this one of the preventive measures to combat COVID-19. Thus, we urge everyone to be patient and just stay at home.
At the same time, do not panic buying! You just have to buy things that you really need. Here is our list of basic ingredients that you should stock-up in your house.
List of the Basic Ingredients that You Really Need
Essential Carbohydrates
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Rice
As a staple food in Malaysia, rice is a MUST have ingredient. It is one good source of energy for us to keep active the whole day. Rice can serves as a good source of Vitamin B (Thiamine, Niacin, and Riboflavin), and iron.
Rice is also an excellent source of Manganese and Magnesium. But more importantly, rice is a filling grain; where it helps us to get full faster and won’t feel hungry very quickly either.
Most importantly, rice last long. So you don’t have to worry about it being spoiled. Here is some TIPS on how to maximize the shelf life of your uncooked rice:
- Store in cool dry area, in a sealed airtight container.
- For added protection against bugs, place some dry chilies or ‘cili kering’ inside the container.
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Noodles
If you feel like you will get bored by just eating rice (until 14th of April), stock up on some noodles as well. Noodles are carbs that can be cooked into a variety of recipes.
Malaysian loves noodles and some of the popular rice noodles or ‘mee’ include: flat noodles (koay teow), rice vermicelli (bee hoon), yellow noodles (chow mien), thick noodles (laksa mee), handmade noodles (pan mee), and thin yellow noodles (hakka mee). Get a few packs and cook it to your liking.
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Flour
Proteins
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Canned meat/Frozen Food/ Sardine
Canned meat is actually one of the ingredients that have long shelf life. Another plus point, it only requires minimum effort to prepare it.
Frozen meat can also be a good choice of protein, although it is not as good as canned meat. But you can still prepare it in case you want to cook it for breakfast, teatime or snacks in between the meals. I admit that frozen food is not THAT healthy, but it is one of everyone’s comfort food, especially for the kids.
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Eggs
Eggs are a rich source of protein. It contains iron, vitamins, minerals, and Carotenoids. An egg is a powerhouse of disease-fighting nutrients like Lutein and Zeaxanthin. It also contains decent amount of vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B6, calcium, and zinc.
Plus, egg is one of the must-have in your list during this stay at home period. From eggs alone, you can cook a variety of meals for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Vitamins and Minerals
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Fruits and Vegetables
Just get the basics will do – such as tomatoes, carrots, spinach, oranges, apples, grapes, and bananas. You should have these fruits and vegetable stock-up in your fridge in order to boost your immunity system. It IS important to enhance our immune system throughout this period.
However, these foods won’t last long like dry foods. So what you can do is to just buy what you really need and in moderation. Do not buy it in bulk!
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Condiments
Condiments are a must-have necessity when we need to cook. So, do check your storage to ensure you have all the basics especially salt, sugar, pepper, soy sauce, vinegar, and etc.
As Malaysians, we love to include garlic, onions, and chilies in our cooking. Thus, make sure you have these staple condiments in stock at home. For easier option, you can also stock up on curry powder, fried rice seasoning, chicken stock and others.
Fats
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Cooking oil
A MUST. Well, how can you cook without oil isn’t it?
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Milk/Cheese
Comfort Food
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Nuts, Chips, Instant noodle.
Well, this is nowhere near healthy type of foods, but some comfort foods during time like this can be forgiven aite?
Instead of buying these ingredients at the hypermarkets, you can just stay at home and buy it online. We have compiled a list of online grocery stores and services that can deliver right to your doorstep!
All in all, remember to not buy these basic ingredients and food in bulks. Let’s not be the panic buyer during this restriction of movement. Buying enough is the key to ensure that everyone else gets enough.
Psst. One more thing, if you need to stock up on your baby and maternity essentials, you may do so at Motherhood.com.my.
Also, #DudukRumahDiamDiam, keep calm, and always pray for everyone’s safety throughout this period. Stay indoors, stay healthy, and stay safe!