Quarantine Food Calculator - Coronavirus

Due to the current coronavirus pandemic, billions of people have rushed to the stores to panic buy almost everything available in stock. Suddenly, buying a new phone or computer game on the release date has become meaningless. Now pasta, toilet roll, and paracetamol have turned into bestsellers. Who would have thought that in the 21st century, someone could argue over the last can of sweetcorn? Well, we certainly did not...

Do we really need dozens of cans, hundreds of boxes of pasta or rice, and thousands of loo rolls to survive? Of course not! You will be surprised how little you need to survive, even if you have to spend 14 days in quarantine.

We are here to help you! This calculator was created by a professional dietitian and will tell you how to shop wisely so you feel safe while not contributing to the global hysteria.

Illustration by Rocio Diestra

Understandably, everyone wants to ensure that they will have enough food, as we are currently used to unlimited and continuous access to all products. It is ok if you want to buy a little bit more than usual, but please follow the recommendations below to do it wisely:

1. Create a shopping list to make sure that you will get only the necessary products.
2. Don't buy everything you see – just because something is in stock doesn't mean you need it!
3. Don't follow and copy other people – just because others buy something doesn't mean you need it too!
4. Be careful when purchasing perishable foods – check all the use-by dates and analyze if you will be able to consume everything. If your food goes off, you won't be able to eat it anyway!
5. Choose products with a long use-by date that will keep your body nourished. Wholemeal pasta, brown rice, UHT milk, seeds, grains, and legumes are good ideas.
6. Don't stock up on unhealthy snacks and sweets – you will eat all of them really quickly if you stay at home!
7. Choose products that you will use up later, even if it turns out that your food supplies were not necessary. Don't buy products you don't like or are allergic to just because they have a long use-by date and are available in the store.

Finally, when you are shopping, don't forget to wear a mask to protect yourself and others!

Analyze carefully if you have all of the necessary toiletries and medication. You should add the product to your shopping list only if it's actually running out – there is no need to stock up on dozens of shower gels or bars of soap, not to mention the toilet paper! The same with medication – check if you have all of your prescribed drugs and a basic medical kit (pain killers, plasters, thermometer, etc.) You can find the proper amounts of painkillers to stock up with using our paracetamol dose calculator. If you have small children, make sure that you get all of the medication that they may need, as well as other products – nappies, baby food, etc. But be rational!

If you are planning a big shop, please be rational. It will save you money, allow others to do their shopping, and prevent further panic! Thus don't do the following:

1. Buying a lot of soap and hand sanitizers. It is understandable that we all are washing and disinfecting our hands more often at the moment – after all, that's what we've been told to do. We all need to behave rationally, though, because we have to leave enough soap and disinfectants for everyone! If you buy everything that is in stock, you make others (and yourself) open to infection.

2. Queuing at the pharmacy to buy every single over-the-counter medication that exists. We all should have a basic medical kit at home, quarantine or not. If you are afraid that you may need some first aid products, buy them, but do not panic-buy.

3. Toilet paper. Explaining this seems unnecessary, but here we are… Congratulations to those who haven't fought for the last pack of toilet rolls in the store in the past week. But there is no need – check our toilet paper calculator to figure out how many rolls you really need.

4. Bottled water. Choosing tap water will allow you to save money, the environment, and your spine, as you won’t be carrying hectolitres of bottled water. Find out how much you can save by choosing tap water (if yours is potable) with our tap water calculator.

5. Food that would feed a few families for a few years. Follow our tips and recommendations and use this calculator to get a personalized shopping list for your household.

You probably don't need much explanation on how to use this calculator. It's really simple – you need to type the number of men, women, and children in your household and the number of days you wish to stock up for. You can consider children older than ten years old as adults.

Please, note that it is really difficult to assess the nutritional and energy requirements for a child, as it depends on age, height, weight, and many other factors. The values suggested for children in this calculator are only approximate, and parents should decide how it is applicable for their kids.

We prepared a 4-day diet plan to match your shopping list - you can follow it repeatedly, as it was created by a dietitian and covers all nutritional requirements. One version was created to cover all of the nutritional requirements for the average man (70 kg, 177 cm) with a low level of physical activity. The second one was prepared for the average woman (60 kg, 165 cm) with a low level of physical activity. Remember, always hydrate and take a daily water intake of at least 1.5 liters of water per day. Moreover, feel free to add more vegetables to your meals.

Important! We are aware that some countries are experiencing an egg shortage. If that's the case, simply replace eggs with another source of protein, e.g., tofu, legumes, low-fat cheese, lean ham, or meat.

Top tip! Did you know that you can prepare tofu scramble, which can taste exactly the same as scrambled eggs?! All you need is tofu, turmeric, salt, and pepper.

MAN: 2200 kcal

Day 1

Breakfast – scrambled eggs:
3 eggs (3 × 60 g), 3 pieces of bread (3 × 35 g), and 3 teaspoons (15 g) of butter to cook the eggs in and as a spread.

Snack – oatmeal with apple:
5 tablespoons (50 g) of rolled oats, 150 ml of milk, 1 apple

Pour warm milk on your oats and serve with a sliced apple. You can add some cinnamon for a better flavor.

Lunch – lentil stew with rice:
1/4 portion of lentil stew (recipe below), 100 grams of rice (weight before cooking), 2 tablespoons (20 g) of grated cheese

Dinner – tuna salad:
Approx. 1/5 portion of tuna salad (recipe below)

Day 2

Breakfast – oatmeal with apple and almonds:
7 tablespoons (70 g) of rolled oats, 200 ml of milk, 1 apple, 1 teaspoon (10 g) of honey, 2 tablespoons (25 g) of almonds

Pour warm milk on your oats and serve with a sliced apple, honey, and crushed almonds. You can add some cinnamon for a better flavor.

Snack – tuna salad:
Approx. 1/6 portion of tuna salad

Lunch – pasta with tomato sauce:
1/4 portion of pasta with tomato sauce (recipe below), 2 tablespoons (20 g) of grated cheese

Dinner – a sandwich with chickpea spread and vegetables:
1/4 portion of chickpea spread (recipe below), 3 pieces of bread (3 × 35 g), vegetables: 1 gherkin, ¼ red pepper, 3 carrots

Day 3

Breakfast – oaty pancakes:
Mix 2 eggs (2 × 60 g) with 7 tablespoons (70 g) of rolled oats and 2 teaspoons (10 g) of cocoa powder. Fry it using 1 tablespoon (10 g) of olive or rapeseed oil. Serve with 1 tablespoon (15 g) of honey and 1 tablespoon (10 g) of crushed almonds.

Snack – crispbread with chickpea spread:
1/4 portion of chickpea spread, 6 pieces (6 × 10g) of crispbread, 1/4 of a red pepper

Lunch – mixed vegetables with rice and turkey burgers:
Cook 250 grams of mixed frozen vegetables and mix it with 100 grams of rice (weight before cooking). Add some spices to 150 grams of minced turkey and form 2 burgers. Bake them at 180 C for approx. 35-40 minutes. You can also dry-fry them on a non-sticking pan if you wish.

Dinner – a sandwich with lentil pate and vegetables:
1/10 portion of lentil pate (recipe below), 3 pieces of bread (3 × 35 g), 1/4 of red pepper, 1 gherkin

Day 4

Breakfast – rice pudding with apple:
Cook 100 grams of dry rice with 250 ml of milk and 2 teaspoons of honey. Serve with sliced apple. Add cinnamon for a better flavor if you wish.

Snack – chocolate milkshake:

Blend the following ingredients: 250 ml of milk, 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons (20 g) of rolled oats, 2 tablespoons (25 g) of almonds

Lunch – pasta with chickpea and vegetables:
Cook 250 mixed vegetables with 1/3 of a can (80 g) of chickpeas, using 1 tablespoon (10 g) of olive or rapeseed oil. Serve with 100 grams of pasta (weight before cooking).

Dinner – cheese sandwich with vegetables:
2 pieces of bread (2 × 35 g), 2 slices of cheese (40 g), 2 teaspoons (10 g) of butter, 1 gherkin
1/4 of a red pepper

WOMAN: 1800 kcal

Day 1

Breakfast – scrambled eggs:
2 eggs (2 × 60 g), 2 pieces of bread (2 × 35 g), 2 teaspoons (10 g) of butter to cook eggs in, and as a spread

Snack – oatmeal with apple:
5 tablespoons (50 g) of rolled oats, 150 ml of milk, 1 apple

Pour warm milk on your oats and serve with a sliced apple. You can add some cinnamon for a better flavor.

Lunch – lentil stew with rice:
1/5 portion of lentil stew (recipe below), 70 grams of rice (weight before cooking), 2 tablespoons (20 g) of grated cheese

Dinner – tuna salad:
Approx. 1/5 portion of tuna salad (recipe below)

Day 2

Breakfast – oatmeal with apple and almonds:
5 tablespoons (50 g) of rolled oats, 200 ml of milk, 1 apple, 1 teaspoon (10 g) of honey, 2 tablespoons (25 g) of almonds

Pour warm milk on your oats and serve with a sliced apple, honey, and crushed almonds. You can add some cinnamon for a better flavor.

Snack – tuna salad:
Approx. 1/6 portion of tuna salad

Lunch – pasta with tomato sauce:
1/5 portion of pasta with tomato sauce (recipe below), 2 tablespoons (20 g) of grated cheese

Dinner – a sandwich with chickpea spread and vegetables:
1/5 portion of chickpea spread (recipe below), 2 pieces of bread (2 × 35 g), vegetables: 1 gherkin, ¼ of red pepper, 3 carrots

Day 3

Breakfast – oaty pancakes:
Mix 1.5 eggs (90 g) with 5 tablespoons (50 g) of rolled oats and 2 teaspoons (10 g) of cocoa powder. Fry it using 1 tablespoon (10 g) of olive or rapeseed oil. Serve with 1 tablespoon (15 g) of honey and 1 tablespoon (10 g) of crushed almonds.

Snack – crispbread with chickpea spread:
1/4 portion of chickpea spread, 6 pieces (6 × 10g) of crispbread, 1/4 of a red pepper

Lunch – mixed vegetables with rice and turkey burgers:
Cook 250 grams of mixed frozen vegetables and mix them with 70 grams of rice (weight before cooking). Add some spices to 150 grams of minced turkey and form 2 burgers. Bake them at 180 C for approx. 35-40 minutes. You can also dry-fry them on a non-sticking pan if you wish.

Dinner – a sandwich with lentil pate and vegetables:
1/10 portion of lentil pate (recipe below), 2 pieces of bread (2 × 35 g), 1/4 of red pepper, 1 gherkin

Day 4

Breakfast – rice pudding with apple:
Cook 70 grams of dry rice with 250 ml of milk and 2 teaspoons of honey. Serve with sliced apple. Add cinnamon for a better flavor if you wish.

Snack – chocolate milkshake:

Blend the following ingredients:
200 ml of milk, 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons (20 g) of rolled oats, 1 tablespoon (15 g) of almonds

Lunch – pasta with chickpea and vegetables:
Cook 250 mixed vegetables with 1/4 of a can (60 g) of chickpeas using 1 tablespoon (10 g) of olive or rapeseed oil. Serve with 70 grams of pasta (weight before cooking).

Dinner – cheese sandwich with vegetables:
2 pieces of bread (2 × 35 g), 2 slices of cheese (40 g), 2 teaspoons (10 g) butter
1 gherkin, 1/4 of a red pepper

RECIPES

• Lentil stew

Ingredients: 1 glass (200 g) of dry lentils, 1 medium (100 g) onion, 4 medium (200 g) carrots, 2 cans (800 g) of passata (or chopped tomatoes), 3 medium (3 × 75 g) potatoes, 2 tablespoons (20 g) of olive or rapeseed oil.

Preparation: Chop onions and fry them in a big pot. When they become golden, add passata/tomatoes, lentils, chopped carrots, and potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are soft. You can add the following spices: garlic powder, oregano, basil, sweet paprika, chili, curry, salt, and pepper.

• Tuna salad

Ingredients: 2 cans (200 g net) of tuna, 200 g of rice (weight before cooking), 1 can (200 g net) of sweetcorn, 4 gherkins, 4 tablespoons (4 × 25 g) of mayo, 3 boiled (3 × 60 g) eggs

Preparation: Cook rice following the instructions on the packet. Wait until it gets cold, and add tuna, sweetcorn, chopped eggs, and gherkins. Mix everything with mayo and preferred spices.

• Chickpea spread

Ingredients: 1 can (240 g net) of chickpea, 1 tablespoon (10 g) of olive or rapeseed oil

Preparation: Blend drained chickpeas with oil and your preferred spices like salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, chili, paprika, and curcumin. You can add a bit of cold water if it is too thick.

• Pasta with tomato sauce

Ingredients: 1 pack (400 g) of dry pasta, 3 cans (3 × 400 g) of canned tomatoes or passata, 2 small (2 × 70 g) onions, 400 g of lean minced turkey, 5 tablespoons (50 g) of olive or rapeseed oil

Preparation: Fry chopped onions with meat. Add preferred spices and tomatoes/passata to make pasta sauce. Serve with a portion of cooked pasta and grated cheese.

5. Lentil pate

Ingredients: 2 glasses (400 g) of dry lentils, 5 (5 × 50 g) carrots, 2 small (2 × 70 g) onions, 6 tablespoons (60 g) of ground almonds

Preparation:

1. Cook lentils following the instruction on the packet.

2. Fry chopped onions and grated carrots using a small amount of oil.

3. Mix cooked lentils with fried onions and carrots. Add favorite spices (our suggestion: salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, chili, curry powder, paprika, garlic).

4. Place everything in a loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes at 190 C.

As you probably noticed, there is not much meat in this meal plan. There is no need to stock kilograms of meat in your freezer if you can get all of your vital nutrients from plants! The amount of fresh fruits and vegetables is also limited, but products that can last two weeks in the fridge were chosen instead. This meal plan should allow you to cover your requirements for energy, protein, fat, carbs, all vitamins, and minerals. However, it was created for “an average” adult with a low level of physical activity. If you have any special food requirements or want to include children, you may need to adjust it, so it suits your needs. But remember – keep your shopping list nice and short 😊

If you need any help with converting cooking measurements, feel free to use our cooking measurement converter.

If you are looking for reliable information about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), use the following websites:

• World Health Organisation (WHO)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)