COVID-19 - Food resources: what help is available for your loved one?

Online grocery shopping and delivery can give you peace of mind, and you will avoid the long line-ups that are still common. Plus, since it is still recommended that seniors and those in poor health stay home, knowing that your loved one can eat properly may help alleviate some worry.

Most of the large chains have responded to the major spike in demand for delivery. Local retailers are offering curbside pickup or delivery through Le Panier Bleu (in French), a project funded by the Government of Quebec. Bel Âge magazine is also providing a directory by region of a certain number of specialized stores that have been able to adapt their offering (in French).

What items should top your shopping list?

Whether you are doing your loved one’s groceries or they are doing them themselves, some items should be prioritized until the situation returns to normal. Frozen or canned foods come to mind, followed by cereal products. Yoghurts, cheese, milk and other fresh products may also be added to the list, provided that they have a longer expiry date. You could also focus on fresh vegetables and fruits, which - although more fragile – may last a relatively long time, provided that they are stored properly (in French).

Food aid resources

Under these circumstances, supply problems may emerge however and have a significant impact on food prices.

To continue to ensure that your loved one eats a healthy diet, despite potential increases in grocery costs, you may also contact food aid organizations, which support more vulnerable people:

• Food Banks of Quebec (in French)
• Moisson Québec (in French)
• Le Regroupement des popotes roulantes (in French)
• Les Cuisines solidaires
• Quebec Collective Kitchens Association
• 211: telephone resource providing referrals to community, public and parapublic services (Grand Montreal; Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches (in French)).

Practical tips for you and your loved one

You and your loved one might find it difficult to maintain a balanced diet and cook safely during this stressful time in which information is circulating fast.

Reading the tips provided by the Dietitians of Canada and l’Ordre professionnel des diététistes du Québec (in French) can bring you up to speed and help reduce your concerns about a balanced diet for you, your loved one and your family. Both organizations regularly update their information based on the development of the situation, to respond to your personal needs and challenges.