Coronavirus: What should you be buying at the supermarket to stock up?

Because Europe is seriously affected by the coronavirus, and the number of cases is increasing, people have been asked to stay home and avoid going out. From now on, in France for example, a person can only go out to access health care, or to do one's shopping. Here are all our tips for shopping during the pandemic.

Buy non-perishable food

On your shopping list, non-perishable items should be at the top. There's no need to stock up on fresh products that go bad quickly. Go for canned goods, dry goods such as pasta, rice and grains, tomato sauces, etc. These products keep well at room temperature and keep for a very long time. You can keep a stock of them at home to last a few weeks and avoid going out.

Freeze fresh products

Just because you're shopping for a long period of time, doesn't mean you have to do without fresh produce. The best trick is to free up some space in your freezer to store them. Ham, grated cheese, butter and cooked vegetables freeze very well. You can take them out as you need them, and thus avoid letting them expire.

Go for canned or fermented foods

Canned food has the advantage of keeping for a long time, and can be used in many recipes. Canned tomatoes can be used to make sauces for pasta, vegetable curries, a base for pizza or savoury pies. Canned vegetables such as ratatouille, peas, and green beans will prove very useful for a quick and healthy meal. Finally, canned legumes such as chickpeas and kidney beans can be used for salads, stews or spreads.

Stock up on basic products

Don't limit yourself to ready-made products: flour, milk, butter, yeast, sugar, salt and oil are essential, and above all, very useful for making recipes at home. You can start with homemade bread, pizza dough, cakes or homemade yoghurt. This is your chance to eat things you wouldn't have the opportunity to be eating otherwise.

To improve hygiene, remember to wash the packaging of your products with vinegar, to use vacuum-packed products instead of chopping them, and to peel all your fruit and vegetables.