With staying home all day every day (And you should be! Keep people alive please!), I have a lot of extra time in my hands. I’ve never been much of a boredom snacker, per say, but this whole social distancing thing has me craving aaaaalll the baked goods. And salty snacks. And comfort foods. Stress does that to you, okay? Luckily, I also have some tips and tricks up my sleeve to nip those cravings in the bud while keeping good nutrition and the availability of ingredients in my home in mind.

Healthy Baked Goods

One of my least favorite things about the recipes for healthy baked goods that are out there is that they often require an absurd amount of ingredients I don’t usually stock in my pantry. Who even has yucca flour and xanthan gum just laying around? Thankfully, there are alternatives that are a lot more common. For example, I like to grind up my oats in a food processor and make oat flour to replace regular flour, thus giving me extra fiber and nutrients without me needing to bolt out to the grocery store. Granted, this trick only works with some recipes, but I do love it in banana bread and muffins. Protein, vitamin-rich eggs are a good ingredient often in baked goods as well, but applesauce can be a healthy, vegan replacement. Applesauce can also work to sweeten certain recipes instead of sugar. Other alternatives that I enjoy include real maple syrup (none of that Aunt Jemima stuff) and honey.

Salty Snacks

I’m not much of a salty snack person but something about lounging around on the couch watching Netflix makes me want something to munch on. Crispy chickpeas are a fantastic opportunity, both for your salty snack needs and for you to use up some non-perishable goods that you might’ve stocked up on. You can spice them up with whatever you have on hand as well. Popcorn is great because it’s a whole grain and therefore has lots of fiber and fewer calories than your beloved chips or pretzels. Combine it with some nuts for fat and protein and you got yourself a salty, nutritious, complete snack. If you’re feeling up to it, you can make your own whole-wheat crackers and dip them in some guac or eat them with cheese.

Comfort Food

Try sneaking in extra veggies into pasta dishes by stirring them into sauce or put them on top of homemade pizza (It’s surprisingly easy! I promise). Roasting veggies also ups the comfort factor while giving you a nutritious side dish. I find baked potatoes to be quite comforting, but I swap the toppings for nonfat yogurt and part-skim mozzarella cheese. Soups and stews provide an opportunity for comfort but also for loading up on vegetables, lean proteins, and good carbs like squash or whole wheat noodles.

Speaking of food, consider donating money to your local food bank for those who cannot access groceries due to being out of work.