No joke, last week was such a year! While March is always a trying month, the added complexities of a pandemic, suddenly being asked to “telecommute” while simultaneously homeschooling my children and maintaining my myriad of other roles. 

And, I’m not alone. I mean, I am distanced, socially of course, but I am not alone in this time of stress. However, each time the news interrupts “regularly scheduled programming,” I feel my body’s visceral response to stress: my muscles shake, involuntarily, my jaw clenches, my stomach turns. 

Basically, my body is responding to trauma. What does our brain tell us we want when we’re stressed? Comfort food! Here are a few hacks to help you maintain your whole foods lifestyle while also working through times of unprecedented stress.

• Swap traditional pasta for Banza or another chickpea pasta alternative. 

• Use polenta as a base for greens, veggies and hearty beans.

• Add piles of roasted veggies to any hot dish or pasta dish that you’re craving.

• Crinkle cut and roast veggies like squash and sweet potatoes to make them look like fries.

• Add handfuls of spinach or greens in place of bread or buns for any meal.

• Rather than grabbing candy, melt some dark chocolate and dip fruit in it.

• Add greens and veggies to any canned soup that sounds especially tasty.

• Make a smoothie instead of scooping ice cream.

• When in the kitchen, maximize the cooking. Tonight it’ll be a large pot of soup AND a large bowl of a balanced quinoa power salad.

• Make a large batch of fat bombs(nut butter, coconut oil, coco powder and stevia) then freeze. Finish off every meal with a satisfying few bites!