Frugal Kitchens 101 - Stocking the Pantry for Illnesses

The kids and grandkids visited us on Saturday for a pool party and BBQ.   Two of our grandkids and their parents stayed overnight.  I woke in the early morning hours of Sunday with a horrid sore throat.  By the time brunch was over, my voice was fading quickly.  After the kids left, we had friends over for more swimming and a BBQ but by dinner there was no way I could eat anything solid.  Today, I have no voice period, notta, nothing, not even a squeak and my throat is still quite painful.  While an injury can interrupt cooking via restricted mobility, illness is often worse especially if you are the only cook or primary cook in the household.  The very smell of some foods cooking or even the smell of coffee quite often do not sit well when you are ill and physically you simply may not feeling like doing any cooking at all.  The problem is and as tempting as it may be to no eat, your body needs nutrients to help fight off the illness and heal so it is very important to continue eating even if you don't feel like it.  It is also very important to drink plenty of water to rid your body of toxins while it heals.  The well stocked pantry takes this into account.  Here are a few things I keep on hand to help us get through illness.

• jello -  Jello has a long shelf life and is very easy to prepare even when you are ill.  While it doesn't provide a lot of nutrients, it is an easy source of sugar to prevent your blood sugar from dropping too low and it is generally well tolerated for most illnesses.
• green tea -  Green tea itself does not have much in the way of nutrients but it is high in anti-oxidants and helps your liver eliminate toxins during your illness.  It is soothing for sore throats yet the smell isn't enough to turn your tummy.
• chamomile tea -  Chamomile tea has natural calming properties to help you relax and sleep better.  The body needs extra sleep to help heal during illness.
• honey - Honey has natural anti-bacterial properties.  Not only does it sooth sore throats it helps control harmful bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract while promoting healing.
• instant potatoes - Instant potatoes are an easy way to get a few nutrients and fiber into you without much effort.  Add a light sprinkling of salt especially if you have a a bit of a fever.  This will add needed sodium you have lost through sweating.  Do not add dairy (eg. butter, milk) if the illness is intestinal.  If there is any signs of nausea eliminate all dairy until you are feeling better.
• Lipton chicken noodle soup - This really is a childhood thing because my Mom always made Lipton noodle soup when I was sick.  This boxed soup mix has a long shelf life and is easy to prepare without the longer cook time and smell of homemade chicken soup.  It is fairly nutritious with easily tolerated noodles that provide starch and a small amount of fat from the broth.  Be warned, this soup mix is high in sodium so should not be consumed when ill if there are any signs of dehydration.
• home canned broths - Broth is made using the meat and bones.  Home canned broths are very nutritious containing vitamins, a small amount of fat and protein.  It's easy to warm, soothes sore throats and is fairly well tolerated if suffering from an intestinal upset.
• saltine crackers - Saltine crackers are very effective for calming nausea.  They provide sodium and starch.
• apple cider vinegar (ACV) - ACV has anti-bacterial properties as well as beneficial properties for the gastrointestinal tract.  It helps calm nausea and aids with digestion.  One tsp of ACV in warm water helps to sooth sore throats.  If you don't like the taste of ACV there are ACV tablets available in the dietary supplement section of the drug store.
• cranberry juice - We don't drink much in the way of fruit juice but when ill we drink cranberry juice.  This provides Vitamin C while supporting your urinary tract to help rid your body of toxins.