The coronavirus quarantine has suddenly and radically changed our daily habits. And our need for energy. That’s because the hectic, dynamic life that we were living before – running from home to work and using our free time with errands and working out – has become a necessarily sedentary (and confined) life at home. A change that must be endured, supported, and accepted in compliance with the rules – but a change that also requires a little consideration, even from a nutritional point of view. Can we keep eating the same way as before? Do we still need the same amount of calories? We asked Mariangela Rondanelli, Professor of Applied Dietetic Sciences and Techniques (University of Pavia) and supporter of the Barilla Brand Advisory Board, who has been studying healthy, sustainable dietary models for over ten years – including the Mediterranean Diet model, that Rondanelli has adopted and renewed to fit today’s needs.
Professor Rondanelli, we can define life in quarantine by forced inactivity: What are the consequences? What are the immediate effects of the current situation?
Our everyday life has deeply changed: In quarantine, in fact, we have drastically reduced our physical activity – not just with regard to fitness and working out, but even regarding our basic daily movements. All the walks we used to take every day from home to work, public transport, small distances – even just walking to the car – are not possible at present. In order to make up for this change, it’s best to plan activities at home that allow you to compensate for the inactivity – at least in part. In fact, we could risk loss of muscle mass in a shorter time than usual.
Can diet help reduce this risk?
Absolutely. Our body has fat stored up, but it doesn't have the ability to stock up on proteins, which are essential for building and maintaining muscle mass. That’s why I recommend eating protein three times a day, focusing mainly on legumes, fish and lean or white meats – all the better if you combine your protein with pasta. Full main courses with these ingredients will stimulate us for more completed and balanced meals.
What do you recommend for breakfast?
Milk and yogurt are a good choice; skim varieties are best. But you can also have some ricotta cheese spread onto a slice of whole-wheat bread.
What about vegetable proteins? What foods are a good source?
All popular legumes – like beans, chickpeas, and lentils – are rich in vegetable proteins, but also more unusual foods such as chickling peas (cicerchie) work well. The best way to eat legumes is to start with a dry product; soak it; and then cook it; but pre-cooked and canned legumes are also perfect. In this case, it is very important to wash them to eliminate the preserving liquid, which is very salty. To get the most out of your vegetable proteins, it’s best to combine them with pasta. The classic Mediterranean recipe for pasta and beans, for example, is perfect, because grains and legumes together guarantee a complete supply of essential amino acids – equal to the usual amount in animal proteins. On the average day, should we reduce our usual calorie intake? If so, by how much? Yes. Let's say we have to subtract 200 kcal per day for the average healthy adult.
The balanced menu
Discover Professor Mariangela Rondanelli’s menu below – designed for an adult man of average weight in quarantine with an inactive lifestyle (2000 kcal) or for an average adult woman who manages to exercise at least 45 minutes every other day.
DAY 1
Breakfast:
- 1 ½ oz ricotta or spreadable cheese; or 1 jar low-fat yogurt (Choose your favorite flavor: au naturel, coffee, vanilla, fruit, etc.); or 1 cup milk, 1-2%
- Tea and/or coffee (with milk, no sugar)
- 5 whole wheat biscuits
- ½ oz honey or jam
- ½ oz dried fruit or nuts
Morning snack:
- Remember to drink! (Water, herbal or green tea...) without any added sugar or with a sweetener.
- 1 fruit or the juice of 1 orange
- 2 Whole-wheat toast slices or 2 whole-grain biscuits
Lunch:
- 4 oz pasta (e.g. pasta with beans; pasta and lentils; or pasta and chickpeas)
- 1 ½ oz dried legumes (soaked for 24-48 hours); or 5 oz fresh, frozen or canned legumes (can also be used in a second course in a salad or as meatballs)
- 7 oz raw or cooked vegetables
Afternoon snack:
- Remember to drink! (Water, herbal tea or green tea...) without any added sugar or with a sweetener.
- 4 ½ oz low-fat yogurt
- 1 ½ oz whole-grain cereals; crackers; or whole-wheat biscuits
Dinner:
- 3 ½ oz bread or 3 oz rice (whole-wheat works) seasoned simply with a vegetable sauce (e.g. pasta with broccoli)
- 5 oz low-fat white meat (e.g. chicken breast, turkey) cooked simply – e.g. with white wine and fresh herbs to taste; or with fresh cherry tomatoes, and oregano
- 2 oz bread (preferably whole-wheat)
- At least 7 oz raw or cooked vegetables
DAY 2
Breakfast:
- 1 cup (150-200 ml) of 1-2% milk
- Tea and/or coffee (with milk and without sugar)
- 5 whole-wheat biscuits
- 5 oz fruit or ¾ oz jam
Morning snack:
- Remember to drink! (Water, herbal tea, or tea...) without any added sugar or with a sweetener.
- 15 g dried fruit or nuts
- 2 whole-wheat toast slices
Lunch:
- 4 ½ oz g lentil pasta with vegetable sauce
- Raw or cooked vegetables to taste
- 5 oz seasonal fruit
Afternoon snack:
- Remember to drink! (Water, herbal tea, or tea...) without any added sugar or with a sweetener.
- 4 ½ oz low-fat yogurt
- 1 ½ oz wholegrain cereal; 1 oz crackers; or wholegrain biscuits
Dinner:
- Minestrone or vegetable soup (can be made using frozen vegetables) with 1 ½ oz pasta
- 7 oz low-fat fish, cooked simply – e.g. with tomatoes in the oven; grilled in a pan with lemon juice, white wine, and herbs; or 2 scrambled, hard-boiled or soft-boiled eggs with vegetables – e.g. scrambled eggs with tomato, omelette with artichokes, etc.
- At least 7 oz raw or cooked vegetables
- 2 ½ oz whole-wheat bread
Seasonings:
- Every day you can use 2 1/2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil for seasoning dishes (best when raw).
- Every day you can grate 2 teaspoons of cheese (Grana Padano, Parmigiano Reggiano, pecorino, etc.) over the first courses for both lunch and dinner.
The food amounts shown in the dietary chart refer to the raw food, including waste.
Mariangela Rondanelli