Iโve been under voluntary quarantine since March 12th. It has been a busy time of preparation, education, work โ and checking in with friends & family during my free time.
I plan to go live in an interactive video discussion about my decision and to share my thoughts on everything later this week, hopefully sooner than later. Iโll let you know as soon as I have it scheduled. I would love for you to join in!
Right now though, I simply want to ask:
How Can I Help?
There is so much confusing and contradicting information right now that it has people feeling uncertain and uneasy. Rightfully so.
And SO much information period, that itโs completely overwhelming.
Iโll keep this note short, but I would love to hear your thoughts and questions โ and whatโs going on in your life. And then Iโll share more with you about whatโs going on in mineโฆ
Including the low carb groceries I chose, given Iโm home and cooking (for awhile, I imagine), what & how Iโm cooking (thinking ahead!), and my easy recipes of course โ I love simple. ๐
Donโt panic, but DO prepare.
Youโve probably noticed your local grocery stores are struggling to keep up with the current demand. Hereโs a good read on the Coronavirus Food Shortages and what you should know about the supply chain.
Itโs ideal to order your groceries online or from your local stores if at all possible. I was able to order delivery from a local grocery store myself, and have them leave the groceries on my front porch.
Like I said, Iโll share my own grocery list with you in another post, along with what Iโm making in case you need EASY meal ideas right now.
There are shortages everywhere, even online, and some of the talk about potential Amazon delivery disruptions is good reason to order what they DO have in stock now, while they still have it in stock.
I also discovered some of my staples are WAY cheaper there! More on that in a secondโฆ
Again, how can I help?
I have a few ideas, but I would also love to hear yours. First, Iโm planning to host a series of video chats so we can all come together as a community and stay connected.
I work closely with a lot of low carb and keto companies so I can negotiate deals and discounts for you, and host a series of giveaways as well.
I thought that might be helpful as one ideaโฆ
And the giveaways would be FUN! ๐
To start I negotiated an exclusive deal for us:
Buy One Get One 40% Off at Perfect Keto
For every two items you order, you get the second one for 40% off, so order in even numbers! If you only need ONE thing, use code LOWCARBTRAVELER at checkout instead for 15% off that.
I stocked up on unflavored collagen powder and keto collagen bars. Their mct oil is back in stock too, and itโs one of the highest quality AND lowest price, based on my comparison of over 50 brands.
I love their newer flavored nut butters but already have some on hand, so Iโll be baking with those while Iโm home. Snickerdoodle pancakes and cookies (low carb of course) sound SO good right now! ๐
Fortunately a lot of our keto pantry staples and favorites are still fully stocked and delivering, and many of them are running sales (or I can negotiate sales & discounts for you, like I said).
My discount code is LOWCARBTRAVELER at most keto stores online, except for one:
My discount code is TRAVELINGLOWCARB at ChocZero.
Iโll keep an eye out and keep you posted on any sales I find.
Here is a quick list of what else Iโve found so far, and I will continue to search out the best options and available sources:
Restaurant Delivery
Some restaurants are closing, and others are only closing their dining rooms โ or seating at half capacity. It would be ideal to order delivery or take-out and limit contact of course.
Popular food delivery services like GrubHub, Uber Eats, DoorDash etc are offering โno contact deliveryโ right now. Which means you can have your order left at the door or at a designed location without having to sign for it etc.
As a response to the situation, several restaurants are now delivering meals.
So far I know that Red Lobster, OโCharleyโs and Dennyโs restaurants are offering FREE delivery at the moment.
I donโt have any of those restaurants in my area, but you can go to Google and search: โrestaurant delivery near meโ to find more options.
* Please leave a comment and โshare the newsโ on any restaurant or grocery delivery options YOU know about in certain areas, so we call have a source of options.
Amazon Deals โ With a โBUTโ
Amazon is also struggling to keep up with the demand, and there are some other potential concerns with that going forward.
However, you can still order and expect quick delivery of items they already (or STILL) have at their warehouses โ until those run out.
I posted this on Facebook earlier today for example:
I know itโs not ๐งป๐งป๐งป but all of my local stores are OUT of my favorite Coffee-Mate sugar free powdered hazelnut creamer PLUS itโs WAY cheaper on Amazon! ๐ฒ I should have been buying it there all alongโฆ geez.
I just paid $4.29 for it at Kroger and usually pay $4.59 or $4.79 for it at other local stores. On Amazon, in a pack of 6, itโs only $3.27. I just saved over $6.
Amazon has my favorite coffee cheaper too, WAY cheaper than Iโve been paying locally.
I love Gevalia Coffee Colombian Roast and pay $7.99-$8.99 a bag for it at my stores here. On Amazon, itโs only $4.99 ๐คฆโโ๏ธ ๐คฆโโ๏ธ๐คฆโโ๏ธ WOW!
And I donโt even have to go out.
Well, not that I can now anyway. ๐
Both are Amazon Prime too, free fast shipping, right to my front door by Friday. โ
โ again, thatโs subject to what they still have in stock, but Amazon is still a good source for delivery at the moment (as in: TODAY).
I was able to order dog food and Slimโs supplements from Amazon and get those delivered too. Along with my lotion, which is HALF the price on Amazon as it is in my local stores. I use Hempz and itโs 19.99 locally, and under $10 on Amazon with subscribe & save. Iโve been ordering it there for a couple of years now.
Back to my questionโฆ
How can I help?
I think more than anything we all need a sense of community and connection, so I like the idea of hosting video chats on fun casual topics โ to take our minds off the bigger issues, and have some social time. Thatโs one thing I can do.
But talk to me. How are you?
How are things going where you are, and in your life?
Weโre all in this together. ๐
NEXT, read:
Staying Home, Social Distancing & Keto Life in Quarantine
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
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My struggle: Iโve been low carb for 8 years now and it really helps control my diabetes.
My food budget is food stamps. I have honed my diet and budget so my food costs $50/week.
I have no idea how to afford my food now. I have no idea how to get food from the grocery without exposing myself to the virusโฆI have a congenital lung deformity that already causes me to have regular pneumonia. I donโt expect to survive contagion unless I can hold out until the surge is past, resources are not so strained, and doctors have learned more about how to fight the infection successfully.
No one is talking about those of us living on food stamps and how we can keep ourselves fed and safe. If you have any ideas or one of your readers does, that would be so awesome. Thanks!
I am SO glad you brought this up. Itโs a topic I hadnโt considered, but definitely one that needs to be discussed!
Food Stamps are on a debit card now, correct? They were the last time I used them. Do you have anyone you trust (with your card) to do your shopping for you during off peak hours? If so, I would start there. Personally I would wipe down your hands & card with alcohol or antibacterial soap/wipes and put it in a sealed baggie to leave the card for someone in a place they could pick it up without contact (in your mailbox, under a plant, etc).
If you get groceries delivered, have them left at the door. Use gloves to remove the groceries from the bags (outside) and throw those bags and then gloves away (outside). Wash your hands. Wipe down your groceries and wash your hands again, then put them away. And of course your food card โ disinfect that as well.
I know it seems like a lot of precautions, but until we know more, and given your health condition, being MORE safe is the best practice right now.
Itโs beautiful people like you that have ME staying in and encouraging others (my children, friends, etc) to stay in as well. We all need to pull together to make sure those who most need itโฆ. are safe and/or taken care of โ first.
If you do not have a trusted friend or family member to turn to, check the website and/or call the office to ask them what they suggest โ or what they might be offering.
Also call any local places that might have more information or more help. I would probably call the Food Bank, someone somewhere knows something โ or someone to talk to. Is your local Food Bank offering deliveries in cases like yours? Thatโs a good question to ask!
I will post this on my page too so we can get more feedback & ideas. I want to make sure you have ALL the resources and ideas it will take until you find a solution.
In the meantime, what are your most immediate needs, and what does your timeline look like โ for food, medication, etc?
p.s. There is no hand sanitizer etc to be found anywhere, so if you donโt have any (either)โฆ two things that work for disinfecting are: diluted bleach (Google the appropriate ratio) and rubbing alcohol.
Here are some great responses coming in:
https://foodstampsnow.com/list-of-grocery-stores-that-accept-ebt-online-for-delivery/
https://howtogeton.wordpress.com/how-to-get-groceries-delivered-with-snap-food-stamps-ebt/
Can you get a ride to walmart and do grocery pick up..you can use your benefits with pick up
Patti said: Here in Canada individuals are starting up help groups on fb. People are reaching out for help with food or meds and others are quick to respond. Dropping off whatever they need. Also the small libraries neighbourhoods have ( boxes where people leave books to share) are now being filled with food, for anyone to use.
Linda said: Our village leadership, combined with some churches have set up a group of volunteers to help people in need. I would suggest this person check with their local government offices to see what help is available.
I ordered the creamer Monday and got it yesterday. Living in Hurricane Country, I figured it was good to have in case of power outages. I still have some of my liquid so I am okay for a while.
Stay safe!
Smart. ๐ I do love my coffee-mate, of all things lol. It was shocking to find out Iโve been paying $2 or $3 more per bag of coffee for YEARS โ geez! That was a good find. Iโm glad there will at least be coffee. Somehow that gives me a sense of calm and normalcy, as small a thing as it is. ๐
Do you have recipes to use with Perfect Keto collogen items? I have 4 tubs of it so need to get ideas how to use them.
Hi Holly! I do ๐ Or they do, I should say:
Perfect Keto Recipes
You can also search Google and Pinterest or if youโre on Instagram search the hashtag: #perfectketorecipe to find even more. Iโd start with Google after you browse the ideas above. ๐
Also, if you need to stock up on collagen, bars, nut butters etc โ I negotiated an exclusive deal for us:
Buy One Get One 40% Off at Perfect Keto
The discount is coded into that link already, or use code LYNNB1G140 at checkout to activate the savings.
For every two items you order, you get the second one for 40% off, so order in even numbers! If you only need ONE thing, use code LOWCARBTRAVELER at checkout instead for 15% off that.
Thank you for the discount code! I just saved on Perfect Keto MCT oil! I love that stuff! Also Big thank you for your content..its helping me stay off the news here in CAโฆsometimes u just need a break!