Another hurricane season is upon us and, as if to emphasize that point, Hurricane Irene is making it’s presence felt along the east coast. Against that backdrop, dietetic interns at Mayo Clinic’s Florida campus have been busy this week sharing “hurricane meal plans” with recipes and a suggested grocery lists to help co-workers, friends and family make sure they’re prepared for survival in the face of dangerous storms. Like hurricanes.
The interns were asked to create the recipes and meal plans with items that don’t require the use of power or refrigeration, says Sherry Mahoney, director of nutrition on Mayo’s Florida campus. While still being “colorful, exciting and nutritious,” of course. Because who wants to eat bland, tasteless food … even in a hurricane? “Most people aren’t thinking about cooking or recipes (during a hurricane),” says Mahoney. “They’re thinking about individual food items. We’re providing them with both.”
The recipe list includes “Homemade Hurricane Energy Bars,” “Stir It Up Vanilla Pudding Parfait,” “Reggie’s Chopped Barbecue Chicken Salad on Flatbread” or “Chocoholic Peanut Butter Pie.”
Mayo Clinic dietetic intern Sheri Lingle, a Florida native who says she’s been through many a hurricane in her time, says the recipes included in the meal plan allow her to continue eating healthy while giving her the energy, stamina and nutrition she needs to ride the storm out.
For more information on food safety during severe weather, click here.
Click here to see the hurricane meal plan
Click here to find the recipes
In the following video, Ron Stone, Assistant Director of Nutrition at the Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Florida campus shares some thoughts about food safety during severe weather.
CAUTION – shopping list for chicken does not match recipes. I used the shopping list for canned chicken quantities, which I read as two 5 oz to 6 oz cans of chunk light chicken. Planning to make a half recipe of each of the 2 menu items, with both of the kinds of chicken I bought, for side-by-side comparison. Only to get home and read the recipes that call for “2 large cans of chicken” (Reggies Barbecue Chopped Chicken Salad) and ” 1 (16 ounce) can chicken” (Charlies Chicken Salad).
I may have to do some math to use my 4.5 oz. can (Swanson’s Premium Chunch White Chicken) and my 7 oz pouch (Valley Fresh White Chicken Cuts).
I’m glad I decided to test the menu (thought it might be good for summertime power-outages here in the midwest). If this had been an actual emergency, someone in a family of 4 would be going hungry.