Taste.com.au reveals top comfort food meals Melbourne wants in self-isolation
Since panic buying began across Melbourne, home chefs are creating simple meals with whatever they can find in their pantry for a healthy diet on a budget.
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Beef ragu and ceviche are out as Australians return to austerity cooking in the new era of coronavirus.
Home chefs are creating simple meals with whatever they can find in their pantry for a healthy diet on a budget.
Exclusive data from Australia’s no.1 food site Taste.com.au reveals since the panic buying began in February there has been a massive surge in searches for classic comfort foods including soups, stews and slow cooker dishes.
Baking is also experiencing a renaissance with a hunger for homemade bread.
Nationally, recipes for leftover cooked chicken was top of Australians’ minds.
Soup is also on the boil with chicken the flavour of the month followed by pumpkin, pea and ham, and tomato.
In the meat department, rack of lamb, slow cooker beef, meat pie, and beef stew rule.
Risoni is having a moment in the spotlight after spaghetti disappeared from shelves, as is white sauce and bolognese.
Baking is more popular than ever with bread and garlic bread the labour of love.
In Victoria, recipes for chicken, tomato, pumpkin and chicken noodle soup were top of the chain.
Rump steak was the choice of meat, while lasagna was the preferred pasta dish.
Not surprisingly searches for rice recipes reached a new stratosphere, while bread, banana bread and banana cake were favourites to bake.
Taste.com.au group digital editor mass food Laura Simpson said Australians were adjusting to these extraordinary times.
“The speed at which the stockpiling has emptied shelves and changed cooking habits has taken us by surprise. In an ordinary year we can predict what people want to cook at most times of the year with accuracy. But these are no ordinary times,” she said.
“Since the start of March the whole landscape of home cooking has changed. We’ve seen a return to the austere spirit of previous generations when you cooked with whatever was available.”
Ms Simpson said the interest in chicken and vegetable soup recipes is rising dramatically, which isn’t normal until late April or May.
“There’s been a massive swing toward cooking soups, stews and slow-cooker dishes – partly because they freeze well and can be stored easily, but also because people are wanting to harness the old health-boosting elixir of the soup,” she said.
The recipes people are looking for are changing week to week, which suggests they are cooking with whatever they can buy.
“Last week it was all about recipes for homemade hand sanitiser, this week risoni is having a moment because it’s one of the only types of pasta left on the shelves and people don’t know what to cook with it,” she said.
Recipes falling out of favour include anything keto – people are too preoccupied with bigger health concerns right now.
“And anything featuring spaghetti, because that was one of the first pastas to sell out,” Ms Simpson said.
Nutritionist Marissa Nikolakakos advised Australians to stick to a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables to support their immune system and overall health.
“Some of us have gone into panic mode and panic buying, which means buying foods that are quick and easy, typically lacking vital minerals and vitamins that the body needs for optimal health and function,” she said.
“Eat a variety of fresh colourful seasonal produce such as broccoli, spinach, red capsicums, seasonal fruit like blueberries, oranges, kiwis, herbs and spices like garlic, ginger and turmeric as well as nuts and seeds such as almonds and sunflower seeds. These foods contain a high amount of immune boosting vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, C, E, Zinc, fantastic antioxidant properties, and they possess antiviral and antibacterial properties.”
For smart meal planning, clever ingredient swaps, and easy recipes to make the most of what’s in your pantry visit Taste’s Keep Calm Kitchen