Eating in the age of COVID

Food is an important element of our social landscape. We eat for comfort. We eat to relax. We eat to celebrate. We eat to share. With the world around us feeling chaotic, food is just one way we were determined to take control. No wonder, then, that the first thing many people did when the pandemic hit was to stock their freezers with food. This behaviour goes far beyond the basic fact that we need to eat to survive.

Now that the curve is on a downward trend and restrictions are slowly being lifted, panic shopping has all but stopped. In most of the country, we can already enjoy a meal al fresco. And, while social distancing and extra hygiene measures are in full effect, we can start to enjoy a return to some of the simple pleasures that food brings to our daily lives.

Whether you’re ready to venture out to a local patio or looking for new ways to spice up the menu at home, we have got tips to help you shop, dine in, and eat out safely during a pandemic.

Tips for dining out during COVID-19

Canadian cities are making necessary adjustments to reopen their restaurants according to provincial safety regulations. Some will only offer patio dining, and others, reduced capacity indoor seating and service.

While experts agree there is no way to completely eliminate the risk of transmitting the virus in either scenario, there is a general consensus that with good air flow and safe social distancing, along with proper hygiene and protective equipment, it can be done relatively safely.

Here are some tips, you can use to dine out safely:

1. If you feel ill, don’t go out. Seriously.

2. Call the restaurant ahead of time to ask about their health and safety protocols. Make sure they are taking public health measures seriously and that you feel comfortable with their plan.

3. Wear a mask to the restaurant. Bring a plastic bag with you so you can place your mask safely inside when eating or drinking.

4. Ideally, you should wash your hands thoroughly or use hand sanitizer after taking off your mask. ​

5. Order all of your courses at once to minimize interactions with your server.

6. If possible, try to use the washroom at home before going and avoid using the restroom at the restaurant.

If you are trying to stretch your budget these days, you might also want to consider earning rewards for paying your bills using a mobile app like Paytm. You can earn rewards for paying your restaurant tab, your internet bill, even your property taxes.

With a biller list of more than 5,000 of Canada’s largest service providers, there are many opportunities to earn rewards that can be used towards discounted gift cards for brands like Montana’s, Kelseys, Grocery Gateway and more

Extra precautions for takeout and delivery

The experts say that the chances of transmission of the coronavirus via a delivered parcel or surface are slim. Where take out or delivery is concerned, you also have to consider that hands prepared the food that you will be consuming, so extra precautions might be warranted.

Here are some tips on safely ordering take out or delivery:

1. Check the restaurant’s website for policies around public health and safety protocols. Make sure you are ordering from a reputable and responsible establishment.

2. Choose contactless payment options, if possible. By paying online ahead of time, you can avoid touching point-of-purchase machines or close interactions with the delivery person.

3. Ask for door drop-off. You can avoid coming face-to-face with delivery person with this option, but remember to provide a tip when you order.

4. You can use rubbing alcohol to wipe the container before you handle it.

5. If you are concerned about the food itself, you can always reheat it. Health Canada says that coronaviruses are killed by normal cooking temperatures. For recommended internal cooking temperatures, check here.

6. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly, particularly before or after handling food and containers.

Another tip: Treat yourself to more takeout and delivery through earning cash on bill payments. Paytm, the free mobile payment app makes it easy to set up automatic payments for hundreds of payees through the mobile app using a variety of methods — including using Paytm Cash, Credit Cards, Debit Cards or your Linked Bank Account — so you never miss a payment.

As rewards points start adding up, you can reward yourself with a night off by ordering in from Pizza Pizza or Uber Eats using your discounted gift cards.

The best way to grocery shop during the pandemic

With the initial uncertainty around the safety of grocery shopping well behind us, we are now looking for ways to improve the process, get the best deals, and create the best meals while still keeping safe.

Most experts agree that the likelihood of catching COVID-19 from food or food packaging is low, since the virus does not survive well on surfaces. If we follow basic health and safety protocols put in place by stores and delivery services, we can minimize risk.

Here are some tips on grocery shopping during a pandemic:

1. If possible, shop during non-peak hours like early or mid-morning during the week.

2. Wear a cloth, non-medical mask while shopping.

3. Follow grocery store protocols like social distancing and directional signage.

4. Wipe down non-porous containers, like glass or cans, with disinfectant wipes.

5. Order from a grocery delivery company like Grocery Gateway or Instacart to avoid in-store shopping altogether. Follow the same tips as take-out and delivery for a safer experience.

6. Wash produce under running water and scrub well to remove pesticides. Buy frozen fruits and vegetables if you are concerned about handling during picking and packaging.

7. Wash your hands well after handling groceries.

8. Wash surfaces groceries have touched.

9. Cooking food will also kill the virus, if present.

Food costs are already skyrocketing and supply disruptions may lead to further increases. Anything we can do to reduce our bill at the checkout is worth considering.

Buying in bulk and when things are on sale is one obvious strategy. Grocery store loyalty programs give you alerts on sales so you can stock up when prices are lower but they give you points that can be redeemed on your next grocery bill.

Bill payments apps, like Paytm, are another great way to earn free stuff for something you have to do anyway — eat and pay your bills. You can download the app for free and begin earning points right away just for registering.