Can getting food home delivered give you covid-19? We got a nutritionist to answer all this and more for you

There are a lot of myths surrounding coronavirus-especially when it comes to the food we eat. So we got sports nutritionist Diksha Chhabra to bust them for you
coronavirus from delivery packages
Even the healthiest item on the menu of your favourite can put your health at risk when it comes to coronavirus. So eat at home and stay safe. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Diksha Chhabra Updated: 11 May 2021, 00:14 am IST
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Spend just ten minutes on the world wide web these days and you will get a whole lot of information on what to eat and what not to eat to protect yourself from coronavirus. 

But not everything that you read is true. So let’s burst some myths around food and coronavirus.

1. Maintaining personal hygiene is important
No matter what diet you’re following, if you are not keeping the hygiene factor–it’s not going to help you. So make sure that you wash your hands with soap. Sanitize your hands before cooking, eating, or serving somebody. Covid-19 is a zoonotic type of infection, which means it breeds in animals and has been passed to humans. And it’s a highly hyperactive infection.

2. Even healthy take-out is not okay
If a person who was infected with covid-19 comes in contact with other people there are high chances that you will also catch the virus quickly. So that’s the reason, it’s advisable to not eat food from outside-no matter how healthy the salad or high-protein preparation.

eat less
Stop latching onto outside food in the wake of coronavirus. Image Courtesy: Shutterstock.

Try to avoid eating outside because the food will pass through a lot of human contact-right from the person who’s cooking it to the person who is delivering it. So stick to home-cooked food which has been prepared using proper hygiene and care.

3. Eating non-vegetarian food won’t give you coronavirus
People these days are avoiding the consumption of chicken, mutton, fish, and eggs thinking that they may catch the virus. However, according to the World Health Organisation eating non-vegetarian foods or animal sources of protein won’t cause you any harm if it is cooked properly.

It is okay if you want to avoid it since in India whenever we are buying meat or any kind of animal protein, it passes directly through human contact – and that’s the way you may contract the disease. But, in case you are avoiding meat and poultry because the flesh itself has the virus – that’s not true. If you properly cook the meat and then eat it, it’s not going to harm you in any way whatsoever.

4. Incorporate immunity-boosting foods in your diet
A lot of information is floating around regarding immunity boosters. There are certain spices (like turmeric, cloves, and cardamom) and vitamin-C rich foods that can help boost your immunity. In fact, a lot of dieticians and nutritionists are recommending them.

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Yet I have not seen any scientific truth as in whether these immunity boosters are going to help you to protect yourself against coronavirus. However, adding them to your diet won’t do you any harm and your immunity will improve.

These food items are already very well incorporated in our Indian meals. In fact, we use turmeric in every curry and vegetable preparation. So make sure that you are eating these on a daily basis.

5. Yes, you can continue with your usual diet
If you are on a specific diet-like keto, intermittent fasting, or carb cycling-you can follow it without any qualms as long as it offers a good dose of all nutrients to you.

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There is no one particular food item that has been recommended to be avoided or reduced in consumption. The only thing that you need to keep in mind is that whatever food you eat must be prepared hygienically. Your best bet is to eat at home. This will help you maintain social-distancing and will be hygienic too!

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About the Author

Diksha Chhabra is a fitness enthusiast, nutritionist, and Mrs. India Earth 2017-18. ...Read More

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