How is load shedding affecting your eating habits?

We have all been there. About to begin dinner preparations after a tiring day at work when the power goes off. Reaching for your phone and ordering a takeaway is usually the only way of saving your sanity, as well as dinner time. 

‘The positive home cooking trend we saw during the Covid lockdown is now being reversed due to the frequency of load-shedding during mealtimes,’ says Zitandile Mfono, a registered dietician and spokesperson for The Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA).

‘It is not surprising that people are opting for convenience foods like takeaways in these difficult circumstances, but these tend to be high in fat, salt, and sugar.  South Africa already has a high rate of obesity and Type 2 diabetes and so as a nation, we cannot afford these kinds of dietary changes,’ adds Mfono.

While ordering in takeaways can be a quick fix for a hungry family, the longer-term impacts on our health and our pockets mean this is far from sustainable. After all, many of us are already beginning to feel the pinch with fuel hikes and soaring inflation and load-shedding is here for the long haul.

Maintaining nutrition may not be easy without a microwave or stove but it isn’t impossible. According to Dr Thandi Chiappero, programme manager at South Africa’s Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO) there is some light at the end of the load-shedding tunnel.

‘South Africans are adopting more energy-efficient and less time-consuming cooking methods as a result of load-shedding, such as using air fryers. Not only does this cook food much faster compared to a conventional oven but preparing meals in air fryers is also much healthier,’ she says. So what other options do you have when the lights go out?

Eat fresher

Gone are the days of salads merely being a side to the main meal. The unavailability of refrigeration during power outages has resulted in South Africans having to purchase and consume fresh fruits and vegetables more frequently, which are less likely to spoil without refrigeration.

It means nutrient-dense salads are now the star of a loadshedding menu, with more South Africans purchasing healthy grains such as brown rice or high fibre pasta to as a salad base, with a favourite tinned protein and a splash of dressing added to create a wholesome family meal.

Bring out the braai

According to Chanelle Retief, also a registered dietitian and ADSA spokesperson, the biggest hack to eating well during load-shedding is to be prepared.

‘Most of us have become accustomed to checking the load-shedding schedule and making plans around the different stages. Preparation and careful planning ensure that you have a fridge full of cooked food that can be eaten when the lights go out,’ she says.

South Africans are known for their love of braaing and traditional potjiekos, and some clever planning can make a braai a viable supper option when the power goes out. Another bonus is left over-protein can be used for breakfast or lunch the next day.

Tinned food

There is no denying that load-shedding is causing greater food waste with more of us throwing away greater quantities of food, especially from the fridge. According to Arthur Ramoroka, corporate nutritionist at Tiger Brands, and an Eat Well Live Well Brand Ambassador food waste is a preventable expense. He suggests South Africans continue stocking up on a variety of healthier, non-perishable canned food options in the pantry like Lite baked beans, corn kernels, garden peas, pilchards, tuna, and chickpeas.

Healthier takeaways

If you really have no choice and you need to buy takeaways, the Retief suggests keeping the plate model in mind. Half your plate should be vegetables, 25 percent should be healthy carbohydrates and 25 percent should be lean protein.

‘Try and stay away from anything that is fried or creamy, and never opt for the upsize or buy one get one free meal offers,’ she warns.