Dietician Susan Watson suggests as households practice social distancing to use this time to brush up on cooking skills.

Currently, Winnipeggers are flocking to stores to purchase groceries, but Watson says that instead of stocking up, to use this time as a chance to get back into the kitchen.

"What I have been telling a lot of my clients and listeners is that with the self-isolation that is being recommended, we want to decrease the amount of time that we are out in public," Watson says. "We have to limit the amount of time (in grocery stores)."

When grocery shopping, Watson wants to remind Winnipeggers that our food supply in Canada is secure and recommends buying the items you normally would instead of focussing on long-term supplies.

"There is no food supply shortage," Watson says. "We are going to have pockets of food categories that are out for a few weeks."

Instead of stocking up only on canned goods, Watson suggests buying a mixture of fresh and frozen. She says once you do that, you can stretch the time out between the grocery store visits.

Watson believes that right now is a great opportunity for people to "learn new skills" and begin meal planning.

"We should not be afraid. We do not need to over-purchase, we do not need to hoard," she says. "We need to not panic and purchase what we normally need."

The dietitian suggests starting with simpler dishes as people avoid grocery stores. She adds that recipes can easily be found online with few ingredients for beginners.

"You have to practice it. It is a skill," Watson says about planning meals. "The first thing I recommend is taking out a planner and pick the recipes that you want to cook for those weeks."

If a grocery does not have what a shopper wants, Watson says to wait a couple of weeks to give stores time to restock.

Watson says that her practice, A Little Nutrition, is not meeting with customers in person as they practice social distancing, but has instead moved her practice online. Watson also has more resources available on her websitete to help people who are learning to meal plan.