Get Groceries & Food Without Going Inside a Grocery Store - San Diego
Public Disclosure: An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. Changes and Closures happen frequently so check directly with each site before you head out to know if it's open or not and what their policies are.
Whether there's a quarantine going on, if you don't want to get the kids in and out of the car or if you're sick or sprained your ankle and can't go inside a grocery store, there are plenty of other ways to get food and groceries in San Diego. Scroll down for all of the alternative ways I've found to stock up your fridge and pantry without stepping foot inside a traditional grocery store.
RESERVED GROCERY SHOPPING TIMES FOR SENIORS & VULNERABLE
During the COVID-19 crisis, those with a compromised immune system and seniors have a higher risk of contracting the virus. If they don't want to risk going grocery shopping with the masses, some Grocery Stores have added in special shopping times JUST for them!
click here for: Reserved Grocery Shopping Times for Seniors & Vulnerable
GROCERY & RESTAURANT PICK-UP & DELIVERY SERVICES
Most grocery stores now offer a pick up and/or delivery option when you order them online. During the checkout process, you can schedule your pick up or delivery for the same day, next day or up to a few days out. For pick-up, you'll park in designated parking spots and they'll bring your groceries out to your car and will even load them in. For deliveries, most grocery stores use a third-party delivery service; which varies per store. They'll bring it right to your door step!
*Note: During the COVID-19 crisis, these are scheduled out for several days and the food options are limited.
click here for: What Grocery Stores & Restaurants Have Pick-Up & Delivery
SMALL BUSINESSES TURNED POP-UP GROCERY STORES
During the COVID-19 crisis, many local restaurants and small businesses turned into pop-up grocery stores to sell fresh fruit & vegetable boxes, basic dairy & pantry supplies, and even toilet paper. They're set up to order and pay online, and then you schedule your contactless curbside or in-store pick up. A few of them even offer delivery to local neighborhoods. *Most of these are available for a same or next day schedule! A benefit to grocery shopping from one of these restaurants, is they still sell their menu items so you can pick up a hot cooked meal along with some groceries.
click here for the Red Tricycle article I wrote: San Diego Restaurants Now Selling Groceries
RESTAURANT TAKE AND MAKE MEAL KITS
Restaurants are getting creative to stay open and keep their business running during the viral outbreak, so they've created some "take and make" family meal kits. The offerings include brunch meal kits to tacos, pizza and backyard bbq meal kits, one even offers a tiramisu dessert kit! These include all the ingredients you need to make the entire meal at home in your own kitchen. Order online or call them directly for either a contactless curbside pickup or delivery.
click here for the Red Tricycle article I wrote: San Diego Restaurant Takeout Meal Kits
MEAL KIT DELIVERY BOXES
Having your meals already prepped and delivered to your door step is probably the easiest option! There seem to be more of these services popping up lately, but some have been around for several years. With limited items from the grocery stores nowadays, I can't rely on making a weekly meal plan because half of what I order from the grocery store doesn't even arrive. So having a meal kit box is a great service to set up for a regular delivery. That way you'll have all the ingredients on hand to make a complete meal.
click here for: Meal Kit Delivery Boxes (coming soon)
LOCAL FARM CSA BOXES
We're fortunate to have several small local farms nearby and most of them have already been a part of the CSA program for many years. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture; this is a partnership between the farmer and the community. For a subscription, you'll support the farmers and they'll deliver a box of fresh local, seasonal produce just for you. This can be weekly, bi-weekly or monthly, based on what you choose. Some will deliver to you, but most partner with local shops and restaurants where you can pick up a box in your neighborhood.
click here for: San Diego Farm CSA Boxes (coming soon)
I've broken all of this information down for you in each post linked above. Hopefully it's easy to follow and helpful to figure out how to stock up your fridge and pantry without stepping foot inside a traditional grocery store.
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