Life Prepping for NaNoWriMo is a series of posts dedicated to the preparation of things that get in the way of writing with the intent of carving out additional writing time. The goal is by cutting out ten minutes or so from random household chores, a chunk of writing time opens up.
NaNoWriMo is coming up soon-ish. I usually start making preparations in August both for my region and personally. Book prep is one thing, but what about Life Prep?
Struggling to balance life and writing life is more difficult than hitting the 50k words. “What are we going to have for dinner?” is a daily chore or question. Cooking can be time-consuming and eating out can be expensive. In this first series of articles, I will go over ways to combat this conundrum.
Though I list pros and cons, there is no one true “perfect” solution. Each person’s lifestyle and needs are different. If you have concerns about the healthiness of the options, consult your primary care physician. The purpose of this series is to spark ideas and help you think about strategies that fit into your lifestyle.
Strategy 01: Meal Boxes
Pros: convenient, easy as clicking what meals you want every week
Cons: Expensive, have to coordinate with box delivery times
While I was going to school, I used Hello Fresh to help me balance out schoolwork and lifework. Every week, you pick meals from their preselected menu. They ship the meals to you along with recipe cards. You do have to cook the meals. It saved me time grocery shopping and coming up with menus, so despite it being expensive, it was worth the saved time for me. (And I got discounts on several boxes thanks to promotions. It may be worth to shop around and see what promotion you can score if you choose this option)
They also are strict with portions, for instance, if you’re a party of 2 and pick 2 servings, there is exactly enough for 2 people. If you enjoy seconds, there will not be any seconds unless you get the 4 servings pack. If you have big eaters in your home, this is something to consider, as a single serving may not feel like “enough” food for them. Also, 4 servings packs could also double as leftovers for lunches or dinner the next day.
Another thing to consider is that these boxes are delivered to your home. Depending on the number of meals, the boxes can be rather heavy. They also could be left outside for hours in the elements while you are at work. Though they pack them in insulated boxes with ample ice packs, it could be something you’re uneasy with. Most of the packaging is recyclable if that is one of your concerns.
Strategy 02: Pre-planned Menus
Pros: Saves time
Cons: Requires time to go to the grocery store, inability to coordinate with sales
If you have any interest in meal prepping, you’ve probably seen the amazing photos of a week’s worth of food in glass containers or mason jars. I’m not saying to do this exactky, though if you want to throw yourself into the aesthetic of it all, feel free!
This bulk of this suggestion is to come up with your menus in the month beforehand (i.e. Preptober). In this scenario, the shopping lists are sorted out beforehand, so you only have to worry about grocery shopping that particular week. The saved time for menu creation can be used to work on your project instead.
A con is that if you’re someone who meal plans around what is on sale that week, you will be unable to use that strategy with this method. You will also still have to take time out of your schedule to go to the grocery store, whether you purchase everything in-store or use curbside services.
In the next post of this series, I’ll detail some of my favorite “quick and tasty” foods to make.
Strategy 03: Pre-made/Frozen Meals
Pros: Saves time
Cons: Limited meals available, limited space in freezer
November is the time of colder weather and what better for colder weather than soups, stews, and chili? A good cup of soup + a piece or crusty bread or a hot bowl of rice = bam! Hearty and tasty dinner in one pot.
Not only are many of them “throw into a pot and forget it” they also freeze well. I use Souper Cubes 1-cup containers to freeze and then place into ziplock bags for later use. Because each one holds one cup of soup, it’s easy to pull out a couple of servings for that night’s dinner and not have to worry about how to store an entire pot of soup. Provided you have enough freezer space, you could make a pot of soup and freeze it, having it available when you’re ready. Most don’t require to be thawed either – toss the frozen cube in a pot over low heat and let it reheat.
The next post of this series will detail some of my favorite freeze-for-future soups.
There are also options like frozen lasagna or casseroles in the freezer section that will provide a night’s meal with minimal prep and cleanup. The downside is your available freezer space. I have a small fridge and I play a lot of Tetris getting groceries to fit.
Strategy 04: Takeouts/Fast Food
Pros: Saves time
Cons: Costs more, nutrient value can be skeptical depending on what meals are chosen
Takeouts require only an investment of your time and money. Depending on your area, the price of convenience like this is high. They are a good option if you don’t want to put in the effort that day and want to save your precious limited energy writing. If you are concerned about your nutrient macros, they may not be satisfied with fast food options.