VERONICA KUFFEL

How and What I Eat

“Running on Empty” – Jackson Browne, 1978

*I list a few products, but I’m not sponsored by any of them. I’m just listing what I use and how it’s been working for me.

It’s been about two months since I moved into the van. Well, partially moved. I can’t give myself too much credit and my friends too little.

With such little space, I’ve had to make a few adjustments. The biggest? What I eat, how I eat and where I store it. It’s a little more difficult than I first thought, but everyone has to adapt to the lives they live, right?

Habit Changes: Before and During Van Life

Once upon a time, when I lived in an apartment, I tried to eat pretty clean. After gaining a few dozen pounds in college, I spent the last two years trying to get down to a healthier weight. And I did! But to do that, I cooked almost every meal I ate and did a fair bit of meal-prepping. I had running water, an armada of kitchen appliances and more than enough space to cook, eat and clean.

Those were the good days, and unfortunately, my van build doesn’t allow for 90% of that. Walie is a 2012 Ford Transit Connect. He can’t house a stove, a sink or even a working fridge. Instead, I’ve downsized to an electric cooler and a Coleman grill. It’s enough for camping and I’m grateful to have them. As for living, I’ve had to rely on my very generous friends to help me while I bummed around Madison.

My meals are pretty much as follows:

BREAKFAST – packaged protein waffles, peanut butter and an apple (sometimes syrup)

LUNCH – turkey and cheese sandwich, pickles and assorted veggies

DINNER – freezer bulk meal or eating out; mostly chicken, pasta and veggies

SNACKS – yogurt and granola; chips and hummus; dark chocolate or cookies ; nuts and cheese ; potato chips

My Current Strategy:

1) Dry Food – Easy

Dry food has been a cinch. I have enough space for storage, so I’ve put my bread and cereals in my main kitchen counter area. As for snacks, I usually store in a little corner of my main friends’ cupboards. That way, whenever I’m there–and I’m always there–I have something to snack on when I’m hungry.

2) Chilled Food – Not So Easy

Chilled food is mainly kept in my Kohree 12V 30L Portable Freezer*. It’s just big enough for one person’s groceries, and it’s amazing. The cooler lets you set the temperature and control the power supply, which is very helpful when you’re on the road.

I plug it into my Jackery 500*, which is my main source of electricity. When it runs out, I’m able to plug it into my car while I’m driving to recharge. Unfortunately, I’m mostly stationary in Madison, so keeping food cold has been a small hassle.

With this issue and for the sake of convenience, I’ve bought mostly cold, pre-made foods like cooked chicken and microwave meals. I’ve run into some gross situations (bad almond milk, turkey, spinach, etc), but once I’m able to charge my battery regularly, this won’t be as much of an issue.

3) Frozen Food – Non Existent

This isn’t completely true. My pre-made meals and packaged waffles are sold in freezers. Whether this is a health code violation or not is beyond me, but I keep both in my fridge for no more than a week and heat them or toss them anytime after.

But that being said, I’ve had to forgo delicious cold treats and ice cream pints. It’s a struggle, but hey–you adapt to the life you live.

Long Story Short

Eating in a van is hard. Whoever says it’s easy is a liar and a crook. Do not trust them.

I’m kidding–some people are smart and efficiently plan their food into their build. I was more of an advocate for wishful thinking. Clearly, that wasn’t the move.

But I pride myself on being pretty low maintenance. Plus, I have to say–there is nothing more dirtbag-satisfying than slathering peanut butter on a cold waffle and eating it in your front seat; or polishing off a sandwich on the van floor with only a rug and throw pillow for comfort.

Despite all of the altercations, I’m euphoric. I love that every day I get to live out my favorite pages of Kerouac or Krakauer. Yet, I have to be cautious of where and how I store my food. I have to be aware of the condition and if I can reasonably cook it.

It’s stressful if you’re living complex. But all in all, my life is simple. To have only this to worry about, especially for a short time, is bliss. It’s living deliberately, and it makes me so goddamn happy.