Teen Traveling with School: Hotel Concerns and Meals Away

[rebekahc]

For avocado that lasts until lunch... the Wholly Guacamole brand has just-avocado packets, too - Wholly Avocado.  Those would stay fresh to be added to a sandwich at lunch time.  For DD, we freeze them and they defrost by lunch.  Ingredients: 100% Hass Avocados

[Janelle205]

This may sound really disgusting, and I don't know how easy it is to find PF sunflower kernels, but one of my favorite quick to carry lunches is cottage cheese mixed with sunflower kernels spread on whole wheat crackers.

Before OAS, I would mix finely chopped fresh cucumber in as well.

[maeve]

Is there shelf-stable vegetarian food you could mail to the hotel in advance?

[Ra3chel]

Pumpkin oatmeal whole wheat mini-muffins (I have a recipe if you need one) are filling and have good nutrition/protein.  I also have a good oatmeal snack bar recipe (I made coconut/choc chip ones, then pumpkin raisin/craisin ones).

Yes to both, please!!

[nameless]

In recipes

The snack bar is this: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Playgroup-Granola-Bars/   with the following tweaks

- half the sugar
- white whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour
- replace half the oil with unsweetened applesauce

I'll add in dark chocolate chips and flaked coconut (usually the Baker's sweet one...sometimes unsweetened if I can find it)

Another version I add 3/4 cup pumpkin and only use 1 TB oil and toss in Craisins.

Maybe it's the applesauce addition, but they come out soft for me. I like that. I also don't bake them for the length in the recipe --- when I can see they are baked through I'll take them out.

Once cooled --- I'll cut into bars and seal them in Glad Press & Seal and chuck them in the freezer. they freeze and defrost exceptionally well.

[Macabre]

Thank you nameless!

[Macabre]

The coach has already told kids in his room they can't bring/but anything with peanuts (and we actually meet next week--haven't met yet). DS said one kid wants to make a curry dinner for the suite. I am nervous about that.

It could be awkward, but I'm thinking of finding out what spices he needs, getting several small Nalgene bottles at The Container Store and sending Penzey's. We've also got two Penzey's stores hers, so I should be able to get anything. Hopefully.

[Mookie86]

Mac, maybe your ds can contact the kid and say that he'd like to help him with the meal and your ds would be happy to provide the spices, or whatever ingredients concern you. 

[nameless]

Allergies aside...making Curry in a hotel kitchen/suite is NAAAAAAASTY after-smell that will linger for days and days and days...

They should consider that, or consider carefully which night they'll do it.

Adrienne

[Macabre]

Oh good point nameless. That is certainly true in our house.

Nameless the quinoa cake recipe--if you have the have to find it, it would be great to have.

Okay--packing prepared food to go on a plane:  how would y'all do that?

RC I didn't initially see your post about the hummus and Wholly Guacamole at Sam's. that may motivate me to get a membership there again. We used to have it for the purpose if getting our safe pecans, but then I noticed a warning on them, so I didn't renew my membership. Then I called the pecans and nothing had actually changed in their processes.  So we may but them again. I'll see if I can find the singles elsewhere first. I love that idea.

Oh this is so much more expensive to have an allergy.  $25 for an additional checked bag.

But I'm so happy he is going to have this experience--away without us for several days. It will be a good thing for him--and for us--in preparing for the future.

[Mookie86]

Make sure hummus and guacamole are in checked baggage.  DH once triggered a full search by trying to take individual-sized hummus packs as a carry-on.  I asked the TSA agent when he completed his search, and he confirmed that the hummus should not be a carry-on and that's what triggered the search.

[CMdeux]

Yeah-- if you carry some foodstuffs through security, be sure that you have a 'special requirement' note from your doc. 

[Macabre]

Oh no--we're planning to do an extra checked bag. But I've not carried food before in checked baggage.  Maybe some Nutrigrain bars. Maybe. But we normally just buy the few things we need once we get to our destination.  We typically don't do much meal planning at all on trips (y'all don't throw tomatoes at me!!)

When DS had a theatre workshop in NYC for a week we had a room with a fridge. We just bought stuff for his lunch there. This summer in Orlando we bought a bag of clementines, Nutrigrain bars, cheese and crackers and wine. It was really just for breakfast (which our hotel did not include) and evening snacks. 

But this is new territory for me.

I assume any liquid or burstable stuff will be in a one-gallon zip lock bag inside the checked suitcase. But stuff you'd want cold--how would you pack it to. Be checked?

[CMdeux]

I wouldn't even TRY keeping things cold in checked baggage, honestly-- plan for a flight delay or a possible lost bag. If you try to put things into insulated packaging, they WILL get ripped into and checked, I think.

We made sure that we were minimizing that risk of having our foodstuff "rifled" through, in flying to Europe.  We made sure that we CARRIED on sufficient calories for 2 days, at least-- and divided up other foodstuffs so that we would have SOMETHING even if one bag were lost or completely destroyed.

Can the adult chaperone carry a single ziplock with a few shelf-stable staples for him?  Like Sunbutter and a package of tortillas, or something?

[nameless]

Yeah - you won't be able to keep anything cold in a checked bag...it will get searched and possibly removed. I had gel ice-packs removed once.

To keep things from getting squashed...like Nutrigrain bars...put them into a plastic tupperware or a shoebox. DOUBLE ZIPLOC seal anything that can leak...and...tape the lid on with masking tape. It's amazing what a non-pressurized compartment will do to your liquidy food stuff.  If the jar is sealed already (like an unopened sunbutter) put it in a ziploc as is...don't repackage.

If you are packing something like hummus...leave ample room for the container to 'grow'.

It'll all be good --- remember that they can always make a special trip one evening to the grocery store with a chaperone and a cab ride. He won't go starving. Sure - he might end up with sunbutter roll-ups the entire time worst case...but he won't starve   They won't deny him a trip to the grocery store   

Relax...breathe deeply.

Adrienne