Packable Hotel Dinners?
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MsCzar
Posts: 1,042 Member
On an upcoming job, breakfast and lunch will likely be provided. There will be more than enough calories there, but it may be a long time between lunch and the next day's breakfast. I don't want to take on more calories and carbs at a restaurant every evening. Nor do I want to take time away from a quick work-out or my much needed beauty sleep.
Please help me think beyond packets of tuna for an evening protein.
Please help me think beyond packets of tuna for an evening protein.
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Replies
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Pack protein bars and granola bars. Or protein powder and a shaker bottle. Find a grocery store to get some fruit and a bag of carrots or whatever, and maybe some rice cakes and peanut butter or some other spread or topping.1
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Will you be in the same hotel/apartment night after night, or will you be moving every day? Will you have a refrigerator in your room? If you're staying put and have a refrigerator, your options expand quite a bit, as you won't be limited to things that are shelf stable and packed in single servings.2
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I agree with the grocery store 'thing'. You could get some sort of protein in the deli and whatever else you like to eat. Hopefully your room has a mini fridge that you could store a few items too.1
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »Will you be in the same hotel/apartment night after night, or will you be moving every day? Will you have a refrigerator in your room? If you're staying put and have a refrigerator, your options expand quite a bit, as you won't be limited to things that are shelf stable and packed in single servings.
The annoying thing is that i have no idea where I will be or the amenities provided, but I will be there for six days in a row. I could manage a quick shopping trip tomorrow and will just have to plan for shelf-stable. I plan to weigh and bag some almonds and walnuts. There may be a huge grazing station - but then again, perhaps not.1 -
When we travel I always grill chicken and take it with me. I have had a few hotels not have a microwave(mostly overseas), but all have had a mini fridge. I also do hard boiled eggs, small container of hot sauce or even salsa. I will also take cut veggies, fruit, almond butter, a few paper plates and utensils.
If you room doesn’t have a fridge you can always ask. Some hotels have them available on request.2 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »Will you be in the same hotel/apartment night after night, or will you be moving every day? Will you have a refrigerator in your room? If you're staying put and have a refrigerator, your options expand quite a bit, as you won't be limited to things that are shelf stable and packed in single servings.
The annoying thing is that i have no idea where I will be or the amenities provided, but I will be there for six days in a row. I could manage a quick shopping trip tomorrow and will just have to plan for shelf-stable. I plan to weigh and bag some almonds and walnuts. There may be a huge grazing station - but then again, perhaps not.
Things to look for: Microwaveable foods that could be eaten cold. I've found canned grain/veg mixes that were OK as a salad rather than being reheated. Some seasoned legume things are fine with me at room temperature. Maybe your hotel will have a microwave, either in room or lobby, since many do now. If so, bonus.
When we used to backwoods canoe-camp, we'd get bulgar-wheat pilafs (flavored), put in a plastic dish with tight snap on lid, add hot water in the morning (hot tap water might be enough, but hotels often have hot water for tea and such in the lobby, or a coffee pot for heating water). In a few hours, it makes a hearty meal item. Fine bulgar will plump up fine without cooking.
Powdered hummus and refried beans are a thing that exist, add water to rehydrate, eat with crackers or veg/fruit.
Another option, assuming a hot water source, would be the soup or oatmeal cups.
Some of the above are bulky, but may be available near your worksite at a grocery or even convenience store.
If it appeals, something that would give you more flexibility in safely storing cold foods: Take a small soft (lunch sized) cooler if you have one, or can get one. Some of them are small enough to roll up and stick in a shoe or something in a suitcase, even in a pocket. If you end up having a mini-fridge, get a blue ice (or whatever they call them there - the little plastic block with gel stuff inside to use like reusable ice). If the work site or hotel offer ice (probable), you could put some in a small plastic cup with a tight lid into the tiny soft cooler. Even just the naked cooler will hold foods cold longer.2 -
Well, looks like there is only a room fridge and a coffee maker with those horrid plastic tray coffee packets. On the bright side any hot water won't taste like coffee. Apparently, the better the hotel, the less stuff ya get.
I did end up getting a few tuna packets. The rest will be cheese, summer sausage, dark chocolate coconut protein bars, dates, instant oatmeal, and an assortment of nuts. I would hope that it's all coal to New Castle and the usual endless abundance of work food will magically appear. Umm, maybe that's not a good thing.
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »Will you be in the same hotel/apartment night after night, or will you be moving every day? Will you have a refrigerator in your room? If you're staying put and have a refrigerator, your options expand quite a bit, as you won't be limited to things that are shelf stable and packed in single servings.
The annoying thing is that i have no idea where I will be or the amenities provided, but I will be there for six days in a row. I could manage a quick shopping trip tomorrow and will just have to plan for shelf-stable. I plan to weigh and bag some almonds and walnuts. There may be a huge grazing station - but then again, perhaps not.
That is annoying -- even apart from the food tracking. I'm pretty good at dealing with some uncertainty on an adventure-type vacation, but doing it for work as a built-in thing -- planned uncertainty, as opposed to something that happens because things go a little awry -- would make me grumpy.
Best of luck.0 -
Well, looks like there is only a room fridge and a coffee maker with those horrid plastic tray coffee packets. On the bright side any hot water won't taste like coffee. Apparently, the better the hotel, the less stuff ya get.
I did end up getting a few tuna packets. The rest will be cheese, summer sausage, dark chocolate coconut protein bars, dates, instant oatmeal, and an assortment of nuts. I would hope that it's all coal to New Castle and the usual endless abundance of work food will magically appear. Umm, maybe that's not a good thing.
Sounds like a good assortment. If it works with the rhythm of your appetite, maybe make your midday meal your largest meal ("dinner") and your evening meal smaller ("supper") so the prepackaged things don't have quite as big a job to do.1 -
Well, looks like there is only a room fridge and a coffee maker with those horrid plastic tray coffee packets. On the bright side any hot water won't taste like coffee. Apparently, the better the hotel, the less stuff ya get.
I did end up getting a few tuna packets. The rest will be cheese, summer sausage, dark chocolate coconut protein bars, dates, instant oatmeal, and an assortment of nuts. I would hope that it's all coal to New Castle and the usual endless abundance of work food will magically appear. Umm, maybe that's not a good thing.
At least there is a fridge. That helps a lot, especially if you want to pick up some yogurt, cottage cheese, salad, etc.
I have noticed as well that "the better the hotel, the less stuff ya get".
When I stay in middle-of-the-road (lets say 3-star) hotels, there is always free Wi-Fi, free breakfast, free water bottles in rooms, and refrigerators and microwaves are standard.
Sometimes for work I've stayed in higher class (4-star) hotels. They charge extra for Wi-Fi, the room water bottles will cost you $6 if you even look at them, and fridges/microwaves are available by request only.
A few times, I've had the pleasure of staying at a luxury (5-star) hotel. Absolutely nothing is complimentary, some don't even have in-room coffee makers. They want you to order room service or come to their restaurants for all food and beverage. They do not want to give you a fridge or microwave because you might (gasp!) bring your own food. I once had to tell a hotel that my husband had dietary restrictions and HAD to have a fridge in the room...they finally agreed to bring one up.
I guess they figure if you are already spending that much on the room rate, you either aren't worried about cost, or are on a corporate spending account. So, they assume you wont mind all the extra charges.2 -
What about the small individual ready made protein drinks? They come in different flavors. Easy to pack. You can get them at Sam’s Club or Costo.1
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Yes! It's so annoying. Usually work lands me at posh hotel with few in-room amenities. When in Las Vegas, I have learned to bring my own coffee-maker to avoid that $25 luke-warm brown water offering from room service.SuzySunshine99 wrote: »A few times, I've had the pleasure of staying at a luxury (5-star) hotel. Absolutely nothing is complimentary, some don't even have in-room coffee makers. They want you to order room service or come to their restaurants for all food and beverage.
I'm not taking any protein drink packets simply because the object of my game is to quell the desire to eat/chew real food without piling up additional carbs/sugar. I'll definitely be making lunch the largest meal of the day and expect to eat at high maintenance levels all week - avoiding sugar wherever possible. Maybe I'm wrong in believing this, but when a job requires day after day of long hours, high stress, intense concentration and all the mental acuity I can muster - it isn't the time to function in calorie deficit.
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Not even a fridge. Glad I opted against the cheese.
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If you have an old fashioned filter coffee maker instead of the modern ones that use pods, there is quite a lot of stuff you can make in that. Boiled eggs, warmed up tinned soup, instant ramen.0
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The coffee pot is one of those dreadful machines that have a tray with a coffee in what looks like an extra large tea bag. There is no carafe. I'll avoid instant Ramen cups for the empty calories. There is a Thai restaurant nearby with some Hopefully healthy choices.0
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Thought about it, but there is really no reason at this point. Most calories will happen at lunch and a shelf stable handful of nuts it or summer sausage will do.0
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Even in a standard Thai there should be healthy choices. Grilled meats, salads such as som tam, meat salads such as crying tiger and larb. Skip the peanut/coconut sauce if you have the chicken satay and ask for some of the fish sauce based salad dressing instead, which although sweetened, will be oil free.1
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