Eating at music festivals? Help D:

purple4sure05
purple4sure05 Posts: 287 Member
edited January 26 in Food and Nutrition
So I just found out that I'm going to Bonnaroo next week! It's a dream come true for me and I'm going to have a blast, however, I'm looking for suggestions for what foods to bring. It's a four day festival where you stay in tents, and there are very few, very expensive, very unhealthy food trucks.

Don't get me wrong, my plan isn't to make my diet the pinnacle of health and nutrition at this thing. But I am having a hard time coming up with what foods won't go bad or melt in the scalding Tennessee heat for four days straight. I need your help! I just want to stay between 1200 and 1500 calories a day and not worry about my macros for a few days. Here's what I've come up with:

Canned pears
Canned peaches
canned pineapple
Oranges
Canned corn
Carrots
Animal Crackers
Pretzels
Almonds
Seeds
Lots of bottled water
.....And I'm already out.

Any suggestions? Especially for at least SOME protein?! Thanks guys. This is gonna be a great trip. Just a challenge.

Replies

  • Trishskee
    Trishskee Posts: 20 Member
    Maybe beef jerky or turkey jerky?
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    Canned tuna. Nuts. Seeds. Dried fruit.
  • arac62
    arac62 Posts: 65 Member
    canned tuna?
  • Justjamie0418
    Justjamie0418 Posts: 1,065 Member
    I never thought about this as I typically ave never ate at the music festivals I went too...
  • purple4sure05
    purple4sure05 Posts: 287 Member
    ^^ I was thinking I might end up eating that much either :P There are just so many things to do. Let's hope that's the case.

    I've never had turkey jerky! What's the best kind?
  • Otterluv
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
    From what I understand, beer is the most appropriate thing to ingest at Bonnaroo.


    Teasing (sort of), just pack like you would for camping/backpacking. Dried fruit, sandwich makings, snack bars, etc. But mostly, have fun and try not to fret too much about the calories you ingest on what should be a fun trip.
  • generallyme2
    generallyme2 Posts: 403 Member
    I went to a festival today actually and faced the same problem! I ended up ordering a half order of the Korean duck taco and it was so flavourful I only ate about 3/4 of it anyway. Later, after 2 hours of walking and standing for a total of 7 more hours, I got a small chocolate frozen custard. Drank tons of water too!
  • likeabanner
    likeabanner Posts: 88 Member
    TONS of water. It can't hurt to bring some candies to keep your blood sugar up. You're going to be out there for 4 days. in the heat. with tons of other people. You might not exactly get back to your tent when you want to, or get to buy food, or bring as much along with you as you'd like.
  • Rosplosion
    Rosplosion Posts: 739 Member
    From what I understand, beer is the most appropriate thing to ingest at Bonnaroo.

    QFT

    Just try to maintain some control of your eating. Don't worry and enjoy the festival!
  • morticia16
    morticia16 Posts: 230 Member
    stock up on water, have nuts and dried fruits at hand and most of all, enjoy! by the look of your ticker, you more then deserve it :)
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    eat dem beats... and lots of "vitamins"
  • MyJourney1960
    MyJourney1960 Posts: 1,133 Member
    I would bring:
    canned beans
    tortillas
    rice cakes
    tuna
    (not sure what else - but look in the canned goods section of your supermarket)

    and really - have fun! keep yourself hydrated, and don't stress a few extra calories.
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
    From what I understand, beer is the most appropriate thing to ingest at Bonnaroo.


    Teasing (sort of), just pack like you would for camping/backpacking. Dried fruit, sandwich makings, snack bars, etc. But mostly, have fun and try not to fret too much about the calories you ingest on what should be a fun trip.

    ^this

    It's only 4 days. Don't stress it.
  • katdav60
    katdav60 Posts: 14
    don't worry about diets to much . this is a nice treat and I think you should just enjoy. get back on track when you return home.
  • somanyrhoades
    somanyrhoades Posts: 107 Member
    Will you have access to cooking? I know most of the bigger festa don't allow campfires, but we usually being a little propane hot plate, a good investment if you like music festies! If its possible to have a hot plate freeze meat and bring it with you. You should also bring canned beans, eat them on tortillas with cheese and veggies. Also you might be surprised at food vendors. Bonaroo is decent sized enough where they will have more than a few. I know a lot of the festivals I go to also have healthy options, although they are a bit expensive. Sandwiches are always good too. I honestly wouldn't worry too much either. You are going to burn a million calories walking back and forth to the stages and dancing and such. Have fun, especially if this is your first big festival! Stay hydrated!
  • barbaratrollman
    barbaratrollman Posts: 317 Member
    I'm gearing up for Electric Forest Festival in Rothbury, MI again this year. It's an incredible show.
    Bonnaroo is big fun too, but I can't afford to go there this year.
    Anyway, I just wanted to say that it is always a challenge eating right at music festies. I approach them like a warrior, with an attitude that if I'm going to stay strong, awake, and dancing from 11:00 am to 4:30 am everyday for 3 and 4 days in a row, I had better be fueling my body as best I can.

    Firstly, I have BPA-free, wide mouthed, quart sized, bottles. I make green smoothies of different varieties. Each has a huge amount of some fresh leafy vegetable, usually with banana, lemon, and some sort of berries, cherries, peaches, or mango. I then freeze the bottles of smoothies (Make sure you haven't filled them to the top, because they expand, of course.)

    I have two 5-day coolers and a bunch of those large and small blue freezey thingies. I use one of my big coolers to pack the smoothies and other things like boiled eggs, yogurt, cheese, etc.... I have Lock n' Lock containers (With the latex seals and snap locks.) Those things keep everything perfectly sealed and dry, even floating in water. I measure portions out of my yogurt, cottage cheese, and other items like that, so my meals are pretty easy to grab out of the cooler and already measured.
    I have canned, wild caught tuna, packed in water.

    I take coconut oil (Great for keeping your energy levels up!) and add that to a can of tuna and make a meal out of that with the cottage cheese. Yogurt usually gets some fruit (You mentioned items like canned pineapple.) and some hemp seeds or whatever nuts/seeds you'd like to add.

    I have Two Mom's in the Raw bars, that are made from sprouted seeds and fruits, and I take plenty of nuts and seeds. Those can be snuck into the festie sites pretty easily.

    Most importantly, I have my smoothie and a couple of boiled eggs BEFORE going to the shows, because those are items that cannot be easily snuck in past security.

    I take one of those PUR water filter pitchers (empty) in my backpack, so that I can keep refilling for a fresh water supply all day.

    I keep myself going with the seeds/nuts and snack bars during the day. Then when I get back to the campsite, I make sure to eat something before going to bed...maybe the yogurt or something like that.

    Another great festie tip...take a 10 feet length of garden hose with you for taking to the water trough trailer (Where folks go to wash up.) When it's your turn in the queue, hook your hose up to the thread of the tap and run it outside the trailer. You can take a full on shower and share the water with others in the line while your scrubbing. :) If you add a turn off/on attachment on the end, you can control the flow too, so as to not waste if nobody else is using it with you.

    I could probably write a book of great tips for best getting through the physical extremes that going to music festivals can present. My aim is to never miss any music, because I'm too tired or hungry to enjoy it. I take the preparation to that goal very seriously. :D

    Enjoy Bonnaroo! I so wish I was going too. You should come to Rothbury to see the Electric Forest. It's amazing!
  • barbaratrollman
    barbaratrollman Posts: 317 Member
    Also, wanted to add...my beverages go in the other cooler. :D

    In the food cooler, as I'm packing everything with the blue freezey thingies, I fill in the spaces with ice. It takes a while, even in very, very hot weather, for it all to thaw. I do usually have to buy ice by the 2nd or 3rd day, depending on how extremely hot it has been. (Usually very hot!)

    Also, I have wool blankets that I tuck all around the coolers in layers, which helps a lot...and hanging a tarp over them to keep them shaded also is a huge help.
  • purple4sure05
    purple4sure05 Posts: 287 Member
    I'm gearing up for Electric Forest Festival in Rothbury, MI again this year. It's an incredible show.
    Bonnaroo is big fun too, but I can't afford to go there this year.
    Anyway, I just wanted to say that it is always a challenge eating right at music festies. I approach them like a warrior, with an attitude that if I'm going to stay strong, awake, and dancing from 11:00 am to 4:30 am everyday for 3 and 4 days in a row, I had better be fueling my body as best I can.

    Firstly, I have BPA-free, wide mouthed, quart sized, bottles. I make green smoothies of different varieties. Each has a huge amount of some fresh leafy vegetable, usually with banana, lemon, and some sort of berries, cherries, peaches, or mango. I then freeze the bottles of smoothies (Make sure you haven't filled them to the top, because they expand, of course.)

    I have two 5-day coolers and a bunch of those large and small blue freezey thingies. I use one of my big coolers to pack the smoothies and other things like boiled eggs, yogurt, cheese, etc.... I have Lock n' Lock containers (With the latex seals and snap locks.) Those things keep everything perfectly sealed and dry, even floating in water. I measure portions out of my yogurt, cottage cheese, and other items like that, so my meals are pretty easy to grab out of the cooler and already measured.
    I have canned, wild caught tuna, packed in water.

    I take coconut oil (Great for keeping your energy levels up!) and add that to a can of tuna and make a meal out of that with the cottage cheese. Yogurt usually gets some fruit (You mentioned items like canned pineapple.) and some hemp seeds or whatever nuts/seeds you'd like to add.

    I have Two Mom's in the Raw bars, that are made from sprouted seeds and fruits, and I take plenty of nuts and seeds. Those can be snuck into the festie sites pretty easily.

    Most importantly, I have my smoothie and a couple of boiled eggs BEFORE going to the shows, because those are items that cannot be easily snuck in past security.

    I take one of those PUR water filter pitchers (empty) in my backpack, so that I can keep refilling for a fresh water supply all day.

    I keep myself going with the seeds/nuts and snack bars during the day. Then when I get back to the campsite, I make sure to eat something before going to bed...maybe the yogurt or something like that.

    Another great festie tip...take a 10 feet length of garden hose with you for taking to the water trough trailer (Where folks go to wash up.) When it's your turn in the queue, hook your hose up to the thread of the tap and run it outside the trailer. You can take a full on shower and share the water with others in the line while your scrubbing. :) If you add a turn off/on attachment on the end, you can control the flow too, so as to not waste if nobody else is using it with you.

    I could probably write a book of great tips for best getting through the physical extremes that going to music festivals can present. My aim is to never miss any music, because I'm too tired or hungry to enjoy it. I take the preparation to that goal very seriously. :D

    Enjoy Bonnaroo! I so wish I was going too. You should come to Rothbury to see the Electric Forest. It's amazing!

    Wow! Thanks for the reply! And thanks to everyone else for the great tips, these are helping a lot. Unfortunately I won't have a ton of space in a cooler, as I'm riding up in a crowded van with one cooler for all 5 of us, but I'm sure I'll be able to squeeze some stuff in there to keep me going. I figure I'll be burning more calories than usual anyway, dancing and walking and standing and whatnot, so I'm not too worried about going over, but I can't exactly afford food truck food too often. I'll just bring what I can and try to make the most of it :) Thanks!
  • Trishskee
    Trishskee Posts: 20 Member
    I'm not really sure of brand types. But I have a friend who loooves the kind she buys at Costco.
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