Good food suggestions for Coach passengers?

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inspiration100

Lead Service Attendant
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Looking for some food suggestions for coach passengers. Say I'm going for 2 nights on the EB. What would you recommend I bring as far as food goes? Any good snacks that make a good meal? Share your tips please!
 
If you're passing through Havre MT, they load on some "world famous" Cold Chicken Dinners provided by a local casino. While a bit pricey, I saw a couple folks eating them in the Lounge and they did look good.
 
I actually don't think you really need to worry about it. I've been traveling in coach for many years and I've never really brought much food with me, save for random stuff like Doritos or cookies in case I just get a minor hankering for something small in between meals.

But the lounge has a pretty good selection of stuff, and it's not overpriced enough to worry about it. I've never been hungry for long on a train, even if I don't bring anything at all.
 
inspiration100 said:
Looking for some food suggestions for coach passengers. Say I'm going for 2 nights on the EB. What would you recommend I bring as far as food goes? Any good snacks that make a good meal? Share your tips please!
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This is non-responsive, since you are asking about carry on food, but the Sbarro meatball sandwiches in the lounge car are very tasy (but maybe not diet concious).
 
well suggestions in the lounge car are fine with me too. I was just thinking maybe some of you had your "must have snackies" that you might share.
 
I always throw a box of Little Debbie type snacks and some Trail Mix or Cashews in my grip. Room allowing, a 6 pack of soda or juice goes in as well.
 
Of course everones different but things like Cran-Raisins,nuts, low fat pudding or cookies are great for snacks! Remember that breakfast and lunch in the diner are actually a better deal than a la carte in the snack car, dinner can be pricey but if you stick with the burgers it includes a drink and the ambience of the diner! If you like chocolate, small bars of dark chocolate are good for you, and good :lol: !

Also consider taking your own juice and water, even Diet sodas sionce these things tend to be overpriced in the cafe and the diner!As the previous postter said, you won't go hungry if you plan right!
 
If you drink a lot of water, be sure to bring your own in Coach as train water tends to be nasty, even though people suck it down like thirsty cats!
 
Google & GPS your train location. Find a dominoes to deliver to one of your longer stops. THey need about 30 mins advance notice. It works. Use the station address as your address. Give a nice tip.
 
inspiration100 said:
Looking for some food suggestions for coach passengers. Say I'm going for 2 nights on the EB. What would you recommend I bring as far as food goes? Any good snacks that make a good meal? Share your tips please!
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What do you "snack on" at home? Agree with OP, you won't be lacking for food on Amtrak. Certainly not gourmet, but a notch above Mc'D too.

And don't rule out the diner at all. The meals you get in the diner can be downright delicious. Notice I typed "can be". Not always, but with some regularity, and the EB has a better than average reports from those who post on these boards.

Don't know if they still sell the Ham & Cheese sandwich in the cafe, but that used to be the old standby, REALLY hard to screw those up.

Fresh fruit is about the only thing I really miss when traveling Amtrak, and a six pack of oranges tends to satisfy that craving.
 
Hi,

I like to take some hard candy, and chocolate, for a sugar boost, now and again. I also like to have something decent and filling, so a tin of tuna, just for real emergencies. The main thing I miss is also fresh fruit, so I take apples and oranges. If you can keep it cool, a bag of salad helps balance out the unhealthy Amtrak staples!

You can usually obtain ice free of charge, seems to help if you give leave a $ tip, even for a free item.. let's the server know you arn't too cheap!

You can buy small milk cartons, so a box of museli, etc, helps keep hunger at bay.. just remember your disposable bowls and spoons too..

(Being English, I bring PG tips tea bags for use in hotels, Amtrak can't seem to provide boiling water for a proper cuppa!)

Think about what you enjoy at home, then think whether you can do without on the train!

Cheers,

Eddie :cool:
 
I like to travel light and my "must have" is a couple of those single serving iced tea packs that you can put into a bottle of cold water you can get in the lounge car.

I usually bring along an apple and some cheese.

Pop tarts and cookies crumble easily, so I never take them.
 
Meat Puppet said:
Google & GPS your train location. Find a dominoes to deliver to one of your longer stops. THey need about 30 mins advance notice. It works. Use the station address as your address. Give a nice tip.
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This is brilliant but has anyone else actually tried this? That is like the win of wins but I would feel awful if our train left before they got to the station with the pizza. Unfortunately for me, I don't have a GPS.
 
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On my first LD train trip ever, on the Coast Starlight from LA to Seattle and back on Coach class back in 2004, I packed Cup Ramen noodles, apples, grapes and box of Capri Sun juice in my duffle bag. My munchies was satisfied for the whole trip, and I of course had 2 meals in the Diner as well, to experience that. I will be going on an even longer trip next month (L.A to Grand Rapids via Southwest Chief. Returning will be Kalamazoo to Anaheim via California Zephyr) and really considering bringing beef or turkey jerky along with the fruits, juices and my new favorite drink, chocolate soy milk. Does anybody know if coolers are allowed on Amtrak trains in coach for long distance travel?
 
If you're not exceeding your luggage quota, then a small softsided cooler is generally ok. If you're over your carry-on limit or if the cooler gets too large, then you could run into problems.

Also know that getting ice to keep things cold in the coolor will be rather difficult. Most attendants won't give out more than a cup of ice at a time, unless you can prove that you need to coolor to keep medicine cold.
 
well, we are all so well looked after on Amtrak and that's from a Brit, our second trip with u this september, all be it in a roomette,food fine in the restaurant and the cafe, just had a big shock , ashumed Amtrak set the standard for europe train standards as well,NOT !!!!!! going from Berlin to St P etersburgh, 2 nighter, just found out, NO ONBOARD REFRESHMENT, that's bedroom class, FUN !!!! what on earth do we take, not even any liquid on board
 
When I coach for more than a day, beef jerky, peanuts, train mix, some candy bars, and apples/oranges go a long way. I would advise you have at least one meal in the diner, that way you can feel more human.
 
I plan to bring freeze dried fruit (purchased on line) on my cross country trip. It is a bit pricey, but its pretty good and it travels well. I will also bring almonds and small packets of Justin's organic peanut butter and almond butter. I purchased the peanut/almond butter at Whole Foods. I am almost embarrassed to say that I will be bring some Sprout baby food with me on my trip. It is organic, pretty good and travels very well. It is sold at grocery stores (and last week, it was buy one, get one free @ 99 cents per serving).

I will be in sleepers, but I bring food anyway since I have food allergies and there have been times when I cannot eat anything but dessert in the diner. :eek:
 
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