Food and Eating

[TishaNola]

What have you found to be the easiest foods to bring with you on a long train ride?

I normally bring tuna and instant oat meal and my daughter likes me to bring crackers and ramon noodles in a cup.

Everyone has their own little secrets and things they find work care to share ?

 

[bobnabq]

I normally bring tuna and ......

I've read some nasty comments about tuna on train rides. I enjoy it myself, but I don't see my using it.

I've seen a number of food suggestions by Googling the topic.

In the past I've usually gone with some Summer sausage and cheeses, a couple sandwiches for the first day. My next trip is just an over nighter from about 4:30 pm to 12:25 pm the next day.

I had compiled a list of snacks (cheese, peanut butter crackers, beef sticks, etc.) but then saw mention of taking a Subway sandwich. I may opt for that, and figure on eating breakfast in LAX

before departing for SAN.

I trust others here who are more experienced than I am will do better with offering suggestions.

 

[SarahZ]

Beef jerky, cheese cubes, and crackers when riding coach. I was thrilled to see those new, portable peanut butter cups. I think Jif makes them. I might bring a couple on the next trip.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Peanuts, Apples, case of Diet coke with lime.

Also a couple of Heater Meals in case on emergency. You can get them at local truck stop, make sure you check the code date. They come with the Entree only or the plus type.

www.heatermeals.com

 

[TishaNola]

Beef jerky, cheese cubes, and crackers when riding coach. I was thrilled to see those new, portable peanut butter cups. I think Jif makes them. I might bring a couple on the next trip.

at winn dixii they have organic peanut butter that comes in squeeze packs

 

[TishaNola]

Peanuts, Apples, case of Diet coke with lime.

Also a couple of Heater Meals in case on emergency. You can get them at local truck stop, make sure you check the code date. They come with the Entree only or the plus type.

www.heatermeals.com

I have MRE's that I keep for hurricane season never thought of bringing them on amtrak. but thats an idea

 

[Anderson]

Peanuts, Apples, case of Diet coke with lime.

Also a couple of Heater Meals in case on emergency. You can get them at local truck stop, make sure you check the code date. They come with the Entree only or the plus type.

www.heatermeals.com

I have MRE's that I keep for hurricane season never thought of bringing them on amtrak. but thats an idea

I've actually pondered taking one or two if I have to travel out West in the winter and/or I get stuck on a long Corridor-style train (i.e. the Palmetto or the Adirondack) where they're still using the old menus. The problem is that while I can handle breakfast easily enough, lunch becomes a dodgy mess. Dinner would depend on the arrival time into wherever I was going (and the likely OTP).

Edit: I might pack one for the trip to Iowa, just in case I get blocked from the diner on my way from CHI-OSC (there's usually space, but the remaining slots can end up being too late for me to eat safely). I got stuck with a burger for dinner one evening...I'm sorry, but there's a reason I am more than happy to shell out for the diner instead of the cafe, no matter what train I'm on, and why I've been so gung ho about improving the cafe.

 

[PerRock]

a favorite for breakfast I discovered is some granola mixed with powdered milk & some sugar (brown or maple if you want to treat yourself), Put it all in a platic tub that seals well. Come breakfast time just add some water from the spicket in your car mix & chow down.

Instant Noodles & Instant Oatmeal are good as well. If you get one of these travel water heaters you don't have to buy "tea" from the cafe to get your hot water either.

http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Immersion-Water-Heater-Voltage/dp/B000AXS0UE

Crackers, cheese & summer sausage are good. Basic PB&J sandwiches are also easy & edible on the train.

I'm curious if one could use the water heater linked above to make something like pasta, where you actually need boiling water for a while to do.

peter

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I usually throw in a 6-8 pack of soda in plastic bottles, a BIG can of Cashews and a box or 2 of Little Debbie type snacks or grain bars to hold me over between meals. And I've learned over the years not to go overboard on snacks as they become dead weight you have to haul around.

 

[TishaNola]

i thouht about buying one of those electric coolers but then thought it might just be easier to ask for ice for my cooler to keep my insulin cool and i could use that ice also to cool my drinks .

oR Freeze power aid and put that in my cooler and then as it thaws i can have a cold icy drink plus it can keep stuff cold along the way as well.

the powdered milk sounds like a good idea

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Standard MRE is 3000 calories. Ouch.

The two boxes of Heater Meals on me are Green pepper steak and rice: 350 Calories 48g Carbs. Chicken Pasta Italiana: 360 Calories 40g Carbs.

Your now watching your Carbohydrate intake, so I would rethink MRE and go with a lighter meal.

With out know, or seeing, but a electric cooler might not get cold enough for ice. The standard 12 volt cooler is a thermoelectric unit design to cool 40 degrees below the outside temp. Had one in my truck. Need to precool before you load stuff in it, work well if you precool, but if you don't some of your food can and will go bad.

 

[TishaNola]

Standard MRE is 3000 calories. Ouch.

The two boxes of Heater Meals on me are Green pepper steak and rice: 350 Calories 48g Carbs. Chicken Pasta Italiana: 360 Calories 40g Carbs.

Your now watching your Carbohydrate intake, so I would rethink MRE and go with a lighter meal.

With out know, or seeing, but a electric cooler might not get cold enough for ice. The standard 12 volt cooler is a thermoelectric unit design to cool 40 degrees below the outside temp. Had one in my truck. Need to precool before you load stuff in it, work well if you precool, but if you don't some of your food can and will go bad.

watching carbs is hard its one of the reason I thought id use this chance to see what others bring with them.

I was even thinking to back when I was young and how my mom would put soup in a thermos for my dad to take to work with him I was trying to think if they might still make those old fashion thermoses that use to really keep soup warm for like 10 hours.

I am praying they are not using heat yet on the crescent city train. But if they are i could put the thermos by the heat vent.

lots to think about i leave on nov 17th

 

[guest]

Rice cakes, canned juice, some fresh fruit. Maybe buy one or two hot items each day from the cafe.

 

[Alice]

I was trying to think if they might still make those old fashion thermoses that use to really keep soup warm for like 10 hours.

Yes, Thermos still makes the glass vacuum bottles. Stainless vacuum is much sturdier but doesn't hold the temperature as long (but I think you'd still get 10 hours if pre-heated), and plastic is good for lunch but not overnight. Preheat the container for best results. You can't eat out of a glass liner like you can with stainless or plastic, have to pour into a cup, otherwise risk breakage.

 

[Anderson]

Standard MRE is 3000 calories. Ouch.

The two boxes of Heater Meals on me are Green pepper steak and rice: 350 Calories 48g Carbs. Chicken Pasta Italiana: 360 Calories 40g Carbs.

Your now watching your Carbohydrate intake, so I would rethink MRE and go with a lighter meal.

With out know, or seeing, but a electric cooler might not get cold enough for ice. The standard 12 volt cooler is a thermoelectric unit design to cool 40 degrees below the outside temp. Had one in my truck. Need to precool before you load stuff in it, work well if you precool, but if you don't some of your food can and will go bad.

Nitpick: MREs are only going to run 3000 calories plus if you're looking at 3 per day; IIRC, they run about 1250 calories apiece (two would be 2500; 3 would be 3750...let's face it, we're not planning on eating three per day). Hence, what I would probably be doing in such a case (and I do have a super-low calorie intake some days, and more normal intake on others) is this (for the Adirondack):

-Light breakfast in NYP. Probably a bagel or somesuch and a cup of coffee.

-Onboard, I would munch the MRE somewhere north of Albany, depending on OTP, etc. I wouldn't have the whole thing, though...I would likely omit at least one subpart of the meal at the time (dessert/candy and/or the drink, depending on the distribution of things). Such would probably cap my intake somewhere slightly under 1000 calories, though I'd have the rest of it somewhere further "up the line".

-I'd have a second MRE available as a backup on a "pushing the envelope" option for the event of a disastrously late train if it was an all-day affair (such as NYP-MTR) and OTP wasn't the best on the route and/or for the trip back. This is especially true if my nominal destination is unlikely to have even a McDonald's readily available late at night.

Frankly, even in a sleeper, I'd probably pack a set if I did the Builder or Zephyr in winter because...well, let's be honest: The diner can sell out of everything by Denver if the train loses half a day, and the Builder has been "picked up" by the next day's train on more than one occasion (making for some impressive videos but hellish onboard experiences), and I don't want to be at the mercy of somebody thinking to call ahead and order pizza at Fargo.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

If you get one of these travel water heaters you don't have to buy "tea" from the cafe to get your hot water either.

http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Immersion-Water-Heater-Voltage/dp/B000AXS0UE

Can you really use one of those in coach?

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

I stand corrected. However at one point the MRE was 3000 calories, one of my younger soldiers had burn one up in a lab to fact check it. One would think after all the problems of over weight soldiers coming home after the first gulf war, they would of change it shortly after. MRE were only design for short period of eating, and during combat people were eating them for the total deployment. Then return home overweight and on the Fat boy program. I was on active duty when this was occurring and the Army was giving out blanket wavers on the Fat boy program.

 

[leemell]

If you get one of these travel water heaters you don't have to buy "tea" from the cafe to get your hot water either.

http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B000AXS0UE

Can you really use one of those in coach?

You need to be careful using these heaters. Using my old safety engineer hat, they were banned at our workplace for two reasons; 1) they can cause serious burns and if left unattended, they can cause other very serious problems up to and including fires and 2) they draw a lot of current (5 to 10 amps) and can cause electrical problems (overloaded circuits).

 

[PerRock]

If you get one of these travel water heaters you don't have to buy "tea" from the cafe to get your hot water either.

http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B000AXS0UE

Can you really use one of those in coach?

You need to be careful using these heaters. Using my old safety engineer hat, they were banned at our workplace for two reasons; 1) they can cause serious burns and if left unattended, they can cause other very serious problems up to and including fires and 2) they draw a lot of current (5 to 10 amps) and can cause electrical problems (overloaded circuits).

Back in 2001 when my whole family took the Builder to Portland we brought one along. Since back then outlets at the seat weren't common one of us would go down to the changing-room bathroom and plug it in there heat up your water then return to our seats. I can't speak to the burning or fires aspect, however as with most things that heat stuff up there is always a risk of burning or fires, you just need to use common sense really.

peter

 

[Shawn Ryu]

I just buy onboard usually, but I usually bring Snapples and salamis.

 

[Brittny]

Eating peanut butter products in coach could endanger the lives of those who are allergic to it. A track should ban those products

 

[FunNut]

Not a Pepsi fan, so I bring Diet Dr. Pepper in a soft-sided cooler. Also, granola bars.

 

[the_traveler]

Eating peanut butter products in coach could endanger the lives of those who are allergic to it. A track should ban those products

I believe you mean "Amtrak should ban them", but people can bring food in the train with them, so should each bag be checked?

Amtrak also bans smoking on board, and people bring cigs with them - and how many times do you read about somebody being kicked off for smoking aboard?

Believe me, I do feel sorry about people with peanut allergies, but how about people who bring spicy foods, tuna fish, etc... aboard, and smell up the car for hours or days?

Why not ban all food being carried aboard?

 

[Trainmans daughter]

Vodka

 

[Shawn Ryu]

Eating peanut butter products in coach could endanger the lives of those who are allergic to it. A track should ban those products

I believe you mean "Amtrak should ban them", but people can bring food in the train with them, so should each bag be checked?

Amtrak also bans smoking on board, and people bring cigs with them - and how many times do you read about somebody being kicked off for smoking aboard?

Believe me, I do feel sorry about people with peanut allergies, but how about people who bring spicy foods, tuna fish, etc... aboard, and smell up the car for hours or days?

Why not ban all food being carried aboard?

Forgive me for my ignorance but dont you only get a allergy reaction if you eat the peanuts?