Anything you’d pack for a school lunch. Today my kid had cold leftover chicken, cucumber slices, grapes, seaweed crisps, and a protein bar. Fork. Napkin. Ice pack. Easy. He has this or a variation of it almost every day. You could just pack individual servings so you’re not awkwardly dishing things up on the train. If you don’t own individual containers, you could grab those cheap reusable plastic bentos from Safeway, fill them up, toss in an insulated tote, add an ice pack, and be done.

Ham and butter on a baguette!

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I completely miss-understood what this was about based on the title. Thought this was more for the relationship forum.

Me too! I wondered why a train would need food. Or a meal plan for a sick person

Anonymous wrote:Sandwiches. Pack with ice bags in a ziploc and throw those away once you get to your destination. Sandwich will be safe to eat if not chilled for an hour or two.

This. Get some hearty rolls to make them on. Freeze one water bottle to put with them and drink it as it melts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trains have food cars. It won't be amazing but you won't have to lug anything with you.

Obviously I considered this, but don't want this option. Thanks, though.

Why don’t you? Vs. prepping and carrying food all day?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Apples. Cheese. A tomato and mozzarella sub.

You would eat a tomato and soft-cheese sub that's been sitting in a warm backpack for 8 hours?!

I would. I saw that in the post and thought yes. Mozzarella and tomato are perfect for room temperature. Cheese is preserved. You'd be surprised how warm you can eat it and how long you can leave it out (I am French).

Just bring fruit and nuts. A half of baguette, there are some cheese pates that can be kept at room temp and of course the saussion sec is classic.

Leather shoe marinated with secret hobo spices.
Bottle of Ripple in paper bag.
Pack neatly in red checkerboard bindle on a stick.
Hop on and off the train at will to eat and share travel adventure stories.

You can get shelf stable bags of salami or pepperoni from the grocery store (there are some like Applegate turkey pepperoni that just need to be refrigerated after opening but if you buy a small bag or small salami that shouldn’t be a problem). Then pack some small packaged cheese (pick something salty like cheddar and maybe put a tiny frozen water bottle/beverage next to it), some whole fruit or veggies, packs of Justin’s peanut butter, maybe some jam packets from a breakfast restaurant (e.g. silver diner) and a sleeve of crackers. I also enjoy packing ziploc bag servings of cereal/granola and bringing a small disposable bowl and a single serve non perishable milk to have my favorite morning cereal on trips. If you need to pack coffee la colombe canned coffees are great. Lastly dried mango is delicious.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:whole fruit and/or veggies: clementines or apples or grapes in a small container or snap peas or grape tomatoes

something with protein, peanut butter is the easiest: PB filled pretzels, bars, uncrustables or PBJ
chips or popcorn
moon cheese or whips
dried fruit or fig bars
treat: chocolate or gummies or packaged cookies

I assume you can get a drink on the train, but if not consider tea or juice frozen in the AM

Listen I absolutely love Peanut butter but I truly don’t know how it ever got the reputation of being a “high protein” food. There is typically 8 grams of protein in 2 tablespoons. Literally almost anything else you choose to put on a sandwich will have more than that. I mean it’s delicious but high protein it is not. For context, 1 single slice of cheese has 7 grams of protein and most people use 2 slices in a sandwich.

There is no world in which I would eat a warm cheese sandwich.

Most cheeses are meant to be eaten at room temperature.

can you just eat cliff bars or something and have proper lunch when you get home?

I would not carry around lunch in the OP’s situation. I would just buy train station/train food.

But if you really want to lug stuff and if you’re concerned about keeping it cold, packit bags are great. The ice packs are built in and you keep it all in the freezer, and somehow this seems to lead to less sweating etc than putting an ice pack in another bag. Idk how. Plus the ice goes all the way around the food. But they’re heavy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:whole fruit and/or veggies: clementines or apples or grapes in a small container or snap peas or grape tomatoes

something with protein, peanut butter is the easiest: PB filled pretzels, bars, uncrustables or PBJ

chips or popcorn

moon cheese or whips

dried fruit or fig bars

treat: chocolate or gummies or packaged cookies

I assume you can get a drink on the train, but if not consider tea or juice frozen in the AM

Listen I absolutely love Peanut butter but I truly don’t know how it ever got the reputation of being a “high protein” food. There is typically 8 grams of protein in 2 tablespoons. Literally almost anything else you choose to put on a sandwich will have more than that. I mean it’s delicious but high protein it is not. For context, 1 single slice of cheese has 7 grams of protein and most people use 2 slices in a sandwich.

I think the post you're quoting just says "protein" not "high protein." But anyway peanut butter and bread or crackers + other small amounts on fruits and veggies and dried fruit and chips and chocolates and other snacks will not deplete one's protein sources. Also, a lot of people eat more than 2 tbsp of peanut butter. I think it's gonna be ok!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:whole fruit and/or veggies: clementines or apples or grapes in a small container or snap peas or grape tomatoes

something with protein, peanut butter is the easiest: PB filled pretzels, bars, uncrustables or PBJ
chips or popcorn
moon cheese or whips
dried fruit or fig bars
treat: chocolate or gummies or packaged cookies

I assume you can get a drink on the train, but if not consider tea or juice frozen in the AM

Listen I absolutely love Peanut butter but I truly don’t know how it ever got the reputation of being a “high protein” food. There is typically 8 grams of protein in 2 tablespoons. Literally almost anything else you choose to put on a sandwich will have more than that. I mean it’s delicious but high protein it is not. For context, 1 single slice of cheese has 7 grams of protein and most people use 2 slices in a sandwich.

There is no world in which I would eat a warm cheese sandwich.

clearly you missed the point entirely. And also-like someone else mentioned she could get bags of ice to store with the sandwiches in a bag. But regardless, bringing something in this situation is dumb anyway. i’m not sure why OP is so against buying food on the train. it’s one meal and will be so much less of a hassle.

Take a sleeve of bread and refill it with peanut butter sandwiches. No jelly. It's important, no jelly.