Portable, unrefridgerated dinner to eat on a train please!

[EatsFartsAndLeaves]

I'm taking my 4 year old away from Saturday to Monday, and he'll need his dinner while we're on the train home. There are no shops where we're going, so I want to just pack a meal to take with us on Saturday that we can eat on Monday. I don't want to have to keep it in the fridge while we're there.

So far I'm thinking:

Jacobs crackers
Mini Babybels
A pouch of olives (not as heavy as jars or tins)
Apples

I'm stuck for anything to make the crackers less dry, is there any sort of margerine that keeps out of the fridge?

Might take a whole red pepper which will be fine as long as its not damaged.

Any other good ideas?

[spugzbunny]

Don't babybels need refrigerating?

What about those tuna lunch packs? They are like tuna pasta salad?

[NannyR]

Peanut butter would be good with crackers.

[TheInvestigator]

A self heating camping meal? The spaghetti Bolognese is good.

[TheInvestigator]

Or, you're obviously going to he eating wherever it is you're going for those days, so could you not get a takeaway sandwich or something from anywhere that makes food?

Or take some bread and jam/peanut buttet, a jelly and fruit tub.

[BuildingQuote]

Nuts, fruit, crisps and could you take oatcakes instead of crackers or do they count as too dry? Our dc like the Nairn cheese ones .
Personally I just find a shop near the station so you could add grapes and ham or anything like that

[MyDcAreMarvel]

Not babybell they need a fridge. Apple , brioche, crisps, cereal bar.

[MyDcAreMarvel]

And fruit in jelly pot.

[AGnu]

You could decant some peanut butter into a smaller pot that could be used for dipping crackers. Fruit yo-yos are my go-to portable fruit option, or raisins.

[EatsFartsAndLeaves]

Thanks that's all v helpful!

We're going to the in laws and I don't want to appear in need of a packed lunch or they'll very kindly load me up with all sorts of things, loads of tupperware etc - not a huge problem but I'd just rather be self sufficient.

Something that works would be very helpful for other trips too, and camping etc, so I'm thinking ahead for summer here too.

The wax on Babybels definitely keeps them ok for a few days out of the fridge, I'm not sure how long but will be fine for this.

I'm not keen on peanut butter but my son loves it, can you get small amounts in lightweight packaging? I don't want to carry a whole jar just for him :)

I can't see any pasta salads on the Tesco app that don't need refrigerating, do you have a name for the ones you mean @spugzbunny? They sound perfect.

I don't really want to heat a meal on a train next to a wriggly 4 year old I don't think... sounds good for camping though.

If I take crisps i will eat them on the way there

[EatsFartsAndLeaves]

I'm looking for a very small tin or pouch of stuffed vine leaves, does that exist?

[stucknoue]

You can buy ready mixed tuna that doesn't need refrigeration unless it's opened. I would not leave even baby bels out of the fridge. Can't you just ask for permission to make a sandwich?

[BellMcEnd]

Those tuck cheese sandwich crackers? Bit high in salt but fine for a one off. Breadsticks / crackers and a tin of tuna already in mayo.
Nuts if no allergies
Dried fruit - apricots, bananas, mango, pears etc
Brioche
Cereal bars
Fruit pouches
Pot of custard
Apples
Rice cakes


I’d make a little picnic. Be rather nice

[TheInvestigator]

Barbybell needs to be refrigerated!!! It can last a few hours, like from morning until lunch in a lunch box but the longer it's at room temperature, the more bacterial growth. The wax covering doesn't sterilize the cheese!! If it's out of the fridge for more than a half day it will spoil. A weekend? I would not feed that to my kids.

[Itwouldtakemuchmorethanthis]

Ambrosia creamed rice pudding comes in little pots for lunch boxes. Raisins, bread sticks, water, cheese, fruit, carrots, nuts, bit of chocolate.

[TheInvestigator]

There must be a really odd family dynamic at play here. You're going to visit family, and you can't ask to make a packed lunch for their grandson? How odd.

[MyDcAreMarvel]

Yes , I think you are a bit confused re Babybells . Am sure you can use the in laws fridge though.

[AdaColeman]

What about taking a few slices of rye bread instead of crackers. It has a long shelf life, and isn't as dry as crackers.
There are also Rio Mare tuna salads (insalatissime) with cous-cous or mixed beans. They come in shallow lightweight tubs that you just peel open, and eat with a spoon, they don't need to be refrigerated, Ocado sell them.

[EatsFartsAndLeaves]

I'd forgotten about those little tins of tuna ready mixed with other things, they'd be great.

@stucknoe I'm very welcome to make sandwiches there, but my lovely MIL would then also make and box up loads of other stuff etc, and she's not very well and already does all the cooking and all the driving and I'd rather be self sufficient and not put her to the trouble.

Plus we need a plan for various different similar situations this summer anyway so it makes sense to get a plan together for this weekend.

[Whisky2014]

Why don't you just buy something on the train on the way home? They have trolleys with sandwiches.

[TheInvestigator]

Well, if you're camping during the summer then it's a bit different to his as you'd have a lightweight camping stove. You can buy tinned chicken breast and sachets of sauces (curry shaves, pasta sauces) and then you can chop up and cook the tinned chicken in the sauce on a stove and boil in the bag rice and have a proper meal.

[TheInvestigator]

Sauces not shaves!!

[Stravapalava]

www.revital.co.uk/pip-nut-peanut-butter-sueeze-30gr?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIodKK5bnx4gIVJ7XtCh1bjQbHEAQYAiABEgL47PD_BwE

You can get peanut butter pouches.

[thaegumathteth]

I think you’re way way way over complicating this

[MyDcAreMarvel]

If I was a grandparent even if unwell, I would rather make my grandchild a pack lunch than have them eat dry crackers and mouldy cheese.
I think you risk your MIL being offended/upset.

[EatsFartsAndLeaves]

No food on these trains I don't think, and very expensive when there is.

I don't take a stove camping, we'd be somewhere with shared food or food to buy but again needing a meal or two when kid is hungry at the wrong times, or to keep costs down or on the train there or back.