DIY hotel room food.

[AelinAshriver]

This summer we are spending 3 days (2 nights) away with a hotel room.

Myself, DH and DS (5)

Budget it pretty tight so am going to try to do as much food in the room as possible. Only kettle available. No microwave or fridge.

Breakfast I was thinking of instant porridge pots. Croissants with choc spread / jam. Fruit.

Lunches. Meal deal from Tesco express that's 10 mins down the road?

Loaf of bread and do peanut butter sarnies?

Snacks for DS: crisps, biscuits, fruit, crackers.

Dinners: pot noodle?

Can you think of any other suggestions. DS is a pretty fussy eater. It's a hotel on motorway service station so there is a burger king but that's super expensive but happy to get chicken nuggets for DS for dinner one of the nights.

Can be anything that needs refrigeration. We are going in the summer.

We often use supermarket cafes for a full English breakfast because they're generally cheaper than Premier Inn/ Travelodge restaurants/adjoining pubs.

Take a picnic blanket or tarpaulin to catch up any crumbs you make. Don't take a slow cooker or electric coolbox. You will probably need to put your key card in the slot for the electrics to work, and when you go out all the electricity will switch off.

Excellent! 😂

I think this sounds great, you don't need a big budget to get away and it is such a thrill to be in a hotel for a child. know you don't need food to be hot for it to be nutritious, but we when ours (4 !) were young we used to have our main meal in the day (chips, wetherspoons, happy meal for the kids) and quite often we used to have a "snack banquet" at night in the room, and take a few paper plates or plastic and wash with hot water and handsoap from hotel, plastic bowls and a knife. Bread rolls, fruit, crisps, biscuits, cartons of juice, little cheeses (I know they get warm but if you have a cool bag they are unlikely to go off, I actually quite like them warm now) long life desserts, custard, or jelly in pots. Take a whole cucumber, carrot and tomatoes and cut them there but as an OP has suggested, tinned meat (the ham stuff or corned beef) or tuna is fine (maybe wise to dispose of can and the debris from the "picnic" in an outdoors bin). If you take electrical items hotels take a dim view- toasters and stove tops you are likely to set the fire alarms off. Whereas in reality, I can't see a small slow cooker doing much harm (bag of frozen chilli to have with nachos, or bag of frozen stew) but you have to be aware that the staff will be in to make the beds etc. and may report it - it is only a couple of days, so unless you are very worried about what you are eating, I would not take it. We always used to make our 4 sit at the desk in the room to eat, otherwise something was almost guaranteed to be spilt or hands put onto cushions etc.. Pack of antibac wipes for the clean up operation. I know it sounds basic, but we had happy holidays like this, sometimes a lot more "comfort zone" than when we went out for a meal with all four, which could become stressful. I hope you have a lovely time.

What about picking up a quiche in a supermarket in route and having that with salad leaves evening one. Cereal bars for breakfast the next morning or instant oats. Mugs soups and instant ramen for other meals would be filling

I love a crisp sandwich

If the Tesco is just down the road, you can buy fresh food 3 times a day. Some pre-cut carrots and hummus or any other dip, yoghurt and fresh fruits, be it strawberries or peaches . Cherry tomatoes with baby mozzarella.
Take with you a small plastic cutting board and sharp knives. Consider some camping dinnerware that flatten itself if you want to have some bowls.

I wouldnt bother trying to cook anything other than pot noodle or cup a soup. Bring cereal bars, brioche and fruit and nuts.
Them weetabix drinks are filling and protein shakes are too.
No washing or cooking required.
Meal deals and mcdonalds are very cheap or good old bread and cheese with some cherry toms.

I put this on another board like this a few months ago. The fresh pasta tortellini you can buy cooks just in hot water in a couple of mins No need to boil it. So you can boil the kettle cover pasta in boiled water and cover the bowl and then drain into the sink. It's not piping hot when you add the sauce I admit but good enough. I never manage hot meals now I have dd anyway.

We were homeless last year and in a hotel. We got s toaster, ‘cooked’ quite a few different things in it