Ideas for a packed tea that doesn't need refrigerating at all, please.

[Borka]

We're going on a day trip to see the ILs next week, and will be on the train back when it's DS's tea time. What can I take for him to eat that's reasonably filling (MIL's cooking is very variable, so can't count on a big lunch) that will survive being carried around for 9 hrs? I think it's too long for a cold bag to keep stuff cold.

Fresh bread rolls, jar of peanut butter/jam/Nutella? Then some fruit and crisps

Wouldn't it be easier to pop to a shop before the trip home and grab sandwiches/cocktail sausages/French stick/babybels/yoghurts? But if not how about things like dairylea Dunkers - they'll be a novelty as well for the trip and I'm sure will be fine out of the fridge. How old is he? How about fruity Ella's pouches? Even big kids like to eat them IMO!

How old is he?
Yes to fruit, crisps. Bagels are pretty bomb-proof if he has the teeth for it.

My mother's solution would have been fish paste in a jar...

Actually Aldi have some nice pates in jars this week - they're quite cheap too.

If you pack it well, then 9 hours in a cool bag will be fine. I freeze carton drinks, or bottles of water so they keep things cold as they defrost.

Ds loves a box of pasta salad - ham/roast chicken, mixed veg, cucumber, cherry toms, sometimes some cheese cubes. He doesn't like mayo, so I just do a drizzle of olive oil onto it.

If he likes tuna, you could pack some rolls and a pouch of no drain tuna to make them into sarnies

Thanks for these ideas. I think DS would be very happy with rolls & a jar of jam! He likes tuna too & I hadn't thought of the no-drain kind.

No drain tuna? Ooh must keep an eye out for that!

If you want a hot option and you are on a train with a buffet, take a tuppaware box with a packet of flavoured couscous then just ask for a cup of boiling water. Pour over, wait 6 mins or so. Done. If you can nab one of those butter sachets add that in too for extra flavour.

Our fail safe picnic is roast veg including tomatoes ( make slight sauce) cut small, then add soup pasta and pesto and mix. Can eat hot/ cold/ and fine out of fridge. A roasting tray full of various veg makes enough for 6 once pasta added.

Tortilla wraps, tinned refried beans and an avacado. Makes a great wrap.

Can you use the fridge at your ILS?

Why don't you buy a cool bag?

So you could refridgerate food the day before, then on the morning of your journey, pop the food in the coolbag.

We bought one from Argos, with plates that you pop in the freezer, then take out the morning of the journey, keeps it all fresh. hth

Sorry, somebody beat me to it with the cool bag idea. Assuming you haven't gone one, though...

My kids take flavoured tuna and wraps to festivals.

I've got a cool bag but it won't stay cold for long enough - it can make it to lunchtime but not much beyond that. Maybe I need a better one!

I love the couscous idea, I think the train will have a buffet.

Can you put stuff in mil fridge whilst you are there and then take it out just before you leave?