22 January, 2016

What food do you take to a sporting (or other inter-school) event?

It depends on many factors, doesn't it. Like where this event is, how long you'll be there, what food is available, what your budget is, is there lunch break etc.

Here's what I'm packing for an all-day event tomorrow. Some of us won't eat much (or any) breakfast before we leave at 5.15/6.45. There may be some food for sale at the gym, but not a great variety. I'm not planning for dinner because we're on an American base and there is a food court we'll be patronising after the meet.

I'm looking for portable, not too messy, small portions. Protein is also high on the priority list.

Nuts. A coach told me some time ago that between bouts these guys need
protein to help their muscles recover.
Homemade banana apple muffins (low fat and sugar)
Fruit and yoghurt. Mandarins and bananas (mikan) are plentiful and cheap.
Snacks: chocolate filled mini biscuits, dried apricots.
Chocolate chip bread sticks (Japanese treat) and more protein: eggs (I will boil and peel them before we go).
From left: Pre-made ham and cheese wraps (these were a huge hit last weekend), wrapped cheese, rice balls (onigiri), and inarizushi (a form of rice ball inside a thin fried tofu skin, very tasty).
Leftovers from last night's dinner: homemade chili-filled empanadas (bread).
Chocolate chip melon-pan (sweet bread-like snack much loved by kids) and some cheesy bread sticks, both on special this morning..
Do you think it will be enough? I also have a couple of other snacks I could add to the pile, if we need to. It tends to be a grazing kind-of day. I usually get to the end of the day and realise I've not had a proper meal all day. People eat when they're hungry. Wrestlers eat when they can (usually straight after a bout). Coaches eat when they can also, but they have their own "hospitality room" with free food.

I'll also take a flask of coffee for me. But because it's inside and warm, I won't be taking things that people who are sitting in the cold take, like flasks of hot soup.

What do you take to a sporting or other inter school event? I'm sure it is influenced by where you live, it would be fun to hear from people in various countries. Australians, I know, would usually take sandwiches.

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