Food you can take

[stevenorth]

I am interested in what food anyone has been able to take with them

We are travelling in Oct and have a villa booked and will be arriving from Manchester late afternoon.

With two young children we thought about taking a few essential items to get us over the first day.

Tea, coffee, cerial, crisps etc.

Or is it not even worth the hassle with immigration.

Cheers
Stephen

 

[castanea1985]

My mum always takes tea bags. The US tea just isnt' strong enough for her!!
They are pretty strict on meats/cheese/plants etc..
If you are taking snacks for the children, crisps/biscuits etc.. are fine.
Don't take too much, as you can stop at the nearest Walmart/Publix for essentials when you arrive.
Have a great trip.
Tracy

 

[Midnight Belle]

I would recommend taking tea bags with you (the tea over in the US does not taste the same to me), coffee you can take, I would not bother about cereal or crisps. Although crisps are okay to take in. If you are staying in a villa, the people we hire from always provide a welcome pack. (needless to say we have booked for next year as well).

I would recommend once you get to the villa pop out and get the essentials you need (check with the villa owner re welcome pack!), milk etc.

Chocolate is ok to take provided it is not opened (this is what I have been instructed, or is it DH ensuring that I do not eat chocolate on the flight!!)

I am sure you will get other responses that will help you in addition to the above.
Hope this helps.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Hi Steve,

We always stay in a villa and generally have always taken a few things along with us.
Mainly Crisps for Joshua - although we will not this year as he loves the Lay's BBQ you can buy out there - sometimes tea bags, you can buy PG Tips/Tetley from Publix but tends to be very expensive.

The most important thing we take (don't laugh) is Bisto gravy, again for Josh...if you think they don't do tea very well over there you want to try the supermarket gravy (yuk)

Publix have an ethnic aisle where you can buy Heinz Beans, Robinson's fruit juice etc but as I say prices are fairly steep.

We also take washing powder tablets, black refuse bags and bin liners too.

Have never had any problems with the food stuffs we have taken, providing you declare them.

 

[Ali and boyz]

I have the tea bags packed thought their tea was rotten.

I have also bought a small jar of coffee and because my sons skin it really sensitive now (haven't taken in the past) but bought some washing tablets this time to take because of that.

I personally wouldn't take any food, including biscuits etc as you can get everything there . My son loves their cereal

As Midnight belle says you can pop out to Publix or the likes, which in my opinoin is half the fun. I love their shops

 

[tartangirl]

We take dried pasta and stir-fry sauces with us as the pasta doesn't taste the same and DD is very fond of her pasta.

I've never been able to find stir-fry sauces but I guess they must be somewhere.

We've never had any problems with customs - I thought it was only agricultural products they were against people bringing in .

Could check out:
http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/xp/cgov/travel/

 

[Lisa Francis]

Last year we took 14 dishwasher tablets as we didn't want to have to pay for 30...your villa may supply them though.
Have a great time.

 

[Boo Boo Too]

As Midnight belle says you can pop out to Publix or the likes, which in my opinoin is half the fun. I love their shops

Agreed, in the US they have a FAR wider choice of cereals, crisps, biscuits (cookies), etc.etc.

Half of the fun of going on holiday to a different country is trying different things. It can take a while to work out what are your favourites, but it can be fun trying!

Boo

 

[snookhams]

We always take t-bags, heinz salad Cream is a must, and my squeezy branston pickle, dishwasher tablets (they have some that are discontinued in Savacentre at the mo 'Finish' 15 abs @ £1.79) so bought a box, cereal bars for youngest DS ~ very fussey about the ones he will eat. Last year I also took some angel delight mixes (again for youngest son) and some coleman mixes, pasta and casseroles. I also take some black bags and bin liners bought really cheaply here and it does save my holiday pennies for better things
This year I am also thinking of taking a largish bag of porridge oats again for DS (who definatly has food issues) and this is his staple at the moment morning, noon and night if I would let him, I can't see it being a problem but if anyone knows any better could they tell me. Thanks

 

[castanea1985]

My DS (14) can't wait to get his two week fix of 'Fruit Loops' cereal!!!
I'll be happy with my Quaker peanut butter granola bars! (great to take round the parks if you don't want a massive meal at lunch time).
Tracy

 

[Boo Boo Too]

My DS (14) can't wait to get his two week fix of 'Fruit Loops' cereal!!!

Sounds like my DH (34 this trip!!!). We normally have to bring some back with us...

Don't know why they don't sell fruit loops over here... probably too unhealthy for a breakfast cereal by UK standards... . They would certainly sell well if they did stock them in UK shops.

Boo

 

[kkymmy]

ARGH fruit loops rock but with the new shift towards healthy eating from the government I think they might have issues with the E NUmbers!

I have to say take a few snacks for the journey/as soon as you get there...but I love shopping in Publix. They have the best bakeries and sell everything you could imagine from doughnuts to dairy, from fruit juice to fish fingers....I fell in love with the litre bottles of juice out there that seem to come in every flavour...white grape is good! as is peach!

They also had gorgeous looking seafood and meats but we ate out most nights. On the first night however (in the midst of a hurricane) we had a rahter nice rotisserie chicken with salad and bagels....it was fantastic, gorgeous salad dressing and top class produce, all courtesy of Publix.

PS - They do great birthday cakes, I had a four layer yellow and chocolate cake with white sugar cream icing, and a pre iced message on the top, decorated and everything. My parents refused to tell me how much it cost but it was delicious and they do them without occasions on if you fancy a treat hehe

 

[Ali and boyz]

Sounds like my DH (34 this trip!!!). We normally have to bring some back with us...

Don't know why they don't sell fruit loops over here... probably too unhealthy for a breakfast cereal by UK standards... . They would certainly sell well if they did stock them in UK shops.

Boo

hehe we should start a cereal import business, its Lucky Charms for our son LOL even brings some home. for me its Aunt Jemima's pancakes we buy the mix and the syrup and make them for our breakfast.

 

[dazeddaisy]

Cybercandy and the Australia Store in convent garden (both have websites), stock Fruit Loops and various other delights from the US. They are a little pricey, but great to stock up on beloved food you miss.

As for food to take into the US. As long as its processed and not opened you will be ok. The rule generally is, if its fresh, leave it out, so no eggs, dairy, meat, fruit and veg, or plants. If its freeze dried or dehydrated fruit leave it out because they might be strict about it on the day you fly.

Oh and leave the packets closed and sealed if you can. I know you really really want that chocolate bar, but wait a few more hours, or finish it on the plane.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

This year I am also thinking of taking a largish bag of porridge oats again for DS (who definatly has food issues) and this is his staple at the moment morning, noon and night if I would let him, I can't see it being a problem but if anyone knows any better could they tell me. Thanks

We have taken Weetabix in the past so Porridge shouldn't be a problem.

 

[stevenorth]

Thanks everyone this is great.

We will definatley now be taking a few bits, just to make it easier for the first day. We intend Sunday to be a lazy day, so I would expect we will go shopping then, before we hit Magic Kingdon for DD birthday treat at CRT on Monday.

My youngest daughter will be impressed that chocolate is OK. A habit she inherited from her mum!!

We booked the villa through TCD, and I don't remember the option of a welcome pack, although I think that would be a good idea for bread, milk etc.

Roll on October. Cant wait to pay the balance in August, as then its only 10 weeks off.

Well excited
Stephen

 

[CHRIS_PRESTON]

On our last trip (May 05) we took some cereal and other prepacked allowable foods for my son who is on a gluten & dairy free diet. We didn't declare them on the customs from as we knew they were Ok to bring. Unfortunately we got stopped by customs (part of a 1 in 10 random sample) and were told that we should have declared them even though they are allowable, the customs lady was sympathetic but she did say if another officer had stopped us we could have spent a long time at the airport whilst they checked the rest of our luggage. Next time I'll make sure I make a list before I go - don't want to take any chances.

 

[matty624]

Agreed, in the US they have a FAR wider choice of cereals, crisps, biscuits (cookies), etc.etc.

Half of the fun of going on holiday to a different country is trying different things. It can take a while to work out what are your favourites, but it can be fun trying!

Boo

Eh!? I'm not sure I completely agree with this actually. We've found the choice of crisps to be cronically poor, and unless you want gigantic bags, the choice is nonexistant!!!! But it's true there are plenty of tubes of them, which isn't that useful for the kids when out and about in theme parks.
We always take a couple of multi bags with us, very light, takes up lots of room on the way out, and they've gone by the return trip, so frees up space for coming back. Dw always takes cereals too (the little single portion boxes), but I'm sure that's a waste of time, but saves the kids complaining they don' like the US equvalents.
Ian

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Eh!? I'm not sure I completely agree with this actually. We've found the choice of crisps to be cronically poor, and unless you want gigantic bags, the choice is nonexistant!!!! But it's true there are plenty of tubes of them, which isn't that useful for the kids when out and about in theme parks.
We always take a couple of multi bags with us, very light, takes up lots of room on the way out, and they've gone by the return trip, so frees up space for coming back. Dw always takes cereals too (the little single portion boxes), but I'm sure that's a waste of time, but saves the kids complaining they don' like the US equvalents.
Ian

The 'Lays' brand of crisps we actually really like, often at Publix you get a 'buy 1 get 1 free' offer on.
Naturally the bigger bags are never full but they are nice.

I do agree about the variety of flavours, limited to just a few.

Josh loves Walker's Prawn Cocktail flavour but thankfully really likes Lays BBQ so we don't have to take our own anymore.

 

[kkymmy]

I don't like American chocolate though....ick...i can see it's called candy for a reason, it just doesn't taste right...you can buy cadburys but it comes at a price. If you want to take chocolate take it with you, declare it all, and dont open it on the plane!