Packed lunch for the drive

[mommymanda]

Sorry I have searched, but there is a lot of mixed info and old threads so hoping to get fresh advice.

We head out the end of August for a week long Disney vacation driving from Southwestern Ontario
Currently in a situation where this trip probably should be cancelled and funds placed to better areas, but it is booked, paid in full and I am doing my best these last 40+ days to keep it that way.

So driving out, leaving around 5am I would really like to bring a picnic lunch. Saving that one stop will also save a chunk as we are a family of five. However no meats? I don't think everyone will want peanut butter. Do they search for food? Can I bring sandwiches or DIY 'lunchables'? What have recent experiences been?

Also any tips for a packed style dinner? Hubby is not a fan of brining our camp stove and stopping to make soups or such. He wants to get a good 15h in driving day one. Lol I am not a fan of grocery shopping on the way, after XXX number of hours in the van straight I always feel like hiding from public eyes. Not to mention the built up energy the kids collect.

 

[hardis5]

We always bring a cooler with drinks, water and only packaged snacks. Since you want the border crossing to be as seamless and without issue, IMO I'd not pack any type of picnic lunch. If you mention and they pull you over for a secondary inspection (or worse you don't mention and are pulled for secondary inspection) you will be wasting a long while at the border. We bring lots of packaged car snacks to get us started along with drinks (non-alcoholic to avoid border issue).

If wanting to do meals on the road to save and playing it safe, I'd do what you don't want to in stopping-off once across the border. Stop off of I-90 once in Ohio (or well south of Detroit if doing I-75 down) at a local supermarket to pick-up meal supplies - make it a bio and fuel break as gas is cheaper once crossing the border (especially before Erie if doing I-90 before turning south).

 

[momof2gr8kids]

They will ask you at the border if you have food, fruits, meats etc. Anything citrus, tomatoes you can't bring across. Check the website and see what is allowed as it changes.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/de...g-personal-use-food-into-the-u.s.-from-canada


We haven't had a problem bringing across lunch meat or cooked meat as well. We camp often in the states so I make sure I purchase fruit or veggies from Canada and keep the stickers on (usually things from foreign countries they would confiscate) and I stick to basic stuff like apples, carrots, broccoli, etc. I've only had cherry tomatoes taken away in all my travels. We like cheese and crackers and sausage, pickles etc. for DIY lunchables with some veggies and hummus or NAN Bread and Tzazki for quick easy eating while travelling. Because kids are picky and everyone likes something different, I usually pre cut cheese, pickles, lettuce and bring condiments and everyone can make their sandwich they way they like it when we get out somewhere and stretch our legs.

Wraps are easy to put together for a dinner on the road. Or pop into a grocery store deli and grab a chicken dinner to go and supplement with some fruit and veggies.

We do lots of road trips and I joke with my hubby I'm gonna get a plug in adaptor for the vehicle then I can whip up stuff on the george forman grill or make smoothies along the way! Ha. I envision turning around saying panini anyone? lol

 

[ottawamom]

I just did a quick search online. https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/de...g-personal-use-food-into-the-u.s.-from-canada

You can bring in packaged cheese and crackers but no meat so the DIY lunchables would work. What about breakfast for dinner? Cereal anyone? The kids might enjoy the switch around. Muffins and other baked goods should work. Protein energy bars and fruit leather. It's not all a 100% balanced diet but it's only for a couple of days. Maybe you can stop at a grocery store near your first night stopover and pick up some subs (or its fixings) for lunch the next day.

Good luck.

edit: Momof2gr8kids, I was hitting the back button when surfing the site this morning so I didn't read your post before I added my own comments. Great minds think alike.

 

[MommyRobin]

We've done the same drive twice from London at the end of August as well. I loved it! I just wanted to point out that while it's not exactly healthy, McDonald's prices fluctuate in the States and are usually really cheap past Michigan. Might be something to consider. The adults eat while the kids stretch their legs in the play place. Then the kids eat their dinner in the car. Kills a few birds with one stone.

 

[cslittle999]

This page has a slightly better break down.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/de...g-personal-use-food-into-the-u.s.-from-canada

We're driving down in August too. Seafood is allowed. We tend to bring tuna macaroni salad and some buns. We stop at a grocery store along the way to pickup enough fruit for the drive.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Jelly sandwiches? also items like beef jerky for protein and when you stop for drinks get milk.

 

[bankr63]

We cross fairly often, almost always with food and since we are towing a trailer, it is very obvious that there is a fridge back there. The only thing we avoid are most fruits and certain veggies; carrot and celery sticks are okay. They almost always ask about fruits or vegetables or seeds, answer truthfully and you will be fine (any fruit? a couple of apples. anything else? no. have a nice time...) Can't remember the last time we were asked about meat, and that would generally be for raw meats - processed meats are okay. For our Southern trips we have lots of ploughman's fixings for car nibbling -hard boiled/pickled eggs, sausage, cheeses, crackers, peanut butter and pretzels - all okay. We will stop just south of the border for some additional fruits and veggies (but then we are usually stopping to harvest our Amazon purchases from our US postal drop too).

 

[Evelyne]

We always bring food: cheese, crackers, carrots, dip, yogourt, Nutella, ceareals, juice, chips, indivudual fruit salad, no meat. We never had any issues. When we come back, wego at Walmart before leaving and pack the same kind of food, we don't eat much during the ride

 

[Nagle]

We always tell them exactly what we are bringing over the border. We have had one customs agent tell me to throw the fruit we had in the garbage can in his line of sight and one agent smile and tell us to make sure we ate the few Marcos and apples before we reached the Mason-Dixon Line.
We now suck it up and make a quick stop at Price Chopper in Watertown NY for sandwich stuff and snacks. For a 22 hour drive, the fifteen minute stop is minor.

 

[JennyT1]

We cross frequently both with our trailer, for sports tournaments etc and always have full coolers. Never a problem with sandwiches with deli meat etc. When I went to my nexus interview, US guy said they have problems with citrus, tomatoes and goat meat. No worries there lol! If your kids like leftover pizza, it's a great option! And stopping at a grocery store to get a rotisserie chicken and a premade salad is a great idea too. Just bring disposable plates etc from home, have a picnic and get back on the road!

 

[Sugar Jones]

We've drove to Florida once & Tennessee once from near London. We only brought pre packaged stuff across the border and once we were over the Bluewater bridge we stopped at Kroger and got some groceries to make our own meals on the way down.

 

[Sugar Jones]

We went across with our Trailer once to a Nascar race and they checked our fridge for deli meat and fruits. I think it just depends on who you get at the booth!

 

[dancin Disney style]

When we make the drive to FL we ALWAYS pack all our meals in the cooler. Only once we were asked about food. As previously mentioned I wash fruit but leave the stickers on. I pack sandwiches that are usually turkey. If that concerns you, you can make egg or tuna salad. I like the cold pizza idea. I also pack veggies and hummus. Usually just carrots and celery. Probably only one sugary treat and nothing sticky or hard to clean up if spilled. We like to have a few snacks that you can repeatedly pop into your mouth, like popcorn or nuts, it helps when you are feeling a little tired while driving.

OP, you mentioned getting in 15hrs of driving. Here's what we do. The night we are leaving DH goes to bed about 8:30-9pm while I pack the car and do all the last minute things. He gets at least 5 hrs sleep(I stay up until after we leave) and we leave home sometime between 2-3am and we drive until 9pm that night. It usually gets us to the Savannah, GA area. This works really well for us as DH if fully functional on 5hrs sleep and wherever we stop for the night we are generally left with only approx. 4hrs to drive the next day. This also allows us the ability to sleep in a little if we want to but we are generally back on the road before 9am. Be sure to stop at a hotel that includes breakfast it's a time saver as well as helps the budget.

 

[mommymanda]

When we make the drive to FL we ALWAYS pack all our meals in the cooler. Only once we were asked about food. As previously mentioned I wash fruit but leave the stickers on. I pack sandwiches that are usually turkey. If that concerns you, you can make egg or tuna salad. I like the cold pizza idea. I also pack veggies and hummus. Usually just carrots and celery. Probably only one sugary treat and nothing sticky or hard to clean up if spilled. We like to have a few snacks that you can repeatedly pop into your mouth, like popcorn or nuts, it helps when you are feeling a little tired while driving.

OP, you mentioned getting in 15hrs of driving. Here's what we do. The night we are leaving DH goes to bed about 8:30-9pm while I pack the car and do all the last minute things. He gets at least 5 hrs sleep(I stay up until after we leave) and we leave home sometime between 2-3am and we drive until 9pm that night. It usually gets us to the Savannah, GA area. This works really well for us as DH if fully functional on 5hrs sleep and wherever we stop for the night we are generally left with only approx. 4hrs to drive the next day. This also allows us the ability to sleep in a little if we want to but we are generally back on the road before 9am. Be sure to stop at a hotel that includes breakfast it's a time saver as well as helps the budget.

Thanks, that is pretty much our driving plan too, only our plan is to leave at about 5am and stopping at 10-11pm with me doing the first round until the border (if hubby will let me) and than he will take over. He drives 10h every night for a living, so prefers doing the drive part...but has to adjust to doing so in the daytime. Definitely planning a free breakfast hotel, but hubby pointed out yesterday we are a family of 5 and kids are too big to share one bed this time. Not sure how we will work that in when we do a late stop without spending extra. Hopefully we can come across a decent chain that will just let us add a cot for a small fee.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Thanks, that is pretty much our driving plan too, only our plan is to leave at about 5am and stopping at 10-11pm with me doing the first round until the border (if hubby will let me) and than he will take over. He drives 10h every night for a living, so prefers doing the drive part...but has to adjust to doing so in the daytime. Definitely planning a free breakfast hotel, but hubby pointed out yesterday we are a family of 5 and kids are too big to share one bed this time. Not sure how we will work that in when we do a late stop without spending extra. Hopefully we can come across a decent chain that will just let us add a cot for a small fee.

I would be inclined to just pack a sleeping bag and put one of the kids on the floor for the night. It might be hard to find a hotel that allows 5 in a room.

If your DH drives at night for a living had you considered driving on his normal schedule and then you drive during the day while he sleeps?

 

[Sugar Jones]

We drove from SW ontario a few years ago. We left at 4am and drove until about 8pm which got us just past Atlanta. We stayed at the Best Western just off I75 in McDonnough, GA. The rooms had two queen beds and a pull out if that helps at all! The price was reasonable as well.

 

[youngb1978]

We too are a family of 5 and will either have the kids scrunge up together or bring a sleeping bag and one can sleep on the floor..we are only there to have a quick sleep and don't want to pay for a suite ti fit us all