packing a budget lunch for day trip

[lisaross]

Love NYC hotdogs!!!!

I agree. If all are buying a hotdog in NY is a treasure. And the throwaway plastic.

 

[GinnyEmma]

Love NYC hotdogs!!!!

My first one was during a choir trip. It is a shame to miss. I dint think guys are smarter just less willing to make the effort.

 

[krcit]

I would try to talk the leader into just getting pizza. Can't go to NY and not have a slice!

 

[mindyd]

I am willing to bed that one of the kids in the troop are going to accidentally leave their lunch some where we have to pack for field trips and they put them all in a big box but no one is going to want to carry that all day because the kids were leaving lunches everywhere.

I would freeze some water, capri suns bring little packets of lemonade or koolaid to add to the water. I think peanut butter and jelly is your best bet and do some veggies, bag of chips, and a treat.

 

[crazelion]

I wonder where she sit eat those lunches at. There is no where to sit NYC eat at. I vote to buy lunch. To get NYC experience buy hot dog from street vendor. It a experience in it self.

I still shocked that don't have sweet tea and lemonade refills for free up north. Or that come free with the meal. Sorry my southern roots is showing.

 

[mjbaby]

The women made it SOOO hard on themselves and made all these rules and felt guilty if we didn't teach the girls a lesson about nutrition and saving money and on, and on, and on. In boyscount the men would say "hey lets do this with the boys", and they would just reach in their wallets and pay for it.

As a Daisy leader, I once had - and I am NOT making this up! - 20 pages of instructions about taking 5 girls to four hours of an afternoon "camp". My husband, as a boyscout leader, has half a page of instructions for an entire weekend of hiking, sleeping under the stars and eating whatever they could carry.

So I get where the OP might not want to rock the boat and go against the grain of whatever insane make-work might be at play with this lunch. Pick your battles, you know? I'm not a leader anymore because I couldn't take the bureaucracy and endless paperwork about the most minute thing but even I'm not sure that this lunch is the hill I'd want to die on, you know?

 

[lizabu]

If it was me I would bring some hummus in a plastic container and a pita bread for each person. Tastes good, healthy and filling too. I like the idea of freezing juice boxes too. I would maybe bring some grapes or raisins so we could have a sweet treat too. The fruit would be so refreshing if it's a hot day though.

 

[Floridagal23]

PB&J, pretzels, carrot sticks, orange segments (pre washed and pulled apart into segments, put in ziploc surrounded by a damp paper towel). To keep things cold, like others have said, freeze a single juice box or freeze grapes in a bag.

 

[Poohforyou]

I'd have a big breakfast and pack a bunch of snacky type foods like trail mix, pretzels, peanut butter cheese crackers and apples or other sturdy fruit. Walking around in the heat usually kills the appetite anyway. Later in the afternoon I'd buy water ice or something like that as a treat.

 

[manhattan]

I wonder where she sit eat those lunches at. There is no where to sit NYC eat at. I vote to buy lunch. To get NYC experience buy hot dog from street vendor. It a experience in it self.

I still shocked that don't have sweet tea and lemonade refills for free up north. Or that come free with the meal. Sorry my southern roots is showing.

OK - it has been almost 6 years since I moved out of NY, but everywhere you look in NY you can definitely find a spot to sit. We used to sit on the steps of St Patricks, or in the edge of the fountains in front of most office buildings on 6th Ave or Park Avenue. There are a few tiny parks in the side streets that offer shade and seats. Have they all been removed?

As for the lunches, just freeze the drinks and use those to keep your lunch cool. Maybe use an insulated bag as well? I always had a bag with me that held my books, shoes, magazines - yours could hold your lunch.

 

[MrsPete]

From a long-time scout leader:

The leader can never please everyone. One family complains, "we can barely afford this trip as it is -- we can't add in meals too. Let us bring BP&Js.". Another family declares that hot dog stands are absolutely not sanitary -- it has to be a sit-down meal, and the girls need a rest mid-day anyway. Another family says that the whole trip is a bad idea, and they should've planned a trip to a water park. Another family readily agrees to hotdogs, but then once they're actually on the trip, they want to change to a sit-down venue.

The leaders have made the decision for a reason. Maybe it's that they've planned a stop at a park for lunch. Maybe it was economic. Having been through it LOTS of times myself, I can tell you that having a group of kids buy food is a LONG and DIFFICULT process for the leader. Yes, it's easy to think, just get them all the same thing . . . But then you get into, " this isn't the kind of hot dog my mom makes, why is this apple green?, i wanted a peanut butter cookie instead of chocolate chip. An amazing percentage of them are not adept at saying what they want, finding their money, putting their money away. Regardless, the decision is the leader's choice to make. If you don't want to co-lead, follow directions and pack the lunch.

Things to pack: Lunchables, a cored apple full of peanut butter and raisins, trail mix, cheese cubes, GoGurts, juice boxes . . . Things kids pack for any other lunch.