This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at Maryland chapter.
You’ve finally finished exams, packed your bathing suits and tanning oil and are ready to live on the beach and drink from sunrise to sunset with complete disregard for meals and a food budget. But your mom’s not there to rock an oversized fanny pack full of emergency Nutrigrain bars and to make sure the hotel room stays stocked with between-meal munchies. Avoid an epic Spring Breakers sized hunger meltdown with these few simple tips for packing snacks.
For The Plane:
- The number one rule: avoid anything loud, smelly, sticky or spillable for both your sake and your seat mates.
- Whole or dried fruit and mixed nuts are easy to carry and eat and can make it through TSA without a second glance.
- When taking advantage of the free drink service, avoid soda and overly sugary fruit juices. Instead ask for seltzer to get some fizzy hydration or vegetable juice to get a nutrient fix.
For The Hotel Room:
- Packaged oatmeal lies flat in your bag, can be cooked with the room’s coffee maker for a quick breakfast before you hit Señor Frogs and is a great way to save money.
- Beef jerky doesn’t need to be refrigerated, is a great source of lean protein and will give you the afternoon energy boost you need after a full day spent with sand in your shorts and a blazing sunburn.
- KIND bars are some of the most healthy and balanced snack bars on the market and come in a variety of creative flavors. They can be thrown in your beach bag for later or eaten in the room and wont crumble into oblivion (ahem Nature Valley).
Tricks Of A Food Scavenger:
- If you bring snacks with you, empty them out of the package and into a gallon zip lock to save space in your suitcase. Then tuck those bags into your pocket or tote in case you have leftovers or a chance to snag a piece of fruit from the hotel’s budget attempt at a ‘complimentary breakfast’.
- Make sure any snacks you bring to the beach are prepackaged. There are few sensations more painful than accidentally chewing on sand.
- Always carry wet wipes; while delicious, the Jamaican jerk chicken you thought was a great call after three Piña Coladas is messier than you think.
- Once you get to your destination, avoid the mini-bar and hotel gift shop and instead scope out local bodegas, supermarkets or gas stations. It’s a great way to get to know the area and more importantly to establish your go-to spot for cheap grub.
Bonus Tip:
Alcohol minis are allowed on a plane and will make your TSA agent’s day (nothing more amusing than an x-ray scan of a bag full of Fireball minis). So whether you want to calm your nerves or start the party at 10,000 feet, avoid getting over charged by bringing your own poison.