[jumpsnake]

Hey wise gurus,

I'm packing for a show this weekend (first training- Yipes!) and I realize that my show food planning is pretty bad. I always plan to bring stuff, but then what I bring pretty much is not what I want at the show. I then end up buying something awful and then feel like crap after eating it. So, any suggestions on good picnic food to eat on grounds?

[Wordplay1832]

I like to take fruit like apples or grapes. I also take crackers, deli meat and some cheese.

Peanut butter and mini bagels
Chips and Salsa
Hummus sometimes
Skittles are my horse show candy
Lots of water and some gatorade

If applicable:
Beer
At the last horse show I was at I brought some white whine and kept that in the cooler-that was so nice when it was super hot out.

[quietann]

It really depends on what your usual diet is. What do you eat at the barn when you're too busy for meals? Start there.

I do always bring a small cooler with drinks (G2 usually) and any food that needs to be kept cold.

I have no problems eating *one* typical horse show food stand hamburger, often without the bun or without one half of the bun. No cheese as cheese is pretty rich, and I nominally keep Kosher, so I don't mix meat and milk (or eat seafood like shrimp, lobster etc... Most fish are fine.) Not seriously Kosher, though, because I will eat non-Kosher meat and other foods.

[riderboy]

Lunchables. Love 'em.

[eventer@heart]

peanut butter pretzels
Protein bars
apples
string cheese
triscuits/mini carrots/hummus
berries/grapes

[aab]

Not necessarily a food item, but definitely a staple... I bring the Starbucks VIA instant coffee packs and my cheap little Proctor Silex electric teapot. There is nothing worse than either a bad cup of coffee or having to forgo the coffee altogether, especially on very early mornings!

[Heliodoro]

Stuff I've found that is easy to munch on, as I just completed a 3wk tour of the US, essentially:

Cliff Bars, love 'em!
Apples and carrots, both you and your horse can enjoy
Cheese sticks, they make low fat and different cheese kinds
Crackers
Yogurt
Jerky, keeps your sodium up for hot days and packs protein
Trail mix, I made my own consisting of Cheerios, little pretzels, pretzel M&Ms, craisins, mixed nuts and corn nuts
Anything I just mentioned in the trail mix by itself
Simple sandwiches, PB&J or some lunchmeat, can stay in a small lunch bag or cooler, cut in halves or quarters, that way you don't have to feel overfull

I always have my Camelback full of H2O (3L) for shows, plus an 8pk(Goober gets 1 or 2) of G2 to stay hydrated.

[SuperAlter]

Crackers ( usually triscuits) and chicken salad
Goldfish
water
Grape propel powder drink mix
Pringles
Some type of fruit- Usually grapes or Strawberries

kinda plain and it doesnt change much,then again, I dont show very much either

Were also in and out kind of people so could get by without taking anything to eat.

[Eleanor]

Fruit and vegs with dip. this way I can have a few or a big hand full.
water and my the pop that I like.
crackers
chesse
sliced meats
pickels
granola bars

Some time I will do
cold chicken (not always fried but enjoy that way best)
hard boilded eggs
potato or mac salad

[guest12345]

Lots of fruit
Wheat Thins
A few snack containers of Peanut Butter.
Sometimes, Chicken.
Water and Gatorade.

[Belmont]

Power Bars on show days and hunt days!
I love them, and Cliff Bars work also.

We also bring sandwich stuff sometimes.
Lunchables are a great touch too!

[tanlines1]

We always tent camp on site, so I bring my Coleman stove and we make paninis, quesadillas, flat bread pizza, fajitas, breakfast tacos etc. In cold weather, I'll bring homade chili from home and we'll have frito pie!
But when it's really hot and we don't want to cook, I make sure to have:
grapes, fresh pinapple chunks, apples, cheese and crackers, deli meat and Hawaiian rolls to make little sandiwches, carrot sticks and humus, jerky, M&Ms,etc. I always bring a simple chicken salad with grilled chicken chunks, grapes, sugar snap peas, red onion and either poppy seed dressing or ranch. I also chop up a few veggies at home and bring raw spinach and extra strips of grilled chicken so we can make a nice salad.
We try not to buy any "show food" unless they have snow cones or smoothies!

[yellowbritches]

A) I'm not terribly organized, so you can't necessarily count on me having food in my house, let alone be able to pack a sufficient amount of food for a show. (Yes. My horse eats FAR better than I do).

B) I keep it simple, and try to always plan on a little cash to buy lunch when I'm done. Part of the fun is horse show food.

I pack what I know I can get down when I'm nervous. I usually bring along some almonds, craisins, some granola bars just in case I'm desperate (they aren't my favorite when I'm nervous...kinda hard to get down!). If I'm on a fruit kick, I'll bring along whatever is my fruit of choice. I may make a couple of PB and Js. I LOVE flavored (but not sweetened) sparkling water and drink buckets of it, so I usually have several cans of it with me for the drive to and from, and for the show itself. Usually a bottle of Gatorade as it usually sits well on my nervous stomach and has a little bit of sugar to keep my energy up when I've been too nervous to eat well.

My biggest thing is early morning breakfast. I am NOT a breakfast eater under the best of circumstances, so adding in early rising and nerves, and I am just at the thought. But, I know I need to put something in me to get me through all three phases. I do have a WICKED sweet tooth in the morning, so something sweet always helps. This weekend I had the brilliant idea of getting Pop Tarts (oh so healthy, I know). It was PERFECT. I had one on the drive to the venue, and because it was stupidly sweet, I was happy to eat it. It was just the right amount that I was able to finish it, but didn't feel gross after (eating a PB and J sometimes is just too much early in the morning with nerves). And it kept me going through all three phases (with the addition of a Gatorade and some water), and taking care of Toby. Not something I would eat all the time, but a good solution for me on a show morning because I actually ATE it.

But seriously, I'm usually pretty happy to have some greasy horse show food when I'm done. Nothing like a yummy egg and cheese sandwich and a Coke (I almost never drink soda except at shows) after an adrenalin packed outing.

This is for typical one days around here. All bets are off for things I stable for.

[Mtn trails]

I have a self-contained LQ with a fridge so I usually bring or have on hand already, cans of tuna, maybe some deli meat and cheese, water or ice tea, PB&J, granola bars, salad makings, etc. For breakfast it's usually yogurt or cheerios with a banana or berries and coffee. Dinner is something really easy. Last year I got a frozen bag of portobello ravioli, it was yummy. One pot meals are good. Also wine, beer, spirits and mixer, cheese, and crackers for cocktail hour

[SmartAlex]

We used to pack a cooler with a big pasta salad, and a box of wine. Didn't need anything else

[piaffequeen]

Since I am constantly volunteering at the Carolina Horse Park-its been my tradition to go get one of the bacon/egg/cheese croissant sandwiches from the church group that is there. Yeah I know -real healthy-but its so big that it satisfies my hunger up for most of the day. I drink alot of Gatorade and eat granola bars.

When I go to VAHT-we usually pack out fruit, cheese, cold cuts, crackers and drink alot of water and gatorade.

[MightyBobbyMagee]

Jeeze, am I the only one that packs primarily junk food? Or am I the only one that's going to admit it?

I pack sandwiches and fruit (usually apples so I can share with the hoss), chips of some sort--I'm not a big chip eater but the SO is and I try to shop to keep him happy too--and lots of candy. After I eat my staples, there's nothing more I want than some bad for you sugar to keep me going. I raid the dollar store for candy I don't buy otherwise and enjoy myself all. day. long.

[yellowbritches]

Jeeze, am I the only one that packs primarily junk food? Or am I the only one that's going to admit it?

I pack sandwiches and fruit (usually apples so I can share with the hoss), chips of some sort--I'm not a big chip eater but the SO is and I try to shop to keep him happy too--and lots of candy. After I eat my staples, there's nothing more I want than some bad for you sugar to keep me going. I raid the dollar store for candy I don't buy otherwise and enjoy myself all. day. long.

How are Pop Tarts NOT junk food?!?

I don't eat a ton of junk food, anyway. I'm not big on chips (though, there are spans of time when I live on very garlicy hummus and pretzels). My biggest weaknesses (other than hummus and pretzels) are cookies and beer. I usually bring cookies if I have them.

I don't pack the junk food because I want the greasy junk food from the concessions stand!

[JWB]

After discovering the Starbuck's protein box, and realizing I was paying $7 for about $3 worth of food, I've started making my own and taking them along... I'll usually eat 2 per day at a show, but it keeps me out of the hot dogs and crepes.

A hard boiled egg, apple slices, grapes, a sampler of a few cheeses, and I haven't found a suitable replacement for their musili/raisin bread, but I usually pack peanut butter and crackers or some pepperidge farm raisin bread.

Also a ton of water, Gatorade, and I've recently re-discovered that a good metal thermos will keep my drinks icy cold for hours, no heavy cooler required.

I also throw granola bars into my bag for on-the-go snacking.

[OnePerfectRide]

A can of Slimfast is a good meal replacement when you're too nervous or too busy to actually eat.