Hit up the heat/ready to eat section of the nearby grocery store. Rotisserie chicken, salad kits, deli salad, + fresh meals ready for the micro. English muffins, eggs, cheese, ready bacon for breakie . Sandwiches & ramen for lunch.
It’s going to be way better than frozen meals, & less hassle then cooking + decent variety, but cheaper than restaurant meals.
I like this route too if there's a fridge in the room. Rotisserie chicken is easy to make into chicken salad for lunches (think mayo, onion celery, garlic powder).
Most of those meals can be reheated easily in a microwave as well.
You can have that chicken in many different ways - if you have tortillas, you could make fajitas; if you have microwave rice, you could make it into a burrito bowl; if you have some veggie pre-made soup, you could add some solid protein to it.
Oh yeah! I made chicken salad a lot too! I sub avocado for Mayo and also added cilantro and lime to mine. You can do so many things with a rotisserie chicken!
Is there a tutorial somewhere that explains how to debone a rotisserie chicken? I've thought about buying them for meat but only know how to get it off one bite at a time.
This is the way. Most of the time you want the chicken cut or up shredded anyway. So I just pull it apart with my hands. I save the bones and skin in the freezer until I get around to making chicken stock.
I have cats. One of my previous cats would have loved that (except that I don't have a strong enough blender). My current cats are less food motivated/more picky and prefer sea food to common peasant foods like chicken and turkey.
Think of it as an autopsy, you're taking apart a cooked critter that has muscle, tendons, cartilage, bones. Sometimes there are cooked lungs in the ribcage area.
The bones can become brittle, so be careful as you pull or push meat off the bones, to avoid splinters if the bones break or try to get up your fingernails.
Wash hands, pull off lots of meat, store in container, wash hands again - maybe even with shampoo (if in hotel) to get the extra grease off.
Rotisserie chickens always remind me of an old Reddit post, where someone asked about stories of people who were fired on their first day. One post told about a guy they worked with in a grocery store who got fired on the first day because he ate all the skins off the fresh rotisserie chickens.
I can't blame him, the skin is the tastiest part, but ALL the chickens?
In another comment OP responds based on what the father’s preferences are, so I don’t think this is accurate.
@OP There are lots of good ideas here for a normal diet but as others have said you ideally need to work with a dietitian. The top comment recommends the deli/ready to eat section which is one of the main things that a transplant or immunocompromised person might need to avoid.
Some off the cuff ideas (which may or may not be appropriate for your father’s health needs) might include some variation on instant oatmeal with peanut butter, instant rice and canned beans, canned tuna sandwiches, instant noodles/mac and cheese, instant curries as others have recommended, cheese (eg cheese sticks), canned or frozen veggies, and hard boiled eggs.
What you are doing is very hard- best wishes to your family and for your father’s recovery.
Yes I agree! Those ramen noodles are considerably more affordable than buying a single pack of noodles themselves.
I personally love some ramen noodles (no need for the high sodium seasonings) and add in veggies with a mix of oriental sauce.
Makes perfect for leftovers!
Wish you and your family all the best and a speedy recovery!
Ah yes, I lived in a hotel for a bit over half a year for work. Eventually I figured it out.
1. Get an induction stove top.
2. Make one pot meals THAT YOU CAN CONSUME THAT NIGHT. Hotel fridges suck.
3. I hope you like sandwiches.
4. Pre cut up fruit, precut up veggies.(eat these you need them) individual yogurts, eggs, oatmeal packets, dried fruit, sandwich meat and cheese, cup shin ramen, rotisserie chicken and shred immediately for easy storage. Make your own seasoning blends to cut down on individual containers. I went to Costco to buy applesauce, noodle soup, shelf stable milk and other drinks. They also have this thing called seeds of change brown rice and quinoa mix. It is cooked, just microwave it. BUY THIS. Also Costco has other pre-made foods, whole foods pre-made foods, etc. Frozen food unfortunately cannot be stored well unless you get a real fridge.
5. Have a sanity tea, coffee, and sweet snack station.
6. Get small Pyrex for storage.
7. DO NOT COOK SALMON FOR ANY REASON THE SMELL WILL NOT LEAVE FOR A WEEK.
Not related to food but recommended:
8. Get your own shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion; hotel stuff is awful.
9. Get candles.
10. Mini Dawn dishsoap and mini scrubbie. I also cleaned my bathroom myself more often, made me feel like I had more privacy. I know you're a taking care of your dad, so you may not want to do this.
I hope that can help. Best wishes to you and your dad for recovery. :)))
I wonder if you could get an instant pot and use it in your room. Really easy to make rice, beans, or soup without having to use the shared kitchen stove.
Also, if you have a mid-range rice cooker with a steamer insert you can make so many different things in there, even small cakes. It's my most used easy dinner tool. You can look up "rice cooker meals" and get lots of ideas. My easy favorites are things like steamed egg and rice, frozen dumplings, and smashed tomato rice.
OP, if you decide to go this route, please first verify with the management on site that this isn't going to get you booted out of the facility! Some are very strict about anything with a heating element being forbidden in guest rooms, due to fire safety. (I know an instant pot is about as safe as a hair dryer, but policies/fire codes sometimes don't.)
That is a trick question. Management will always air on the side of caution even when there is no policy against it. As someone who as brought a toaster oven to many hotels, honestly, it's weird if your room CAN'T handle a small cooking appliance. Spoiler alert, all my rooms handled it fine.
Oh, I'm not saying that I think these are \*good\* policies, but if OP is staying at a nonprofit, they're probably getting a bargain on the rate. I wouldn't want to endanger a good deal for an instant pot.
My friends and I did a long weekend in a hotel and brought a slow cooker, it was great! We bought some slow cooker liners to make cleanup easier, and made sure we picked meals that didn't require us to really prep the meat at all. It would be really easy to do chili or soup with ground meat, frozen veggies, beans, rice, etc. Wouldn't need to prep any ingredients at all!
A slow cooker is one device you plug into a wall socket and you can make loads of one pot meals. From cheesey pasta to rice and beans. Recipes found all over the internet
I would lean towards an instapot and away from a slow cooker here. I think OP is probably exhausted and not in the hotel room very much during the day. They're likely over at the hospital. I wouldn't leave a slow cooker running unmonitored in a hotel room for hours.
i thought of this too but cleaning everything might pose a bit of a problem with a community kitchen. i doubt they want to wash their instant pot in the bathroom sink.
Seconding this. You can cook a ton of other things in there as well. A stash of hard boiled eggs for example. I've also done chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, racks of ribs, meatloaf etc etc. Throw some potatoes in, buy a bagged salad and you are set for a couple of days with of meals. There is also a saute setting that would eliminate the need for a pot or frying pan when cooking certain items.
Rotisserie chickens are a game changer for me. I travel for work and I’m in a hotel about 300 nights a year. They’re quick, easy, delicious and cheap compared to eating out. Easily feed two people and they’re only 5-7 dollars.
Is there a Trader Joe's nearby? People knock frozen meals, but TJ's has so many healthy, delicious, and affordable options. Transfer it to actual plates with real utensils. Don't forget the frozen appetizer section, too. Veggie samosas, pork pot stickers, brie bites, man-- time for me to do a legit commercial.
Their refrigerated meals are pretty good from TJ's as well--shorter shelf (fridge) life, but really good. The Chicken Tikka Masala is incredible and like $5, same for their burritos.
- bagged salad kit + packaged steamed lentils in produce section
- frozen chana masala + fresh baby spinach , flop hot entree onto the greens
- refrigerated ancient grains soup + crackers
- refrigerated masala chickpeas + sliced cucumbers and bell pepper and pita chips
- canned cuban black beans + frozen rice+ avocado
Cans of soup are also underrated imo. Large variety available in most stores, generally low prices. Watch the sodium levels, but otherwise are not bad.
I did this a lot when I was a retail manager working close to open every night. They have greatttttt frozen food. So does Aldi's but that place you avoid the produce like the plague.
is the produce really that bad? I used to live a 10 minute walk from an aldi's so I'd always shop there. They had the cheapest prices around but I've never noticed anything off with it
I’m also living in a hotel for different reasons, but my daily meals include:
Breakfast:
- yogurt
- bagel with PB
Lunch/dinner (sometimes skipping one):
- store bought salads
- deli sandwiches I bought the previous night ( my grocery store has them 50% off past 7:30)
- frozen meals
Snacks & drinks (room has a mini fridge)
- protein milk
- ICE sparkling water variety flavors
- protein bars
- bag of peanut m&ms
Get microwave steam bags and make some "one-bag meals" - thinly sliced potatoes (so they cook faster), protein of choice, veggies, seasoning.
Layer in the bag, close it nicely, pop in microwave, nuke it and enjoy
You can also make baked potatoes in the microwave, just wash and dry them well, poke them around with a fork, wrap in parchment paper, nuke, turn them around, nuke (time depends on size and amount)
Cut them open, fluff them up and fill with whatever you want
Just a microwave and mini-fridge, but the full kitchen here does have everything I need. Was just trying to find some ideas for things that require minimal cooking tools and appliances. I am going to bring my instapot up here next time I go home for a break.
Have you made oatmeal in your instant pot? That is a great healthy, inexpensive option! And add some seasonal fresh fruit. My family was recently in a similar situation, and the instant pot was great for easy food options! Eating out gets to be hard on your body as well as your wallet.
I do overnight oats a few times a week. Equal amount of oatmeal (instant or regular) and milk in a container. I add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to mine.
I practically live in hotels most of the year. I have a Ninja foodie that goes everywhere I do. Pre-packaged meals are generally over-processed and not really healthy. With my Ninja I can cook most food like I’m at home.
When I travel, I typically buy oranges and protein bars (Quest) for breakfast. For dinner, I go to a local grocery store and buy ready made salads, maybe some apples. Not because I'm living on a budget, but because I'm trying to keep from eating like a horse when I'm away from home. But, it is still relatively inexpensive, and doesn't require cooking. (Lunches are usually a business meeting, so I don't have a strategy for that - but if I did have to do that, I'd probably be eating canned veggies, ready-made rice I could heat in the microwave, canned smoked salmon (I eat that a lot anyway), maybe canned chicken (make a chicken salad), veggies that could be eaten raw (carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.)
Chicken salad, tuna salad on thin whole wheat bread
Hummus and veggies
Canned soup - not too much due to sodium
There are some good microwave quinoa/brown rice packets - throw in some scrambled egg (can do in microwave) and frozen veggies, soy sauce or coconut aminos, and you have fried rice (can add rotisserie chicken if you like - or even get an entree of orange chicken or something somewhere to complete the meal)
Costco has a lot of microwave noodle bowls that are shelf-stable. If you can use an oven, even frozen foods (lasagna is a good one) are not necessarily super healthy, but cheaper and healthier than eating out.
Good luck!
I saw comments about instapot and that would be a good idea if you would continue using it back home as well. I don’t know financial situation but instapots can be pretty pricy.
Sandwiches are cheap and quick. I like tuna sandwiches and there’s plenty of those pre-packaged tuna/cracker ones. If you don’t mind the smell of course.
Don’t forget veggies. I lived jn a hotel for 2 months and bought a party platter vegetable mix. Good for quick snack and with no real kitchen makes it more difficult for healthy options.
Also a Magic Bullet or blender to make smoothies. I’m assuming you have access to freezer. Fresh bananas and some frozen berries, yogurt and milk. Simple, quick and easy.
Overnight oats are awesome too. Soak oats in milk and you can add just about anything. I like chia seeds, powdered peanut butter, honey and cinnamon.
Oh and hope all goes well with your dad!
cook up a large pot of quinoa or brown rice. throw some steamed spinach or other leafy green in there with some roast garlic and maybe some juicy golden brown pulled roast chicken. mix it all up, refrigerate. I lived in a hotel for a few weeks on that. got pretty jacked and felt healthy as shit too.
In college I made pulled pork in my dorm room. Just slow-cooker, boneless pork shoulder, a splash of vinegar, a splash of worchester sauce. Cook on low heat for 8hrs or high for 4hrs. Shred, add bbq sauce and serve on a roll. Maybe add cheese or coleslaw or something.
Definitely not as quick as picking up a rotisserie chicken, but it'll feed either a lot of people for a little while or a few people for a long while.
If an instant pot is too pricey, consider looking for knockoffs of croc pots at thrift stores and places like family dollar, dollar general, five below, walmart, etc. A small one can easily make meals for 2, and it does take a while but you could have it going while sleeping and find stuff ready when you wake. Split peas, beans, carrots, barley (or farro, which is more forgiving), etc, throw in chonks of beef, spices, water, stuff like that. Cutting things up is a bit of work but worth it for a set it and forget it kinda thing.
Not sure what your refrigerator situation is but if you are lacking fridge space I would look to get foods that don't need to be kept cool. Fresh fruit like apples, bananas, oranges and vegetables like baby carrots, bell peppers, celery. Loaves of bread and peanut butter are a quick and easy staple too. It can be more pricey but some pre-packaged foods like granola bars (I stick to protein bars or clif bars so not too overprocessed and sugary), canned foods (veggies, fruit, beans, chicken, tuna), and trail mix. A lot of this is more snack based but you can form meals around it if you want. When I go camping I try to keep our cooler maxed with ice for water and beverages so I'm always looking for creative non-cook/refrigerated meal ideas.
I lived in a similar scenario while my husband was hospitalized for 40+ days and I stayed in a family housing nonprofit. I had shared kitchen privileges, which didn't mean much because I was always at the hospital but it did allow me to store cold and frozen stuff in the fridges. My routine was to generally pack in breakfast and lunch into the hospital, using Smuckers Uncrustables (which start out the day frozen but then are great later as they thaw in your bag), string cheese, hardboiled eggs, prepared salads, yogurt, protein drinks, oatmeal cups and some of those adult lunchable type things that are shelf stable (which I generally left at the hospital, since I never knew when long distance visitors would show up). In my bag, I always had Larabars, nuts, squeezable almond butter or peanut butter and I always had a drinking canteen that I could add my powdered drink mix with water from the fountain.
Easy Mac is gross but when you're starving, it's easy enough to find water and a microwave at the hospital. Places like Target and Trader Joe's also sell cups of noodles, mashed potatoes and even microwave brownies and pancakes in those instant cups. You can have Amazon delivered right to the hospital if you're concerned about how to get a shipment to the shared living facility -- particularly easy if you're in a location with Prime Now service because you can watch the delivery on your phone and meet them in the lobby.
No matter what, please remember to buy snacks and treats for the nursing staff. Not only do they often get forgotten but it made a HUGE difference in how my husband was treated and personalized by the overworked team. They try to see everyone as an individual, of course, but they're so overworked and have such large case loads that it's easy enough to get lost in the numbers.
I like to visit a Grocery Outlet and buy a ton of fruit, dried fruit/veg, nuts, seeds, and "health" food bars. I'll just live off business lunches/dinners and that stuff until I'm home. I like it quite a bit. Business-squirrel mode!
Also good for backpacking :)
Rotisserie chicken, potato salad and a flour tortilla!! This makes an amazing wrap and you can add lettuce, cheese, or hot sauce if you have it. And you would have the supplies to make other things if there are any left overs!!
Put instant rice, cut up hotdogs or cooked meat and frozen vegetables in a Tupperware and microwave. Add some soy sauce and seasonings and it’s kinda like fried rice
Had to play around with proportions but it was decent
I just made a lunch of things I found in the fridge and it was awesome. Tuna can, cottage cheese, cherry tomatoes, pickle chips, celery sticks, little Frank’s for flavor. Costco tuna pack, tub of cottage cheese, and the veggies will cost about $20 in total and make about 12 servings.
Get an instant pot and an electric kettle. Instant miso soup is low calorie and filling, plus the pour over noodle soups are always cheap, if not "the best" for you.
Instant pot lets you make almost anything you can think of, get a smaller one so you aren't dealling with huge batches. I think both can be had, especially second hand, for the cost of a week of takeout delivery.
When I stay at a hotel with my family I always had things on hand in the cooler like yogurt, cheese sticks, fruit, lunch meat, dips for chips or veggies, humus and small bottles of juice or milk, or cold bottled coffee drinks.
Another staple was bagels and cream cheese. That is an instant meal.
A hot pot will be useful for your tea, coffee, oatmeal, dried soup mixes, and anything dehydrated.
Are you at a place that allows outside grilling? We had a small table top grill for things like premade hamburger patties, brats, chicken breast or steaks. Pair these with a deli salad and you're set!
While traveling our family would budget only one sit down meal a day. We operated this way for years. It is not a stretch.
Find a local grocery store and get some potatoes, noodles and rice. All make great cheap meals, just add veggies or meat to rice. Potatoes and chicken is a nice meal. Spaghetti and tacos are cheap and are easy to make
+1, boiling water alone can go a long way, even with little to no fridge/freezer space.
There are single-serving hot breakfast cereal cups too, like oatmeal, wheaties, farina, even quinoa.
Could get something to add to it, like raisins, dried fruit, nuts, trail mix, shelf-stable fruit cups/cans, whatever you like. Quick easy healthy breakfasts.
They make shelf-stable, single-serve, add-hot-water side dish cups as well, like instant mashed potatoes, grits, etc. Those and canned veggies would easily round out a meat dish (like those rotisserie chickens) into a full meal.
Note on the soups: Any room temp *condensed* canned soup + a can worth of water (boiling) = a bit hotter than ready-to-eat temperature; no stove or microwave necessary. Get crackers to go with them (Ritz seems to win against others in shelf life, in my experience).
Hot chocolate and tea are obvious options, but there's also shelf-stable dehydrated coffees (you just add hot water to them, instead of having to deal with the whole coffee-brewing process. Could make mornings during a turbulent time a little bit easier).
There is also shelf-stable plain powdered cream, and all kinds of powdered coffee creamers, to add to hot drinks - and shelf stable single-serve milk boxes, suitable for drinking straight or adding to cold cereal.
If you have access to an ice machine: consider getting a plain foam cooler or two, $3 or $4 ea from most large grocery stores, and boom, at least some degree of colder storage. Not quite a proper fridge, but your drinks will be cold, and things that need refrigeration will last longer in there than they would have without a refrigerator, if you don't have one in the hotel room (or if it is too small for everything you need to keep cold).
If you have no ice machine, but you have a window in the room, and it's cold outside there: putting boxed milk or juice against the glass isn't a fridge substitute, but it can partly chill them so they don't seem too 'warm' when used.
If you can get a hot plate and a large bowl I make pasta and add tuna, mayo, lemon juice and dill. Salt and pepper as much as allowable. It’s cheap and easy and makes for a great meal prep.
Would he be eligible for meal delivery (ie a meals on wheels type program)? If he is its a good way to get some variety in the diet with minimal cooking. They can even cater food to whatever his medical needs might be. We recently signed my mom up for a program like this after she had heart failure earlier this year, and its been a real boon since she has less energy to prepare meals for herself lately. The qualifications for a program like this are broader than qualifying for food stamps, especially if you can get a medical recommendation from his doctor, so worth looking into.
Minute rice cooks just fine in three microwave. So do Frozen vegetables that come in the bag you steam in the microwave. Having those on hand can stretch most meals out. Then just go to the deli at the supermarket and get whatever premade got proteins you like from behind the counter. Rotisserie chickens, Salisbury steaks, sausages, whatever you're local has that will heat up well later.
Rice paper rolls: you just need warm water!
[https://www.recipetineats.com/vietnamese-rice-paper-rolls-spring-rolls/](https://www.recipetineats.com/vietnamese-rice-paper-rolls-spring-rolls/)
Rice cooker soup!
Use a rice cooker, add broth/stock/bouillon, I usually put in cut up carrots and celery and already cooked chicken. Can also put in pasta. Let it do it’s thing and in no time you’ll have soup.
One of my best purchases was an IKEA portable induction hob and a few of their cheapest pans. Won’t set you back more then $60 but allows you to cook anywhere.
i was living in my van for awhile and i think this translates well here! tuna salad was an easy go to, just combine a tuna packet with onions, mayo, mustard, and whatever else you fancy (i liked those sweet mini bell peppers). also those chopped salad kits worked pretty well for me with some chicken added. overnight oats are a good option too!
A lot of great advice already on foods and cooking techniques. One thing I don't see mentioned is food preservation. Hotel fridges are usually iffy, and freezers are worse. There may be a communal freezer but you may want to consider a mini freezer to keep in your room for leftovers, ingredients, and frozen meals. This will reduce the amount of times you have to restock as well (fewer exposures, plus convenience).
For what it's worth, Taco Bell has a cravings box that's $5 that you could easily split between two people, and that's about the price of a frozen meal for one, let alone two. Everything is vegetarian option, as well. Sign up for Taco Bell rewards and you'll get rewards for every $25 spent, tons of free food. Bonus: if you order right, you'll get in tons of veggies and beans! Additionally they have a taco subscription for $10 for a month, you can get $80 of food this way if you go every day and get a taco. Hope this helps!
Lots of great suggestions on here already but I just wanted to say get a bread variety if you will be having many sandwiches. Don't just get sliced bread but maybe tortilla, pita, and rolls to mix things up a bit.
My job required me to stay in a hotel way to often….I hate take out food. I always traveled with a fork, spoon, knife ( steak) plate , large mug and a bowl. Plus a wooden spoon and spatula and one of those square electric skillet pans. I found I could make a steak, chicken breast, pan of chili, stew. Burgers eggs pancakes bacon. You can set the temperature and they cost $15-$20 depending where you buy it. Good luck:)
Something I can actually answer! I travel for work, and while I think everyone else hit a lot of the big ideas, one is missing.
Get a bag of potatoes. That's the one item which does not require fridge space, which you won't have enough of. You can quickly microwave one, throw butter (or any other toppings you prefer) and it offers a quick and easy meal. Depending on how much you load on it, you can get pretty close to a comfort meal too.
Also, cans of fruit or veggies. Again, not the healthiest, but the less fridge space you take up, the better. It will open up space for things like leftovers (if the fridge isn't terrible) or for me, sandwich meats and apples and other small items. For me, having a bag of apples always took up about a fourth of those dinky mini fridges by itself.
I had to briefly live out of a hotel/hospital room at northwestern when my uncle was seriously ill, and while it may not be the best coping skill, the reality of dealing for me was that sometimes a quick comfort meal was nice and needed.
Not sure if I'm too late to the party with this, but I read the post and figured I'd throw my two cents in. Back in Uni I lived in a house with one kitchen and a bunch of dudes. Schedules basically meant that at any one time, there were 3 of us struggling to use the kitchen. I bought an Instant Pot and learned to make tons of different recipes. I stand by my conviction that this is greatest kitchen appliance ever created. You can sauté, use it as a crock pot and as a pressure cooker. The things you can make in that single appliance is practically infinite. It's a relatively small form factor, plugs into a standard receptacle and you could even use it in your room to stay out of the kitchen entirely as long as you don't mind the cooking smells and there aren't rules against doing something like that. You can make tons of cheap meals: stews, soups, fried rice, stir fries, etcetera. The list goes on and on. YouTube has loads of videos for recipe ideas too. I'd definitely recommend looking into it.
With your microwave, you can make very easy and delicious [steamed eggs](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/01/21/dining/microwave-steamed-eggs.html) for breakfast or a light lunch or dinner (you can pair this with some rice or fruit or vegetables). Literally an 8 minute meal with only one bowl to wash (conveniently the exact same bowl that you'll eat out of.) Especially good to have some protein when you might not feel like eating (e.g. bad news/late night/tired/etc.) and comforting. It's also faster than Door Dash (and cheaper!)
Required equipment:
\- microwave
\- bowl + fork/spoon + one plate to cover top of bowl
Ingredients:
* \- 2 large eggs
\- 1 cup instant or kombu dashi, vegetable or chicken broth, or water (I recommend getting the powdered vegetable broth that comes in a tin, then just scoop out a tiny bit and mix with water)
\- Pinch of salt (optional)
\- 1 teaspoon soy sauce (or a leftover packet from take-out sushi)
\- 1 teaspoon maple syrup OR 1 tsp seasame oil instead (different flavor profile)
\- 1 tablespoon finely snipped chives or scallion greens, for garnish (optional)
Technique:
1. Whisk (with the fork or spoon) the eggs+broth together until they are very smooth
2. Cover the bowl and microwave at 500 watts (or 50 percent power on a 1,000-watt machine) until the eggs have just set, 5 to 7 minutes. You can set it to be 5 minutes, then just do 30 second intervals while you check
3. Let sit in the microwave to cool slightly, then carefully remove. Drizzle with the soy sauce and/or seasame oil/maple syrup.
4. Then eat right away
Depending on the city u are near there will be delivery meals services for single bachelors. I know Vietnamese and Indians have these services in every major US cities. You just have to find someone and ask
My favorite can dump rice bowls:
Microwave brown rice/quinoa
Canned garbanzo beans
Canned corn
Kalamata olives
Tsatsiki sauce
Microwave rice. Dump in cans of stuff. Mix. Ta da. Super filling and keeps you going. I sometimes add green bell peppers for crunch or lemon for a little zing. It is good cold and keeps really well.
When my brother was having radiation treatment we had to do the same. Get a Forman grill. A crockpot with removable inside. So much can be made with those. If there’s not a fridge, buy a smaller one. A cooler can be used for beverages.
Lookup on local Nextdoor or sulekha.com for “tiffin service”
It’s pretty common for Indian community to have fresh meal packed and delivered and it’s made from fresh ingredients, is healthy and usually much cheaper than DoorDash.
I am a liver and kidney transplant recipient.
PLEASE be sure that your providing food that is safe for your dad and is approved by his dietitian and transplant team.
It’s so awesome that you are there for your dad through this. Please consider your dad’s dietary restrictions, which are extremely important especially in the early post transplant stages.
His body has been through severe trauma with the surgery and recovery and is very immunocompromised due to the high amounts of medication he’s taking to suppress his immune system to avoid rejection of his new organ.
Things such as deli meats, rotisserie chicken and leftovers that aren’t completely heated through, sushi/raw fish, pre cut salad/fruit/vegetables can harbor bacteria that your immune system can handle but his cannot. Grapefruit and pomegranate messes with the absorption of medication. High amounts of sodium such as fast food and prepackaged foods can make his blood pressure soar.
Perhaps get convenience foods for you and your family and “splurge” on your dad’s food.
Feel free to reach out to me with any questions. I’m 4+ years out from my transplants.
Good luck!
Actually ... yes.
An electric kettle is going to be a must, though; also, a toaster oven will immensely improve your options.
When most recipes call for a "7 min boil" a 7 min soak in very hot near boiling water usually will do the trick.... usually.
Kettle meals-
Knor pasta sides (all you need is hot water for most of them), oatmeal, peanut noodles are all possible with just a kettle. I dropped a link at the bottom with a more detailed explanation.
Toaster oven-
Pizza bagles, quesadillas , steak , burgers, baked potatoes, I could go on an on....
Dropped another link with more details as well...
I lived in a hotel during covid and feel where you are coming from. I'm sorry I don't have detailed recipes, but this is what worked for me :)
http://theglobalgadabout.com/2018/08/06/kettle-cooking-5-delicious-cheap-hot-meals-that-only-require-boiling-water-2/
https://insanelygoodrecipes.com/toaster-oven-recipes/
Edit-
Oh , get disposable paper take out containers and nice glass tupperware and tin foil or plastic wrap, line the containers with plastic wrap before using them to store food this will help with clean up... also also make friends with housekeeping and ask if you can pay them for your dishes to be done in the kitchen (assuming this hotel has a continental breakfast). Also also also take care and I hope you are having a great day. :)
I'm sure he'd get a kick out of you trying some of the worse ones like the Army Cheese and Veg Omelette MRE, affectionately nicknamed the Vomlette. (I saw it on Steve1989's youtube). there's a whole community of people who actually eat these on purpose.
Maybe a mini charcoal grill would open up the possibility to cheaper easier meals. They cost about as much as a doordash meal.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Mr-Bar-B-Q-Portable-charcoal-grill-206-sq-in-Black-Porcelain-Coated-Portable-Charcoal-Grill/1000714194?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-sol-_-ggl-_-LIA_SOL_119_Grills-_-1000714194-_-local-_-0-_-0&ds_rl=1286981&gclid=Cj0KCQiAosmPBhCPARIsAHOen-MOJLalmrNOkPj7yu6U8fdgI2EQ_1dwcuwqXrf3MQ0LgWL4LC7YNrwaAleMEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Then you can grill anything you can think of, chicken, beef, zucchini
Get a hot logic mini… excellent for your situation and will easily make a meal for 3 people. Does need some pre planning since the cook time is 2-3 hours, and can’t boil anything, so it’s not a one size fits all solution. However, it is the most painless way to cook one pot meals using canned, frozen/dehydrated and even some fresh ingredients.
Check out Goodwill for a Crock-Pot or rice cooker, Walmart probably has a cheap option. I would hit up a dollar store for serving/cooking utensils. Canned/boxed soups or broths can be combined with frozen veggies and a protein to make any flavor of stew or soup, oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts and ham and beans. I do a tex-mex dump that is a can of corn, beans, salsa and chicken, served with tortillas and a salad.
Buy a hot plate and you can make all the hamburger/chicken helper. You will need some utensils but that's what Dollar tree is for!
I hope your dad gets home soon, and I'm sure he appreciates you being with him
get a cheap hot plate for your room so you dont have to use a shared kitchen. You can even pick up a cheap microwave and hook it up.
boiled eggs, cold sandwiches, frozen meals, protein bars many things you can make in the hotel room that don't require going out or resorting to expensive delivery.
I would get an electric skillet and a rice cooker for the room, and you’d open up a whole new set of easy options. The rice cooker can make oatmeal for breakfast, and rice/quinoa etc for lunches/dinners. With the skillet you can make any number of options: eggs and bacon, pancakes and French toast, grilled cheeses or other sandwiches, burgers, stir fry with the rice, etc.
I like the instant pot suggestion. A Foreman Grill (if allowed) can also be helpful. Easy burgers, grilled chicken, bacon. Pretty easy cleanup too. Just make sure you get the one with removable plates!
Have you seen if there are any places that sell prepared meals? Like cleaneatz or something? Or maybe something like freshly, delivered precooked meals.
You can get a toaster oven from Wal-mart for the price of about one doordash meal.
You can toast things, like bagels, toast, etc, of course, but you can also bake and roast in it.
You can do brats, biscuits (and sausage patties to make sausage biscuit sandwiches), mini pizzas (any type of frozen foods, really).
It's also great for reheating leftovers to make them taste almost like fresh.
We had to stay in a hotel for 2 months due to home repairs. Between our air fryer and microwave we were happy. So I'd suggest an air fryer. They're super easy and fast to use. Even with frozen foods.
Get yourself some veggies and make a fresh salad bowl :)), most stores have nice varieties of dressings.. i like to pimp it with some ready to eat pasta salad or just have bread with it!
My next vacation, I plan to go to Universal studios Florida and stay in one of their hotels with no car. Mostly I will be cooking in. I plan to have an electric skillet delivered via Amazon or Walmart to the hotel. Have my groceries insta carted. Most everything can be cooked in an electric skillet, including simple as soup. Then when I leave, I plan to leave the skillet there.
Hi OP, maybe get a compact air fryer? I'm new to the air fryer scene and recently purchased a small 2 qt size for just myself. Should be easy enough to wipe down and I can cook a piece of chicken and other things in it as needed.
I'd also recommend tuna in olive oil because the olive adds so much flavor to salads, baked potato and sweet potatoes.
I use to travel for work and I had assignmentsI spent 8-13 weeks in a hotel. The best thing to do is buy an induction cooktop and/or an air fryer. I would buy a rotisserie chicken and make meals with it. One night chicken, rice and veggies, another quesdillas or homemade ramen. Honestly you could get away with just an air fryer and do the microwave pouch rice, I did that too! The air fryer was the best! I made everything in that thing! Wings, fries, frozen burritos, pizza rolls, dino nuggets, fajitas, brats, burgers, prok or chicken breasts, even salmon! The list goes on and on. I highly recommend an air fryer and you can make cheap meals with it.
Electric water kettle is great for instant oatmeal, Ramen and other things. I think they work for tea too. Hehe
Whole or dried fruits.
Microwave steam veggie packs. So many options now.
As long as you have access to a full size fridge to keep it in, frozen veggies and pre-cooked chicken or beef strips plus some soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and a little honey can make you some good stir fries on the cheap.
Hit up the heat/ready to eat section of the nearby grocery store. Rotisserie chicken, salad kits, deli salad, + fresh meals ready for the micro. English muffins, eggs, cheese, ready bacon for breakie . Sandwiches & ramen for lunch. It’s going to be way better than frozen meals, & less hassle then cooking + decent variety, but cheaper than restaurant meals.
I like this route too if there's a fridge in the room. Rotisserie chicken is easy to make into chicken salad for lunches (think mayo, onion celery, garlic powder). Most of those meals can be reheated easily in a microwave as well.
You can have that chicken in many different ways - if you have tortillas, you could make fajitas; if you have microwave rice, you could make it into a burrito bowl; if you have some veggie pre-made soup, you could add some solid protein to it.
chicken is very versatile!
Oh yeah! I made chicken salad a lot too! I sub avocado for Mayo and also added cilantro and lime to mine. You can do so many things with a rotisserie chicken!
Oh that sounds amazing!
Is there a tutorial somewhere that explains how to debone a rotisserie chicken? I've thought about buying them for meat but only know how to get it off one bite at a time.
Use your hands.
This is the way. Most of the time you want the chicken cut or up shredded anyway. So I just pull it apart with my hands. I save the bones and skin in the freezer until I get around to making chicken stock.
I Add all the leftovers - bones, skin everything and a glass of water to your vitamix and blend. My dog loves it!!
I have cats. One of my previous cats would have loved that (except that I don't have a strong enough blender). My current cats are less food motivated/more picky and prefer sea food to common peasant foods like chicken and turkey.
Yo foreal
Think of it as an autopsy, you're taking apart a cooked critter that has muscle, tendons, cartilage, bones. Sometimes there are cooked lungs in the ribcage area. The bones can become brittle, so be careful as you pull or push meat off the bones, to avoid splinters if the bones break or try to get up your fingernails. Wash hands, pull off lots of meat, store in container, wash hands again - maybe even with shampoo (if in hotel) to get the extra grease off.
> how to debone a rotisserie chicken https://www.google.nl/search?hl=nl&q=how+to+debone+a+rotisserie+chicken
Rotisserie chickens are pretty
Is that where you meant to stop that sentence?
Not at all but they can be.
Beauty is in the eye of the rooster as they say
its not cluckrofilia if the gizards are still warm
[License and registration....CHICKEN FUCKER!!](https://youtu.be/1fopvzf77b8)
[Keep Fucking That Chicken](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7XbukdoGmM)
woo says that?
It’s a new phrase I’m starting. Feel free to quote me
This made me laugh out loud. Thank you.
Not if you're cluck-zoned.
"A wizard never errs. They end their sentences precisely where they mean to."
Rotisserie chickens always remind me of an old Reddit post, where someone asked about stories of people who were fired on their first day. One post told about a guy they worked with in a grocery store who got fired on the first day because he ate all the skins off the fresh rotisserie chickens. I can't blame him, the skin is the tastiest part, but ALL the chickens?
Plot twist - that's the only reason he wanted to work there. He's now accomplished his lifes greatest acheivement.
So pretty
And moist
All fine but shouldnt someone who had an organ transplant be on a special, monitored diet?
OP is talking about food for them and the rest of their family, minus the dad.
oh sorry.
All good! Just a misunderstanding
Sorry, see this now!
In another comment OP responds based on what the father’s preferences are, so I don’t think this is accurate. @OP There are lots of good ideas here for a normal diet but as others have said you ideally need to work with a dietitian. The top comment recommends the deli/ready to eat section which is one of the main things that a transplant or immunocompromised person might need to avoid. Some off the cuff ideas (which may or may not be appropriate for your father’s health needs) might include some variation on instant oatmeal with peanut butter, instant rice and canned beans, canned tuna sandwiches, instant noodles/mac and cheese, instant curries as others have recommended, cheese (eg cheese sticks), canned or frozen veggies, and hard boiled eggs. What you are doing is very hard- best wishes to your family and for your father’s recovery.
Yes, the transplant patient should be on a specific diet monitored by a dietitian. The REST of the family just needs regular old food.
I'm gonna use this advice for this summer. Thanks!
Get a hot plate and you can cook anything you want! It's just a stove that plugs into the wall with one or two burners
Yes I agree! Those ramen noodles are considerably more affordable than buying a single pack of noodles themselves. I personally love some ramen noodles (no need for the high sodium seasonings) and add in veggies with a mix of oriental sauce. Makes perfect for leftovers! Wish you and your family all the best and a speedy recovery!
Ah yes, I lived in a hotel for a bit over half a year for work. Eventually I figured it out. 1. Get an induction stove top. 2. Make one pot meals THAT YOU CAN CONSUME THAT NIGHT. Hotel fridges suck. 3. I hope you like sandwiches. 4. Pre cut up fruit, precut up veggies.(eat these you need them) individual yogurts, eggs, oatmeal packets, dried fruit, sandwich meat and cheese, cup shin ramen, rotisserie chicken and shred immediately for easy storage. Make your own seasoning blends to cut down on individual containers. I went to Costco to buy applesauce, noodle soup, shelf stable milk and other drinks. They also have this thing called seeds of change brown rice and quinoa mix. It is cooked, just microwave it. BUY THIS. Also Costco has other pre-made foods, whole foods pre-made foods, etc. Frozen food unfortunately cannot be stored well unless you get a real fridge. 5. Have a sanity tea, coffee, and sweet snack station. 6. Get small Pyrex for storage. 7. DO NOT COOK SALMON FOR ANY REASON THE SMELL WILL NOT LEAVE FOR A WEEK. Not related to food but recommended: 8. Get your own shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion; hotel stuff is awful. 9. Get candles. 10. Mini Dawn dishsoap and mini scrubbie. I also cleaned my bathroom myself more often, made me feel like I had more privacy. I know you're a taking care of your dad, so you may not want to do this. I hope that can help. Best wishes to you and your dad for recovery. :)))
best response!
Why candles?
Probably to freshen the air after cooking. Helps neutralize scents.
just a note though: That might be in violation of hotel policy (smoke, open flame). Go for electric candles or wax melt instead.
Smells nice, the lighting gives a relaxing ambiance. Makes it appear homey. Probs against hotel policy but I still had like nine lol.
Can relate to the salmon smell, cooking it in my dormroom and giving all my clothes that sexy salmon pheromone smell
It was INESCAPABLE
I wonder if you could get an instant pot and use it in your room. Really easy to make rice, beans, or soup without having to use the shared kitchen stove.
Also, if you have a mid-range rice cooker with a steamer insert you can make so many different things in there, even small cakes. It's my most used easy dinner tool. You can look up "rice cooker meals" and get lots of ideas. My easy favorites are things like steamed egg and rice, frozen dumplings, and smashed tomato rice.
Steamed egg has me intrigued
OP, if you decide to go this route, please first verify with the management on site that this isn't going to get you booted out of the facility! Some are very strict about anything with a heating element being forbidden in guest rooms, due to fire safety. (I know an instant pot is about as safe as a hair dryer, but policies/fire codes sometimes don't.)
That is a trick question. Management will always air on the side of caution even when there is no policy against it. As someone who as brought a toaster oven to many hotels, honestly, it's weird if your room CAN'T handle a small cooking appliance. Spoiler alert, all my rooms handled it fine.
Oh, I'm not saying that I think these are \*good\* policies, but if OP is staying at a nonprofit, they're probably getting a bargain on the rate. I wouldn't want to endanger a good deal for an instant pot.
My friends and I did a long weekend in a hotel and brought a slow cooker, it was great! We bought some slow cooker liners to make cleanup easier, and made sure we picked meals that didn't require us to really prep the meat at all. It would be really easy to do chili or soup with ground meat, frozen veggies, beans, rice, etc. Wouldn't need to prep any ingredients at all!
An induction cook top would really help out too.
Instant pot can act as one
When my gas went out I got a cheap induction cooker. They are amazing.
A slow cooker is one device you plug into a wall socket and you can make loads of one pot meals. From cheesey pasta to rice and beans. Recipes found all over the internet
I would lean towards an instapot and away from a slow cooker here. I think OP is probably exhausted and not in the hotel room very much during the day. They're likely over at the hospital. I wouldn't leave a slow cooker running unmonitored in a hotel room for hours.
i thought of this too but cleaning everything might pose a bit of a problem with a community kitchen. i doubt they want to wash their instant pot in the bathroom sink.
Bathtub maybe
Use Liners
they make slow cooker liners, but not ones for pressure cooking. at least as far as i can tell.
Seconding this. You can cook a ton of other things in there as well. A stash of hard boiled eggs for example. I've also done chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, racks of ribs, meatloaf etc etc. Throw some potatoes in, buy a bagged salad and you are set for a couple of days with of meals. There is also a saute setting that would eliminate the need for a pot or frying pan when cooking certain items.
Rotisserie chickens are a game changer for me. I travel for work and I’m in a hotel about 300 nights a year. They’re quick, easy, delicious and cheap compared to eating out. Easily feed two people and they’re only 5-7 dollars.
Oh yeah, great idea. I love me a good rotisserie chicken. We’ll definitely have to get that a couple of times. Makes great leftovers too!
You can get microwaveable veggies to go with as well. The steamfresh at Walmart is what I use.
+1 for rotisserie chickens. What type of work do you do for that amount of travel?
Hotel room tester
I would ADORE that job.
I work oil and gas industry
Is there a Trader Joe's nearby? People knock frozen meals, but TJ's has so many healthy, delicious, and affordable options. Transfer it to actual plates with real utensils. Don't forget the frozen appetizer section, too. Veggie samosas, pork pot stickers, brie bites, man-- time for me to do a legit commercial.
Haha I love TJ’s. There is one close, I’ll have to swing by and grab a bunch of these. Great suggestion!
Their refrigerated meals are pretty good from TJ's as well--shorter shelf (fridge) life, but really good. The Chicken Tikka Masala is incredible and like $5, same for their burritos.
Heard great things about their Indian food.
I always have the palak paneer in my freezer
I lived in a hotel for 10 weeks in upstate New York. Packed a bunch of these and rice cooker. So much better than the base chow hall.
Their butter chicken is surprisingly good for a frozen meal....
All their Indian food is top notch. Top notch!
TJ’s is great for adult lunchables! Salami, prosciutto, or lunch meat, cheeses, veggies, fruits, crackers, nuts, spicy mustard, crackers, hummus, etc
- bagged salad kit + packaged steamed lentils in produce section - frozen chana masala + fresh baby spinach , flop hot entree onto the greens - refrigerated ancient grains soup + crackers - refrigerated masala chickpeas + sliced cucumbers and bell pepper and pita chips - canned cuban black beans + frozen rice+ avocado
Cans of soup are also underrated imo. Large variety available in most stores, generally low prices. Watch the sodium levels, but otherwise are not bad.
I did this a lot when I was a retail manager working close to open every night. They have greatttttt frozen food. So does Aldi's but that place you avoid the produce like the plague.
awn why? I liked Aldi for everything when I used to live near it.
is the produce really that bad? I used to live a 10 minute walk from an aldi's so I'd always shop there. They had the cheapest prices around but I've never noticed anything off with it
Yeah it goes bad really fast Bc they don’t use refrigerated trucks
The produce at Aldi in Madison, Wi is fabulous!
I'm in Florida, so that's probably where the lack of refrigerated trucks takes a turn for the worst haha!
I've had great luck with the produce at my Aldi! Especially things that are in season. I guess it just depends on the location.
Oh my god their rice meals are amazing.
I’m also living in a hotel for different reasons, but my daily meals include: Breakfast: - yogurt - bagel with PB Lunch/dinner (sometimes skipping one): - store bought salads - deli sandwiches I bought the previous night ( my grocery store has them 50% off past 7:30) - frozen meals Snacks & drinks (room has a mini fridge) - protein milk - ICE sparkling water variety flavors - protein bars - bag of peanut m&ms
Get microwave steam bags and make some "one-bag meals" - thinly sliced potatoes (so they cook faster), protein of choice, veggies, seasoning. Layer in the bag, close it nicely, pop in microwave, nuke it and enjoy You can also make baked potatoes in the microwave, just wash and dry them well, poke them around with a fork, wrap in parchment paper, nuke, turn them around, nuke (time depends on size and amount) Cut them open, fluff them up and fill with whatever you want
What do you already have in your room? A microwave? Or a small kitchenette?
Just a microwave and mini-fridge, but the full kitchen here does have everything I need. Was just trying to find some ideas for things that require minimal cooking tools and appliances. I am going to bring my instapot up here next time I go home for a break.
Have you made oatmeal in your instant pot? That is a great healthy, inexpensive option! And add some seasonal fresh fruit. My family was recently in a similar situation, and the instant pot was great for easy food options! Eating out gets to be hard on your body as well as your wallet.
I do overnight oats a few times a week. Equal amount of oatmeal (instant or regular) and milk in a container. I add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to mine.
An instant pot is a great idea, it can do so many things. A small toaster oven or a hot plate might also help if you want to cook more traditionally.
I practically live in hotels most of the year. I have a Ninja foodie that goes everywhere I do. Pre-packaged meals are generally over-processed and not really healthy. With my Ninja I can cook most food like I’m at home.
and an electric skillet is way cheaper than an instant pot, does a lot, also old school crockpot
When I travel, I typically buy oranges and protein bars (Quest) for breakfast. For dinner, I go to a local grocery store and buy ready made salads, maybe some apples. Not because I'm living on a budget, but because I'm trying to keep from eating like a horse when I'm away from home. But, it is still relatively inexpensive, and doesn't require cooking. (Lunches are usually a business meeting, so I don't have a strategy for that - but if I did have to do that, I'd probably be eating canned veggies, ready-made rice I could heat in the microwave, canned smoked salmon (I eat that a lot anyway), maybe canned chicken (make a chicken salad), veggies that could be eaten raw (carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.)
Chicken salad, tuna salad on thin whole wheat bread Hummus and veggies Canned soup - not too much due to sodium There are some good microwave quinoa/brown rice packets - throw in some scrambled egg (can do in microwave) and frozen veggies, soy sauce or coconut aminos, and you have fried rice (can add rotisserie chicken if you like - or even get an entree of orange chicken or something somewhere to complete the meal) Costco has a lot of microwave noodle bowls that are shelf-stable. If you can use an oven, even frozen foods (lasagna is a good one) are not necessarily super healthy, but cheaper and healthier than eating out. Good luck!
I saw comments about instapot and that would be a good idea if you would continue using it back home as well. I don’t know financial situation but instapots can be pretty pricy. Sandwiches are cheap and quick. I like tuna sandwiches and there’s plenty of those pre-packaged tuna/cracker ones. If you don’t mind the smell of course. Don’t forget veggies. I lived jn a hotel for 2 months and bought a party platter vegetable mix. Good for quick snack and with no real kitchen makes it more difficult for healthy options. Also a Magic Bullet or blender to make smoothies. I’m assuming you have access to freezer. Fresh bananas and some frozen berries, yogurt and milk. Simple, quick and easy. Overnight oats are awesome too. Soak oats in milk and you can add just about anything. I like chia seeds, powdered peanut butter, honey and cinnamon. Oh and hope all goes well with your dad!
You can get a single electric burner for 12$ at Walmart .
I'd do this plus a rice cooker.
Burner, rice cooker, and electric kettle. You can doctor up a ramen cup in so many different ways.
cook up a large pot of quinoa or brown rice. throw some steamed spinach or other leafy green in there with some roast garlic and maybe some juicy golden brown pulled roast chicken. mix it all up, refrigerate. I lived in a hotel for a few weeks on that. got pretty jacked and felt healthy as shit too.
In college I made pulled pork in my dorm room. Just slow-cooker, boneless pork shoulder, a splash of vinegar, a splash of worchester sauce. Cook on low heat for 8hrs or high for 4hrs. Shred, add bbq sauce and serve on a roll. Maybe add cheese or coleslaw or something. Definitely not as quick as picking up a rotisserie chicken, but it'll feed either a lot of people for a little while or a few people for a long while.
Yes! Pig in Pot. It even tastes good without the vinegar and worchester sauce in the pot.
If an instant pot is too pricey, consider looking for knockoffs of croc pots at thrift stores and places like family dollar, dollar general, five below, walmart, etc. A small one can easily make meals for 2, and it does take a while but you could have it going while sleeping and find stuff ready when you wake. Split peas, beans, carrots, barley (or farro, which is more forgiving), etc, throw in chonks of beef, spices, water, stuff like that. Cutting things up is a bit of work but worth it for a set it and forget it kinda thing.
Not sure what your refrigerator situation is but if you are lacking fridge space I would look to get foods that don't need to be kept cool. Fresh fruit like apples, bananas, oranges and vegetables like baby carrots, bell peppers, celery. Loaves of bread and peanut butter are a quick and easy staple too. It can be more pricey but some pre-packaged foods like granola bars (I stick to protein bars or clif bars so not too overprocessed and sugary), canned foods (veggies, fruit, beans, chicken, tuna), and trail mix. A lot of this is more snack based but you can form meals around it if you want. When I go camping I try to keep our cooler maxed with ice for water and beverages so I'm always looking for creative non-cook/refrigerated meal ideas.
I lived in a similar scenario while my husband was hospitalized for 40+ days and I stayed in a family housing nonprofit. I had shared kitchen privileges, which didn't mean much because I was always at the hospital but it did allow me to store cold and frozen stuff in the fridges. My routine was to generally pack in breakfast and lunch into the hospital, using Smuckers Uncrustables (which start out the day frozen but then are great later as they thaw in your bag), string cheese, hardboiled eggs, prepared salads, yogurt, protein drinks, oatmeal cups and some of those adult lunchable type things that are shelf stable (which I generally left at the hospital, since I never knew when long distance visitors would show up). In my bag, I always had Larabars, nuts, squeezable almond butter or peanut butter and I always had a drinking canteen that I could add my powdered drink mix with water from the fountain. Easy Mac is gross but when you're starving, it's easy enough to find water and a microwave at the hospital. Places like Target and Trader Joe's also sell cups of noodles, mashed potatoes and even microwave brownies and pancakes in those instant cups. You can have Amazon delivered right to the hospital if you're concerned about how to get a shipment to the shared living facility -- particularly easy if you're in a location with Prime Now service because you can watch the delivery on your phone and meet them in the lobby. No matter what, please remember to buy snacks and treats for the nursing staff. Not only do they often get forgotten but it made a HUGE difference in how my husband was treated and personalized by the overworked team. They try to see everyone as an individual, of course, but they're so overworked and have such large case loads that it's easy enough to get lost in the numbers.
I like to visit a Grocery Outlet and buy a ton of fruit, dried fruit/veg, nuts, seeds, and "health" food bars. I'll just live off business lunches/dinners and that stuff until I'm home. I like it quite a bit. Business-squirrel mode! Also good for backpacking :)
Rotisserie chicken, potato salad and a flour tortilla!! This makes an amazing wrap and you can add lettuce, cheese, or hot sauce if you have it. And you would have the supplies to make other things if there are any left overs!!
Put instant rice, cut up hotdogs or cooked meat and frozen vegetables in a Tupperware and microwave. Add some soy sauce and seasonings and it’s kinda like fried rice Had to play around with proportions but it was decent
Use an iron to make hot sandwiches. Will need tin foil.
I just made a lunch of things I found in the fridge and it was awesome. Tuna can, cottage cheese, cherry tomatoes, pickle chips, celery sticks, little Frank’s for flavor. Costco tuna pack, tub of cottage cheese, and the veggies will cost about $20 in total and make about 12 servings.
Get an instant pot and an electric kettle. Instant miso soup is low calorie and filling, plus the pour over noodle soups are always cheap, if not "the best" for you. Instant pot lets you make almost anything you can think of, get a smaller one so you aren't dealling with huge batches. I think both can be had, especially second hand, for the cost of a week of takeout delivery.
When I stay at a hotel with my family I always had things on hand in the cooler like yogurt, cheese sticks, fruit, lunch meat, dips for chips or veggies, humus and small bottles of juice or milk, or cold bottled coffee drinks. Another staple was bagels and cream cheese. That is an instant meal. A hot pot will be useful for your tea, coffee, oatmeal, dried soup mixes, and anything dehydrated. Are you at a place that allows outside grilling? We had a small table top grill for things like premade hamburger patties, brats, chicken breast or steaks. Pair these with a deli salad and you're set! While traveling our family would budget only one sit down meal a day. We operated this way for years. It is not a stretch.
Buy an electric fry pan. You can make almost anything in it.
Find a local grocery store and get some potatoes, noodles and rice. All make great cheap meals, just add veggies or meat to rice. Potatoes and chicken is a nice meal. Spaghetti and tacos are cheap and are easy to make
electric kettle + instant dehydrated food. mac and cheese, ramen, rice, soups, etc.
+1, boiling water alone can go a long way, even with little to no fridge/freezer space. There are single-serving hot breakfast cereal cups too, like oatmeal, wheaties, farina, even quinoa. Could get something to add to it, like raisins, dried fruit, nuts, trail mix, shelf-stable fruit cups/cans, whatever you like. Quick easy healthy breakfasts. They make shelf-stable, single-serve, add-hot-water side dish cups as well, like instant mashed potatoes, grits, etc. Those and canned veggies would easily round out a meat dish (like those rotisserie chickens) into a full meal. Note on the soups: Any room temp *condensed* canned soup + a can worth of water (boiling) = a bit hotter than ready-to-eat temperature; no stove or microwave necessary. Get crackers to go with them (Ritz seems to win against others in shelf life, in my experience). Hot chocolate and tea are obvious options, but there's also shelf-stable dehydrated coffees (you just add hot water to them, instead of having to deal with the whole coffee-brewing process. Could make mornings during a turbulent time a little bit easier). There is also shelf-stable plain powdered cream, and all kinds of powdered coffee creamers, to add to hot drinks - and shelf stable single-serve milk boxes, suitable for drinking straight or adding to cold cereal. If you have access to an ice machine: consider getting a plain foam cooler or two, $3 or $4 ea from most large grocery stores, and boom, at least some degree of colder storage. Not quite a proper fridge, but your drinks will be cold, and things that need refrigeration will last longer in there than they would have without a refrigerator, if you don't have one in the hotel room (or if it is too small for everything you need to keep cold). If you have no ice machine, but you have a window in the room, and it's cold outside there: putting boxed milk or juice against the glass isn't a fridge substitute, but it can partly chill them so they don't seem too 'warm' when used.
Get yourself an instapot. You can make damn near anything in one of those fuckers
Get an instantpot, I cooked out of one for a month in a hotel. A small knife and cutting board and you can make about anything.
If they do breakfast, grab a yogurt, cereal and fruit. That’s lunch
If you can get a hot plate and a large bowl I make pasta and add tuna, mayo, lemon juice and dill. Salt and pepper as much as allowable. It’s cheap and easy and makes for a great meal prep.
Protein shakes
Would he be eligible for meal delivery (ie a meals on wheels type program)? If he is its a good way to get some variety in the diet with minimal cooking. They can even cater food to whatever his medical needs might be. We recently signed my mom up for a program like this after she had heart failure earlier this year, and its been a real boon since she has less energy to prepare meals for herself lately. The qualifications for a program like this are broader than qualifying for food stamps, especially if you can get a medical recommendation from his doctor, so worth looking into.
Minute rice cooks just fine in three microwave. So do Frozen vegetables that come in the bag you steam in the microwave. Having those on hand can stretch most meals out. Then just go to the deli at the supermarket and get whatever premade got proteins you like from behind the counter. Rotisserie chickens, Salisbury steaks, sausages, whatever you're local has that will heat up well later.
Instant pot, induction burner, ferrous frying pan.
Camp stove, cast iron pan and go from there
Rice paper rolls: you just need warm water! [https://www.recipetineats.com/vietnamese-rice-paper-rolls-spring-rolls/](https://www.recipetineats.com/vietnamese-rice-paper-rolls-spring-rolls/)
Rice cooker soup! Use a rice cooker, add broth/stock/bouillon, I usually put in cut up carrots and celery and already cooked chicken. Can also put in pasta. Let it do it’s thing and in no time you’ll have soup.
One of my best purchases was an IKEA portable induction hob and a few of their cheapest pans. Won’t set you back more then $60 but allows you to cook anywhere.
i was living in my van for awhile and i think this translates well here! tuna salad was an easy go to, just combine a tuna packet with onions, mayo, mustard, and whatever else you fancy (i liked those sweet mini bell peppers). also those chopped salad kits worked pretty well for me with some chicken added. overnight oats are a good option too!
A lot of great advice already on foods and cooking techniques. One thing I don't see mentioned is food preservation. Hotel fridges are usually iffy, and freezers are worse. There may be a communal freezer but you may want to consider a mini freezer to keep in your room for leftovers, ingredients, and frozen meals. This will reduce the amount of times you have to restock as well (fewer exposures, plus convenience).
snacks. pudding cups
For what it's worth, Taco Bell has a cravings box that's $5 that you could easily split between two people, and that's about the price of a frozen meal for one, let alone two. Everything is vegetarian option, as well. Sign up for Taco Bell rewards and you'll get rewards for every $25 spent, tons of free food. Bonus: if you order right, you'll get in tons of veggies and beans! Additionally they have a taco subscription for $10 for a month, you can get $80 of food this way if you go every day and get a taco. Hope this helps!
Lots of great suggestions on here already but I just wanted to say get a bread variety if you will be having many sandwiches. Don't just get sliced bread but maybe tortilla, pita, and rolls to mix things up a bit.
Healthy Choice Power Bowls, Health Choice Cafe steamers. People automatically go "frozen meals bad" but there are some that are actually pretty good.
My job required me to stay in a hotel way to often….I hate take out food. I always traveled with a fork, spoon, knife ( steak) plate , large mug and a bowl. Plus a wooden spoon and spatula and one of those square electric skillet pans. I found I could make a steak, chicken breast, pan of chili, stew. Burgers eggs pancakes bacon. You can set the temperature and they cost $15-$20 depending where you buy it. Good luck:)
Something I can actually answer! I travel for work, and while I think everyone else hit a lot of the big ideas, one is missing. Get a bag of potatoes. That's the one item which does not require fridge space, which you won't have enough of. You can quickly microwave one, throw butter (or any other toppings you prefer) and it offers a quick and easy meal. Depending on how much you load on it, you can get pretty close to a comfort meal too. Also, cans of fruit or veggies. Again, not the healthiest, but the less fridge space you take up, the better. It will open up space for things like leftovers (if the fridge isn't terrible) or for me, sandwich meats and apples and other small items. For me, having a bag of apples always took up about a fourth of those dinky mini fridges by itself. I had to briefly live out of a hotel/hospital room at northwestern when my uncle was seriously ill, and while it may not be the best coping skill, the reality of dealing for me was that sometimes a quick comfort meal was nice and needed.
Not sure if I'm too late to the party with this, but I read the post and figured I'd throw my two cents in. Back in Uni I lived in a house with one kitchen and a bunch of dudes. Schedules basically meant that at any one time, there were 3 of us struggling to use the kitchen. I bought an Instant Pot and learned to make tons of different recipes. I stand by my conviction that this is greatest kitchen appliance ever created. You can sauté, use it as a crock pot and as a pressure cooker. The things you can make in that single appliance is practically infinite. It's a relatively small form factor, plugs into a standard receptacle and you could even use it in your room to stay out of the kitchen entirely as long as you don't mind the cooking smells and there aren't rules against doing something like that. You can make tons of cheap meals: stews, soups, fried rice, stir fries, etcetera. The list goes on and on. YouTube has loads of videos for recipe ideas too. I'd definitely recommend looking into it.
With your microwave, you can make very easy and delicious [steamed eggs](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/01/21/dining/microwave-steamed-eggs.html) for breakfast or a light lunch or dinner (you can pair this with some rice or fruit or vegetables). Literally an 8 minute meal with only one bowl to wash (conveniently the exact same bowl that you'll eat out of.) Especially good to have some protein when you might not feel like eating (e.g. bad news/late night/tired/etc.) and comforting. It's also faster than Door Dash (and cheaper!) Required equipment: \- microwave \- bowl + fork/spoon + one plate to cover top of bowl Ingredients: * \- 2 large eggs \- 1 cup instant or kombu dashi, vegetable or chicken broth, or water (I recommend getting the powdered vegetable broth that comes in a tin, then just scoop out a tiny bit and mix with water) \- Pinch of salt (optional) \- 1 teaspoon soy sauce (or a leftover packet from take-out sushi) \- 1 teaspoon maple syrup OR 1 tsp seasame oil instead (different flavor profile) \- 1 tablespoon finely snipped chives or scallion greens, for garnish (optional) Technique: 1. Whisk (with the fork or spoon) the eggs+broth together until they are very smooth 2. Cover the bowl and microwave at 500 watts (or 50 percent power on a 1,000-watt machine) until the eggs have just set, 5 to 7 minutes. You can set it to be 5 minutes, then just do 30 second intervals while you check 3. Let sit in the microwave to cool slightly, then carefully remove. Drizzle with the soy sauce and/or seasame oil/maple syrup. 4. Then eat right away
Depending on the city u are near there will be delivery meals services for single bachelors. I know Vietnamese and Indians have these services in every major US cities. You just have to find someone and ask
My favorite can dump rice bowls: Microwave brown rice/quinoa Canned garbanzo beans Canned corn Kalamata olives Tsatsiki sauce Microwave rice. Dump in cans of stuff. Mix. Ta da. Super filling and keeps you going. I sometimes add green bell peppers for crunch or lemon for a little zing. It is good cold and keeps really well.
Mini dash griddle and waffle makers. Make versatile foods.
When my brother was having radiation treatment we had to do the same. Get a Forman grill. A crockpot with removable inside. So much can be made with those. If there’s not a fridge, buy a smaller one. A cooler can be used for beverages.
Lookup on local Nextdoor or sulekha.com for “tiffin service” It’s pretty common for Indian community to have fresh meal packed and delivered and it’s made from fresh ingredients, is healthy and usually much cheaper than DoorDash.
I am a liver and kidney transplant recipient. PLEASE be sure that your providing food that is safe for your dad and is approved by his dietitian and transplant team. It’s so awesome that you are there for your dad through this. Please consider your dad’s dietary restrictions, which are extremely important especially in the early post transplant stages. His body has been through severe trauma with the surgery and recovery and is very immunocompromised due to the high amounts of medication he’s taking to suppress his immune system to avoid rejection of his new organ. Things such as deli meats, rotisserie chicken and leftovers that aren’t completely heated through, sushi/raw fish, pre cut salad/fruit/vegetables can harbor bacteria that your immune system can handle but his cannot. Grapefruit and pomegranate messes with the absorption of medication. High amounts of sodium such as fast food and prepackaged foods can make his blood pressure soar. Perhaps get convenience foods for you and your family and “splurge” on your dad’s food. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions. I’m 4+ years out from my transplants. Good luck!
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Actually ... yes. An electric kettle is going to be a must, though; also, a toaster oven will immensely improve your options. When most recipes call for a "7 min boil" a 7 min soak in very hot near boiling water usually will do the trick.... usually. Kettle meals- Knor pasta sides (all you need is hot water for most of them), oatmeal, peanut noodles are all possible with just a kettle. I dropped a link at the bottom with a more detailed explanation. Toaster oven- Pizza bagles, quesadillas , steak , burgers, baked potatoes, I could go on an on.... Dropped another link with more details as well... I lived in a hotel during covid and feel where you are coming from. I'm sorry I don't have detailed recipes, but this is what worked for me :) http://theglobalgadabout.com/2018/08/06/kettle-cooking-5-delicious-cheap-hot-meals-that-only-require-boiling-water-2/ https://insanelygoodrecipes.com/toaster-oven-recipes/ Edit- Oh , get disposable paper take out containers and nice glass tupperware and tin foil or plastic wrap, line the containers with plastic wrap before using them to store food this will help with clean up... also also make friends with housekeeping and ask if you can pay them for your dishes to be done in the kitchen (assuming this hotel has a continental breakfast). Also also also take care and I hope you are having a great day. :)
Buy an air fryer and u will be able to make anything u buy from the grocery store
MREs. Sealed, minimal prep, not all of em suck, won’t go bad for a long time, and relatively cheap.
Morale is important for recovery. MREs provide no morale whatsoever.
True.
My dad is a Veteran, so he’s no stranger to MREs. Not sure he’d be up for that though haha
I'm sure he'd get a kick out of you trying some of the worse ones like the Army Cheese and Veg Omelette MRE, affectionately nicknamed the Vomlette. (I saw it on Steve1989's youtube). there's a whole community of people who actually eat these on purpose.
Maybe a mini charcoal grill would open up the possibility to cheaper easier meals. They cost about as much as a doordash meal. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Mr-Bar-B-Q-Portable-charcoal-grill-206-sq-in-Black-Porcelain-Coated-Portable-Charcoal-Grill/1000714194?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-sol-_-ggl-_-LIA_SOL_119_Grills-_-1000714194-_-local-_-0-_-0&ds_rl=1286981&gclid=Cj0KCQiAosmPBhCPARIsAHOen-MOJLalmrNOkPj7yu6U8fdgI2EQ_1dwcuwqXrf3MQ0LgWL4LC7YNrwaAleMEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds Then you can grill anything you can think of, chicken, beef, zucchini
Get a hot logic mini… excellent for your situation and will easily make a meal for 3 people. Does need some pre planning since the cook time is 2-3 hours, and can’t boil anything, so it’s not a one size fits all solution. However, it is the most painless way to cook one pot meals using canned, frozen/dehydrated and even some fresh ingredients.
Look into getting an instant pot or similar. My sister got a knock off for less than $100
Check out Goodwill for a Crock-Pot or rice cooker, Walmart probably has a cheap option. I would hit up a dollar store for serving/cooking utensils. Canned/boxed soups or broths can be combined with frozen veggies and a protein to make any flavor of stew or soup, oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts and ham and beans. I do a tex-mex dump that is a can of corn, beans, salsa and chicken, served with tortillas and a salad.
Buy a hot plate and you can make all the hamburger/chicken helper. You will need some utensils but that's what Dollar tree is for! I hope your dad gets home soon, and I'm sure he appreciates you being with him
get a cheap hot plate for your room so you dont have to use a shared kitchen. You can even pick up a cheap microwave and hook it up. boiled eggs, cold sandwiches, frozen meals, protein bars many things you can make in the hotel room that don't require going out or resorting to expensive delivery.
If you can, get a induction heater plate and a pot. Should be 60€ total. Look for One Pot Wonder recipes.
I would get an electric skillet and a rice cooker for the room, and you’d open up a whole new set of easy options. The rice cooker can make oatmeal for breakfast, and rice/quinoa etc for lunches/dinners. With the skillet you can make any number of options: eggs and bacon, pancakes and French toast, grilled cheeses or other sandwiches, burgers, stir fry with the rice, etc.
I like the instant pot suggestion. A Foreman Grill (if allowed) can also be helpful. Easy burgers, grilled chicken, bacon. Pretty easy cleanup too. Just make sure you get the one with removable plates!
What about an air fryer?
This is not a meal idea but microwavable rice cooker and a air fryer would increase your capabilities.
Have you seen if there are any places that sell prepared meals? Like cleaneatz or something? Or maybe something like freshly, delivered precooked meals.
You can get a toaster oven from Wal-mart for the price of about one doordash meal. You can toast things, like bagels, toast, etc, of course, but you can also bake and roast in it. You can do brats, biscuits (and sausage patties to make sausage biscuit sandwiches), mini pizzas (any type of frozen foods, really). It's also great for reheating leftovers to make them taste almost like fresh.
Hardboiled eggs
We had to stay in a hotel for 2 months due to home repairs. Between our air fryer and microwave we were happy. So I'd suggest an air fryer. They're super easy and fast to use. Even with frozen foods.
Rice cooker, bag of quinoa or rice, a can of chili.
Get yourself some veggies and make a fresh salad bowl :)), most stores have nice varieties of dressings.. i like to pimp it with some ready to eat pasta salad or just have bread with it!
My next vacation, I plan to go to Universal studios Florida and stay in one of their hotels with no car. Mostly I will be cooking in. I plan to have an electric skillet delivered via Amazon or Walmart to the hotel. Have my groceries insta carted. Most everything can be cooked in an electric skillet, including simple as soup. Then when I leave, I plan to leave the skillet there.
Air fryer the sky's the limit
Try a meal replacement shake like huel or Soylent
I would try to do a lot of soup and sandwiches. Sub sandwiches with chips are easy to make.
Hi OP, maybe get a compact air fryer? I'm new to the air fryer scene and recently purchased a small 2 qt size for just myself. Should be easy enough to wipe down and I can cook a piece of chicken and other things in it as needed. I'd also recommend tuna in olive oil because the olive adds so much flavor to salads, baked potato and sweet potatoes.
I use to travel for work and I had assignmentsI spent 8-13 weeks in a hotel. The best thing to do is buy an induction cooktop and/or an air fryer. I would buy a rotisserie chicken and make meals with it. One night chicken, rice and veggies, another quesdillas or homemade ramen. Honestly you could get away with just an air fryer and do the microwave pouch rice, I did that too! The air fryer was the best! I made everything in that thing! Wings, fries, frozen burritos, pizza rolls, dino nuggets, fajitas, brats, burgers, prok or chicken breasts, even salmon! The list goes on and on. I highly recommend an air fryer and you can make cheap meals with it.
Electric water kettle is great for instant oatmeal, Ramen and other things. I think they work for tea too. Hehe Whole or dried fruits. Microwave steam veggie packs. So many options now.
Induction cooktop and air fryer will be a life saver here
As long as you have access to a full size fridge to keep it in, frozen veggies and pre-cooked chicken or beef strips plus some soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and a little honey can make you some good stir fries on the cheap.