I am going to be staying in a hotel for a three day conference, I wont have much access to restaurants/refrigerators/microwaves and although I'm confident there will be times I can grab lunch I also know there will be times I will not be able to. Is there any suggestions for what to pack to eat? I wont really have access to a car most of the time and definitely wont have the time to wander around an unfamiliar city in search of something to eat! (obviously as this is posted in the Vegan forum- only vegan suggestions, thank you!)

Will you have a coffee maker in your hotel room? If so, instant oatmeal and instant soups are a possibility. It can be difficult/impossible to get the coffee flavor out of the coffee maker, though, so be forewarned and run plain water through at least a couple of times.

You should get in touch with the conference organizer or someone at the front desk of your hotel for some more suggestions. A lot of hotels in major cities (and some not-so-major ones) provide shuttle service as well, which might provide more options for restaurants or a few groceries (if you can't bring a lot with you).

When I have to stay at the hospital with my daughter I always take a loaf of bread, peanut butter, and fresh fruit (and a knife to spread PB and cut fruit). Then I also keep snacky stuff like nuts, fruit leather, cereal bars, ect. I also take candy simply because it keeps my spirits up and makes me feel not quite so hungry (it's not easy living off PB sandwiches!). I usually have access to a microwave so I also take instant oatmeal and those horrendously unhealthy shelf-stable asian meals (the ginger-teriyaki noodles...sorry I don't remember the brand).

I've friends who basically just eat bagels when they travel, so I guess that's always a good filling snack, especially if you take some fruit preserve with you. But yea, I'd say never rule out contacting your hotel, they're often a lot more accomodating than you'd expect.

Fruit, nuts and seeds are the first thing that come to my mind. Bananas, oranges, apples, pears, almonds, cashews, pecans, sunflower seeds, etc. Bagels with peanut butter or some other nut butter also sounds good to me. I usually keep some fruit leathers and a cliff bar in my purse. So that's probably something else I'd take along. I would also take along some mini vegan milk containers. When I was visiting my mom and staying in a hotel I bought some rice milk containers to drink in the morning or put into my coffee.

I'd also check out happycow.net to see what might be within walking distance of your hotel. You might find that there's something really close by to go eat at or a veg*n friendly store.

What about calling ahead to some of the restaurants that are vegan friendly to see if they're willing to deliver to the hotel where you will pick up in the lobby or have the receptionist collect it for you?

I wonder if the hotel will have room service? They might have something that you can eat. Other than that I would take stuff for PBJ's, nuts and dried fruit, maybe some Larabars or something to that effect.

annie chuns soups?

my favorite travel food is a big ol' zip-lock bag full of equal parts whole raw almonds and whole dried blueberries.

i've done the loaf of bread & peanut butter & jelly before. actually, i've done it for just about every road trip.

also, maybe a baguette, tomatoes, and avocado. yummy! maybe add some hummus to the sandwich. do they sell any hummus individually packed? i'm not sure.

trail mix, bars, meatless jerky <----that has really saved me.

PBJ and meal replacement bars (Clif, Lara, Luna) spring to mind
Also research what's near by in advance

Loads of dried fruits, nuts, meal replacement bars, and maybe some food you can make at home, then take along in a container? I know you won't have much access to fridges, but maybe your hotel room has a mini-fridge? Some do.

I have a Hot Pot I take with me so I can make all kinds of things. I never used it in college because I lived with my parents, but it was a high school graduation present that has served me well while traveling.

When there's a free breakfast at hotels I stay at I always take some extra fruit and plain oatmeal (make in the coffeemaker) to snack on later instead of resorting to the vending machines.

Check out the local phone books for restaurants that deliver to the hotel. Most hotels have menus for places that deliver in the main lobby that even offer discounts for guests. A cheeseless pizza can last awhile without refridgeration than a cheese pizza. Pasta dishes are also great cold if you luck out and have a fridge in your room.

Research the area on the web before you go. Check out happycow.net.

If you bring a can opener you can bring along some cans of beans and soups.

I know Sabra makes little containers of hummus. They're about the same size as a little serving of ranch or caramel dip or something like that.

hmmm, interesting. i'll have to look into that.

I travel extensively and have almost always been able to arrange a small refrigerator in my room if I'm staying at least 2 days.
I've used many of the suggestions above; add the fridge and all is good.

this is probably not the place for it but i just ran across this:
Fairmont Hotels offer vegan options for a price

http://www.thisdishisvegetarian.com/...n-options.html.


I hope this means others will start offering meals like this too.

I find out if the hotel has a restaurant and if so what is on their menu. That gives me an idea of what they stock in their kitchen. Then I think of what I would be able to cook if I had those ingredients and ask them to make that for me. A lot places will have a pasta dish with meat on top, so I'll ask for pasta with tomatoes and olive oil. If they have some meat dish that shows steamed vegetables on the side, I'll ask if I can get a plate of just those vegetables.

Hotels deal with travelers from all over the world, with eating habits more unusual than veganism. Their job is to take care of people away from home. They can handle it. I may end up paying $20 for that, but it does work. Plus you know any restaurant will have salad stuff in the kitchen. And fresh fruit. The menu may show everything slathered in meat or dairy, just tell them how you'd like it made.

And I travel with a suitcase filled with food. Apples, bananas, oranges, peanut butter, bagels, crackers, chips, cold cereal, instant oatmeal, Annie Chuns bowls, lara bars, plastic utensils and paper plates.

The suggestions have all been great so far. If you don't mind eating cold soups, you can easily find canned soups. I would be surprised if you didn't have a refrigerator in your room, so you may be able to have some perishable items.

I'm surprised you don't want to wander around in a strange city...to me, that's the most fun part! Still, you can venture out with a plan by simple checking Google for nearby restaurants and then checking their menus. Another option is to Google the nearest grocery store. That way, you may find you can pick up food while you're there instead of having to pack it before you leave.

Agreed! I love exploring strange/unfamiliar cities and also checking out all the different restuarants/cuisines. But if time and transportation are an issue than I get why it wouldn't be so convenient .

Or if it's a city suffering urban sprawl (too spaced out).

I wrote an entire cookbook on traveling with a mini blender and minimum foods when I went to Europe for a month. However, I had access to a coffee pot in most case; sometimes a frig; always ice; and also sometimes a hot plate. But here are some ideas. If you take a mini blender, I really like my Hamilton Beach, costs around $15. and takes up very little space. You can also take a really small soft side collapsible lunch bag with a ice pack included. Again this takes up very little space and provides you with enough space to store at least two meals worth of ingredients.  For a week end here is a typical grocery list:2 cups of nuts (you can make nut milks, nut cheese, and nut butters), make at least a medium size bag of veggie crackers before you go, and make up some of your favorite spice mixes before you go, you can add to cheese, or to spice up a salad,  Take nutritional yeast at least 1/4 Cup. 1/4 C of rolled oats. Some seeds, like flax, chai, sesame or hemp about a cup of these mixed or matched. A cup of dried fruits. Some sweetener (I only use organic dates, maple syrup, stevia or agave). I also don't drink caffeine so I take some coffee substitutes. You could take a dehydrated smoothie powder with you or make your own before you go. A good smoothie usually kept me pretty full until about 3:00 in the afternoon. Most hotels or restaurants have spinach, apples, lettuce and carrots. So one way or another you can get smoothie ingredients and then just add your own milk and omega 3s for the day. Here is a cheese recipe that I love, it is Ann Wiggins with a twist.  Place in your blender 1 C non dairy milk, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 2 TB nutritional yeast, 1/2 C rolled oats, 3 TB lemon juice, 1 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp garlic powder and blend until creamy. This is great for eating on crackers, or fruit and can be kept cold enough in your lunch bag. You might get a little tried of the same things but you never know what you can come across when traveling. Like you could make a pizza if you find some tomatoes by just adding the tomatoes to the blender with some spices and spreading it on the crackers with the cheese. I am in the process of putting together a road trip food pack to go across country at the moment. Of course I have a car and this is the season to get fruit and veggies on the road. Good luck. I survived in France on nuts and seed for about three days. It was the hardest place to find vegan food.  

Consider buying: Vegan Go Go Cookbook - A Survival Manual for Vegans on the Road

 

Also, take a look at http://www.vegguide.org/

 

Lastly, make sure you have energy bars or nuts with you at all times so you always have something to eat even when it seems like there's nothing around you can eat.