tcl

+1

Outside of schlepping foodstuffs for friends and relatives, I bring my own tea (bagged or loose) along with a dual voltage mini kettle in my carry-on. In my carry-on I also have a handful of fiber pills and a few snacks such as individually packaged nuts, a snack bar or two and of course some emergency chocolate.

aquamarinesteph

When we travel, Mr. Aquamarine always packs Sweet & Low (not a food, but necessary for his coffee). We also pack emergency granola bars in our carry on bags in case we're stuck somewhere during off hours when finding an open restaurant isn't possible or convenient due to scheduling issues.

I love to bring back wine (from any country) and olive oil saltines from Italy.

My great aunt ALWAYS traveled with a large jar of peanut butter in her luggage. While she was an adventurous soul as far as travel was concerned, her sense of adventure did not always extend to the available food choices in other countries.

PatMcrotch

Why do you do this?

firecracker725

I always travel with beef jerky and some type of nut. Most of the time I have protein bars as well. I need to eat every 3-4 hours, and I know that good food choices aren't always plentiful. My snacks keep me from scarfing down airport cheeseburgers.

corky

Lol..I have no idea. I started doing it at least 10 or more years ago and then it became a ritual. I love the mouth feel and taste of chocolate first thing in the morning. I tell myself that I get bonus points because dark chocolate is an antioxidant.
Try it. You're welcome.

BuildingMyBento

Thus far, I have found the three countries in which I spend the most on snacks are the US (though IIRC, the UK has good choices, too), Japan, and Turkey.

Currently in Jeddah, I'm chowing on unsweetened dried cherries and mulberries from Turkey, Japanese an donuts, and Trader Joe's dried bananas (TJ's is the source for 95% of my snacking in the US). My backpack is a carbohydrate utopia.

ShopAround

I'm more of a bring food home person but I do travel with protein bars and small (8 oz) bottles of water, just in case.

Many years ago, I was staying in a hotel where breakfast was expensive and not included in my room rate (and the room had no kettle or coffee maker). I packed some Pop Tarts, a small travel immersion heater, teabags and powdered milk. I'm not a coffee drinker but need tea in the morning.

Scott in LA

I don't usually bring anything for myself, but more than once I've been asked to bring tortillas to friends working in China.

tentseller

Look for China-bound luggage of expat family's son/daughter studying in the US going back for American Thanksgiving. The whole dinner is in an insulated shipping box.

Segments

PB2 and other brands of peanut butter powder solve the TSA liquid issue. Rehydrate with water. Lighter than regular peanut butter makes it a carry on staple. (Chocolate PB2 ... yum!)

Mingyuw

Chocolate bar for sure ! sometimes I will bring some cup noodles with me

AStarr

This reminds me to pick some of this on my next US trip... I miss that stuff so much

Depends on the trip but at the very minimum I bring Skratch Labs powdered electrolyte drink mix, a couple protein/meal replacement bars, and some high protein Cup-A-Soup. Sometimes I also have single serve fresh packs of miso soup as well. If I'm on a more heavy sports trip, I'm bringing a lot of food with me - protein powder and so on.

I like eating out but I also hate eating out for every meal and loathe eating in the same room that I'll be sleeping so any food that goes in the room has to be small and not strong scented. Even if it's delicious, I don't care, I don't want the scent of food where I'm sleeping. Me and room service have a very strange relationship. I eat sandwiches if I have to eat in my room.

StephanBe

I try to avoid eating on the plane, but still I bring some snacks like peanuts or a protein bar in case I am stuck on the ground.

darthbimmer

I'll be practicing what I preach on a trip next week. I'll be attending a small conference with working breakfasts for three days. It's a domestic trip, so "strange" food isn't the issue. The problem is the breakfast catering menu shared by the hotel indicates that I probably won't find much to eat that I like and isn't sugary crap. The working lunches look only marginally better. To ensure that I have enough satisfactory nourishment to make it through the long days I'll pack a box of my favorite protein bars from home and look to grab a six-pack of sodas from a convenience store near the hotel after I arrive.

Laci Smith

I bring along with me some cookies, chips and sandwiches, juice and my coffee because I can't go without it