Emergency snacks for hospital visits

Nicki

My DD has recently begun to suffer from seizures, and has been carted off to hospital 4 times in the last 2 months, where we have spent a minimum of 6 hours as she comes round and sometimes been there overnight. I think I need to have an emergency bag ready which I can grab and go, and that this should include some food for me, as the hospital shop only seems to sell sweets and chocolate and I can't really leave her to go and shop there anyway. Last night for example the ambulance came for her at 5.30pm and we left A and E at 1.00am with my having had nothing to eat or drink since 12.30 that day.

So, ideas for some snacks which are long life and could live in a bag, without being refrigerated, and would sustain me during a lengthy stint in hospital would be greatly appreciated. I'm not a huge fan of dried fruit which would seem an obvious choice, but otherwise am relatively unfussy.

Thanks in advance.

Lara44

Hmmm... what about crackers, mini cheddars, nuts, ryvita, big bottle of water, couple of tea bags perhaps? Something like peanut butter or some kind of spread?

Sorry to hear about your DD - hope you get the support you need and she is better very soon.

ETA - rice cakes, popcorn (you get nice flavours from Pret a Manger)

skint-student-nurse

Sorry to hear that i was in and out of hospital when i was pregnant so i had the same problem about food/snacks. I kept cereal bars,dried fruit and small packs of rice cakes in my bag. I also kept water in there and UHT milk shakes (like yazoo). HTH

WestonDave

What about those breakfast bars - I think its Kellogs do an "Elevenses" bar which is sort of cake with oats and grains etc, they do a chocolate chip one, but also others (cherry is one I think). They are quite sustaining and although they sometimes get a bit squished they are still edible. We tend to keep some around in our "out" bag for similar sorts of needs.

Looby_Lou

Cartons of juice, rice cakes and chocolate, crisps are easy to carry but tend to make you even more thirsty. The only problem I have found on our Casulty visits is that they always say no food / drink for DS which makes it very difficult for you to eat and drink in front of them. I usually take a book for me and for DS to try and keep us both occupied.

Nicki

Looby_Lou wrote: »

y. The only problem I have found on our Casulty visits is that they always say no food / drink for DS which makes it very difficult for you to eat and drink in front of them. I usually take a book for me and for DS to try and keep us both occupied.

It has been taking her up to 4 hours to fully regain consciousness, so eating in front of her isn't so much of a problem I do tend to feel s bit guilty about getting hungry and thirsty in the circumstances though, and am not sure I would feel ok about getting a book out, though that may change the more often we go through this!

charlie792

I second rice cakes, snack a jacks do them in some good flavours, including chocolate and caramel if you want sweet, cheese, chilli, sour cream if you want savoury. Maybe a couple of bottles of coke - for a bit of a boost of sugar...

faithcecilia

If you like Marmite (or even jam I suppose) why not make up a few rounds of sandwiches at a time and then freeze them in sandwich bags. That way when you have to dash to the hospital you can grab one bag out, they defrost fairly quickly but that filling won't go off if it ends up being a long time before you get to eat them.

You can buy UHT yogurts in some supermarkets that don't need to go in the fridge, also soya desserts by Alpro which are lovely if you want something fairly sweet without actually having sweets.

Other than that I'd also go with crisps, cereal bars etc.

I hope they manage to control your daughter's condition soon so you don't need too many more trips.

faithcecilia

Nicki wrote: »

It has been taking her up to 4 hours to fully regain consciousness, so eating in front of her isn't so much of a problem I do tend to feel s bit guilty about getting hungry and thirsty in the circumstances though, and am not sure I would feel ok about getting a book out, though that may change the more often we go through this!

Feeling hungry is a good thing, you need to keep yourself in good health, especially now your daughter is poorly. If you get ill from not eating properly then you will not be able to look after her in the way you want and need to.

rachbc

Crackers, rice cakes, cereal bars, nuts, drinks, maybe those tubs of fruit in jelly/ juice

Counting_Pennies_2

Definitely pack in lots of cartons of juice.

Cheddar crackers now come in small packs 8 packs of four crackers, they are displayed in boxes (very hand to have as snacks.)

The cereal bars in the cereal aisle are also very good.

Also have a look in the gluten free section of the aisles because they often have healthy snacks in those sections.

Apart from that, it is a bit difficult to do sandwiches, unless you do the frozen thing and grab as you go.

Good luck and hope things settle down.