First time traveling for a soccer tournament..food?

[desirun]

I need help, my 13 y.o. daughter is 9 weeks post diagnosis, still feeling icky, but wants to travel and play in her 3 1/2 hour away soccer tournament this weekend in Indianapolis..ugh. We'll hit the road Friday and head back Sunday afternoon. Our hotel will have a microwave and small fridge. The team has planned a meal out at Buffalo Wild Wings and other buffet type dinner/lunches. My daughter won't be able to eat from any of these places. 

I'm stressed about what food to pack and prepare.  Should we bring gluten-free food to the restaurant/buffet meals so my daughter can sit with her team? Should I buy a cheap toaster oven to make food in? 

New to the travel aspect! Thank you for any tips! Stressed...

[cyclinglady]

The trip will be easy!  What will be hard is for your daughter to learn to participate without eating everything.  It depends on the restaurant, but many health codes prohibit bringing in outside food.  When that happens, I usually head out to my car and quickly eat while everyone else is eating (think Girl Scouts).  I might sneak in a treat to munch on and I order a drink to fit in.  

Invest in a good five day type cooler.  The kind used for camping.  Refill ice from the hotel.  Pack meals that are easy to reheat or just eat cold.  You can always find a grocery store for a quick snack or in case you forget something.  When out with the Scouts, I often heat my chili or soup at the hotel and store in a thermos for Lunch.   For dinner, I pack a salad with chicken, something cold.  I pack boiled eggs and lots of cheese sticks.  Bring a favorite gluten-free cereal.  Usually you can find items on the breakfast buffet like yogurt.  Bake some yummy cookies, brownies or cupcakes and freeze in advance if you do not want to bake the night before.  Slice and package individually.  Share these with the whole team or buy Skittles or other candy to share.  She will not feel so left out then.  

Best to sit down and plan her favorite foods and what can be easily reheated.  This is so doable.  Look at camping sites for tips and ideas.  You will have tons of fun!  

[Ennis-TX]

2 hours ago, desirun said:

I need help, my 13 y.o. daughter is 9 weeks post diagnosis, still feeling icky, but wants to travel and play in her 3 1/2 hour away soccer tournament this weekend in Indianapolis..ugh. We'll hit the road Friday and head back Sunday afternoon. Our hotel will have a microwave and small fridge. The team has planned a meal out at Buffalo Wild Wings and other buffet type dinner/lunches. My daughter won't be able to eat from any of these places. 

I'm stressed about what food to pack and prepare.  Should we bring gluten-free food to the restaurant/buffet meals so my daughter can sit with her team? Should I buy a cheap toaster oven to make food in? 

New to the travel aspect! Thank you for any tips! Stressed...

I am going to add on to cyclinglady great advise. I like to also bring my own baked goods with traveling so I can "Treat Myself" since I can not eat out when doing it (I have other issues like a corn allergy etc so eating out is much more limited). I take Nordic ware microwave cookware like omelette maker, cooking bowls, the round grill plate (MAKE sure you get the splatter cover that fits over it), steamer etc. SO I can cook, grill ,steam my meals in my hotel.  When going on long conventions I also bring a griddle for stir fry, french toast (julian bakery bread dipped in beaten eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, almond milk mix) etc. I treat it as a time to camp/picnic. OH and look up JAX Packs for meal prep boxes these are great for packing meals to go on the road. FOR emergency ALWAYS keep a protein bar like Julian Bakery, BuuFoods, Kind etc in your purse, glove box for meal. And nuts, seeds in bags make for great snacks, check out Nuts.com and Open Original Shared Linkfor snacking options. You can even candy them, or make your own mixes. I love gerbs pumpkin seeds for munching and they all fit well with sports.

[desirun]

Soccer tournament went great. Thanks for your tips and support. Excellent suggestions that helped.