Hard boiled eggs keep nicely. Cheese of various types. Canned tuna with salad fixings.

We used to take an electric skillet with us when we travelled, so it was good for chili, eggs, burgers, bacon and eggs in the morning, grilled cheese for lunch. Of course, much of the time the girls were fine with peanut butter.

Will there be a microwave in the room? If so, things like tuna casserole and soups will keep for a couple of days in the cooler and can just be reheated.

I know it's kind of boring, but a rotisserie chicken makes a couple of good meals. The first just as roast chicken when it's purchased, another meal of sandwiches or chicken salad, some can be mixed with a can of chicken broth and ahandful of noodles or rice for soup and the rest of the rice with the last of the chickens and leftover vegetables makes a decent fried rice.

Annie

If he is near a large supermarket it may have a nice hot food/salad bar. The food isn't cheap, but it does cost less that a restaurant.

Fruit, cottage cheese, hard cheeses, whole grain non-fat crackers and an assortment of cut up veggies with some dip...
Add some packaged sliced lunch meat and some buns and he should be good to go.
Add granola bars, some oranges and apples and he should be fine for 5 days.

Hard salami keeps for a long time w/o refrigeration. So do hard cheeses. Bagels or bread wrapped in plastic. Canned tuna. Canned chili or chunky soups if there is a microwave. Gorp. Fruit. Pretty basic stuff, but if there is no supermarket deli nearby, it'll do him okay. Kind of like camping in a motel room.

I don't think there is a microwave in the room. Or a refigerator. He's bringing a cooler and most stuff should stay pretty cool just in the car.

If the motel has ice available for the cooler, that will be helpful and convenient to keep things cold.

Hummus or other bean dip will keep well, have crackers and cut up veggies to dip. A slice of deli cheese and turkey/ham/salami can be rolled up together, cut in pieces, put in zip lock bag for a ready-to-eat protein snack or part of a meal. Cold cooked chicken and tuna in the foil packs are another source of protein.

Easy to make ahead pasta salad with blanched vegetables, olives, grape tomatoes and Italian dressing would keep well in the cooler.

Banana bread or muffins and his favorite cookies would travel well and keep several days.

For something hot, he could always get an order of soup to go and Wendy's chili is pretty decent in this situation.

Teresa

One pot meals will work best, don't forget there is cleanup and that's not easy in a bathroom sink !!! Things like counter space and limited utensils need to be considered.

Chili, soups, mac and cheese, spaghetti and meat sauce served with a tossed salad for his veggie fix. If you have time a chicken or beef stew reheats nicely in one pot.

For the mac and cheese and the spaghetti, before he goes, make the sauces before he goes and boil the pasta. Drain and run pasta under cold water, place in zip locks. To cook he just needs to dump boiling water over the pasta and throw it in with the heated sauce.

You mention he is doing the night shift. Most places have some sort of kitchen for the workers. That may make things a bit easier. Maybe he can prepare his main meal there.

We discovered this summer that most motels have a statement somewhere near the ice machine: "Please don't fill your ice chest with this ice" or similar. Then they put the ice machine near the office so they can hear you if you ARE doing that anyway. However, bags of ice at the convenience stores are around $2 and generally last for a day or two in mild weather.

MANY motels are putting microwaves and small refrigerators in the rooms these days. Even one Motel 6 we stayed at, had those. However, whether they work or not is another story. There is generally a microwave somewhere in the building (such as the breakfast room) if there's none in the room.

Donna

Years ago I worked a job that required me to be in a motel about 40 nights out of a year. I soon got tired of fending off the travelling salesmen who wanted to "buy me a drink" so I took to eating in my room. Granted I was only gone 2 to 3 days at a time and that I was a small woman sitting in a car most of the day and not a man working construction....but.
Breakfast was a can or box of juice, a granola bar and in-room coffee. Lunch was fruit and cheese and maybe a container of yogurt, and dinner was usually fast food take out.

Many times I filled my ice chest from the motel.....sure some had the signs, but if I filled my cooler in the morning, the ice maker had all day to replenish before people began arriving for the night.....and if I thought of it and froze 2 liter pop bottles to take with me.....they would last a long time.
I also had a small hot pot....it would plug in and heat about 12 oz or whatever, and I had a plug in coil heater to boil water for tea or coffee or in a pinch one of those instant soup mixes....blech!

Yeah, I'm hoping if there's not a micro in the room they might let him use the one in the lobby, if it's just to heat water or some kind of soup in a cup. He won't need a huge bag of ice this time of year, lol!

I traveled for work for quite a while. Gone all week, home on weekends for months at a time. I eventually got sick of motel life and cost and rented a furnished room in a house. Because there was no weekend use, I got a better price. It might be something to consider if BF is paying for the motel fee. If not, never mind!

I also lived in a Motel 6 during the week for another job. Again for several months. I didn't try to cook. I grabbed some cheese, fruit, and bread. I lost some weight.

IF BF will eat vinegary stuff, there's a couple more options for no-cook, one dish meals.

Italian pasta salad with lots of veggies and pepperoni (I love the turkey one), italian dressing.

Four bean salad. Can add more stuff like peas, corn, celery, etc.

The obvious pickled veggies of all types.

The tuna and salmon packets that don't need refrigeration can provide the protein for a cracker/cheese/veggies meal.

Deanna

It's just a week's worth of work and he just found out about it yesterday. I convinced him to stay there because he's not used to working the night shift, he isn't a good sleeper and I didn't want him driving the 1.5+ hours there and back half asleep.

Ah, ye olde hotpot! I had one for just this kind of application but I can't find it. But while looking for it I found this small microwave I used to have in my old office. I made BF take it along with a tiny toaster I had.

Found out there's no micro in the rooms or lobby. The place doesn't even offer breakfast, just free coffee. Oh well, it's cheap which is what we wanted. There's probably a micro at the place where he's working but since he's temp. staff they may not let him use it. And knowing BF, he won't ask. So I feel better sending the micro with him. I got it on sale at the grocery store for only $30.00 and used it for at least five years, so if anything happens to it no big loss. If only I could find that dang hotpot!

I'm sending him with a supply of fresh foods and then some boxed and canned instant stuff and dry stuff for when that runs out. I'd much rather eat in my car than at a restaurant, (for health and money saving reasons), but then I have a station wagon and all kinds of camping gear so I just pop the hatchback and tailgate!

If you really want to save $, why not try couchsurfing.org. Looks like there is at least one place to stay in your area, so maybe there is one closer to his work. You could send all sorts of canned goodies as a 'thank you'.

I'm sure there are other websites like it, let me know if you want me to dig them up.

Here is a link that might be useful: couchsurfing

Ah, yes! Couchsurfing.com! Recommended by a good friend. He made his house available when he lived in Hawaii.

A Chinese friend of mine travels with a rice cooker for when he has to stay in a motel; steams the rice and other items at once, without any effort. Of course, you have to learn how to use the cooker and how to make what you would like; so for this episode, it probably isn't practical. If he's gonna be on the road a lot, though, that might be a consideration.

Here is a link that might be useful: rice cooker cookbook

Sending the microwave is smart. I think he'll be fine. At worst, sandwiches for a week isn't all bad. I realize you have been spoiling the guy. It's time for him to get a reminder of the cold world beyond your home. Cold beans from the can, for a week, now that'll have him buying you flowers when he gets back . . .

LOL John, I did send him with a small can of baked beans . . .

I used a crock pot on on of the trips I used to take with the ex... but now have such great camping gear, that I could take a stove and cook outside my door.

Moni

Here is a link that might be useful: scroll down for a camp meal pic

The first couple days, some sort of a casserole brought with and reheated is fine. If he's a breakfast eater, how about some cereal? If he likes oatmeal or something, the coffeemaker will heat the water for it. Decent meat, cheese, buns, etc make great sandwiches and they could be heated in the microwave if need be. I ate a lot of crackers & summer sausage in the motel when I was traveling. Occasionally I'd hit a local cafe for breakfast and they're usually reasonable.

It's really not a big deal.

I am a coffee fiend! So I use to travel with a 4 cup coffee maker in tow. However the coffee pot came in handy for hot water as well. There are lots of things you can make by just adding hot water (dried soups, oatmeal, tea, Ramen Noodles to name a few.)

Other things that I like to eat while on the road: granola bars, granola, dried fruit, nuts, crackers and graham crackers.

I know he wants to save money but I tell ya....a nice hot breakfast at a diner a few days wouldn't be that much and after working all night would be something I would want....not cooking at all! Around here a full breakfast (sometimes with coffee...sometimes not) is only $1.99 ....2 eggs, choice of meat, hash browns and toast. Add a buck tip and you're only talking $3.00 bucks! I would consider one hot cheap meal out....but that's just me.

Duane

I really think that for just a week....I would make do with in-room coffee....granola bars....sandwiches made from meat and cheese maybe canned beans and perhaps a couple of "lovelingly prepared" sides to heat in that micro.....and be done.
But he can cook bacon eggs in a micro.....and pretend he has toast and hash browns!
Good luck to hum....feed him well after this is over!

Man, I have gotten rusty, I used to be WAAAY better at road food. I could cook right well for a week on just what I could carry in a stuff sack plus water and a camp stove that was basically a glorified bunsen burner. My car was always packed with camping gear and I kept a box of provisions in the basement so I could hit the road at a moment's notice. Now I can't even find my friggin' hotpot! What has happened to me!!! :) (Although Piscataway NJ does not exactly qualify as a glamorous road trip! ;) So far, BF is doing OK food wise, the sleep is what is going to be a challenge for him. He has enough trouble sleeping at night, let alone having to adjust for just a week, and then readjust back again. I know this swing shift life is all too familiar to some folks.

You may not be old enough to know about Y2K.

I bought a lot of army ration because the sky was falling.

Those were not bad if you don't have to eat them for the whole year.

Meat, veggies, desserts, snacks -----.

You just add water. They came with a little chemical pack which generated a lot of heat, and the food would be piping hot in no time.

dcarch

Yeah DC, I was a mere babe of 39 back then! You are such a diplomat! ;)