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We leave for Haiti in a few days! Last year, I shared packing tips for a mission trip, and realized I didn’t share much about what food to bring. It turns out, my team had a lot of questions about food. I remember asking the same my first trip, so I thought I’d share a quick story about what food I’m bringing this year. Hope it’s helpful to anyone traveling on a short-term mission trip!

First, we have breakfast and dinner provided for us in Haiti, so we only need to bring lunch and snacks. Also, the amount of food to bring simply varies based upon the number of days you’ll be gone and frankly, the amount of room you have to pack it. I like to bring a variety of foods to keep it interesting over multiple days!

I try to pack foods that are individually wrapped for single portions. This makes a grab-and-go lunch or snack easy, and it keeps food fresh in the Haiti summer humidity. If individual packages come in a box, I also try to keep them in the box to protect them from getting crushed or flying around in my suitcase.

 

Here’s the food I like to bring:

Proteins

• Beef jerky - I added turkey bites too, just because I really like savory foods.

• Salmon Creations, lemon dill - This is the only salmon I like out of a bag or can! My husband thinks it’s disgusting, but I also didn’t like the MRE’s (Military Meals Ready to Eat) he brought last year, but they’re an option too, if you like them!

• Peanut butter - I bought the to-go packs this time for easy travel and less waste.

• Cliff bars - Of course, these have more than protein, and I consider them to be a substantial portion of my lunch.

Fruit

• Dried apples and mangos - These fruits are my go-to, but there are lots of options to choose from!

• Layered fruit bars - You can also buy fruit strips, which I brought last year. I just found these at Costco and love them!

• Fruit snacks - Are these considered fruit or a snack? Regardless, the kid in me still loves them - and the tropical flavor can’t be beat when in the Caribbean!

Drinks

• Gatorade - Cool blue to be exact! Lots of water is key, but about once a day, I need a boost of electrolytes in that hot Haiti heat. I bought a big container of the powder and then filled individual zipped baggies with the appropriate amount for one water bottle at a time.

• Zip Fizz - Filled with lots of vitamins and natural caffeine, this gives you a natural boost that doesn’t leave you in a mid-day slump like other caffeine sometimes can.

• Liquid I.V. - I forgot to include this in my photo, because it’s packed in our first aid kit. Liquid I.V. multiplies the benefits of water. I haven’t tried them yet myself, but I hear they work!

Other Snacks

• Whole wheat Ritz crackers - These are individually wrapped too, and I eat them with peanut butter or salmon.

• Cheez-it crackers - Because they’ve always been my favorite!

• Fruit/Nut mix - These handy little packets are filled with different berries and nuts, individually wrapped.

• Multi grain crispy rolls - I just found these at Costco and really like them! They’re made with multiple different grains and come in a huge bag - hence why I threw some in!

 

There you have it! Those are the foods I’m taking this year to Haiti. Let me know - What foods do you like to bring on a mission trip?