Meals

Hungry team members are cranky. Well-fed team members can think big and change the world! When team members come from school to robotics, and meet over the dinner hour, we are committed to providing dinner – and safe food for all. We ask parents to help us meet this goal. You bring two meals a year, and your student is fed for all of the rest of those dinners.

Bringing two meals for the whole team with safe food for all can be complicated and a lot of work. It can be expensive – or relatively cheap. It can also be a great way to come interact with team, and to share favorite foods from your family.

Details:

  • Count: We have 30ish students and 13ish mentors.
    There are more details and counts for special food needs below!
  • Dinner is at 6 pm (please try to arrive at 5:45 pm to set up)
  • Check the signup – you will be working with a Mentor Meal Wizard – a mentor who contact you beforehand, greet you and make sure things are set up. Emilio is also always available for consults.
  • Team dishes, cups, pitcher, serving utensils, rice cooker, slow cookers, etc. can be used if you are willing to take them home to wash. We have more than a week’s supply of most items. From an environmental standpoint, we encourage this.
    The team also has a large supply of paper plates a parent brought that you can use.
    Consider using metal forks/spoons/knives and taking just those home to wash.
  • Meals are set up as a buffet so participants can customize their own plate from the offerings.
  • Team members are encouraged to bring their own water bottles – pitchers of water and cups are also set out. You do not need to bring drinks.
  • Meals are served near the gym. Team member can either eat in the gym or outside.
  • Signup Genius: Signup for Meals (also on NoMythic Internal Website Food Page)

Current Dietary Restrictions

  • Please check the NoMythic Internal Website Food Page for a list of current dietary restrictions by person, which protects the privacy of our members and also allows you to skip some of the restrictions if you know those individuals won’t be at a meal.

Meal Suggestions

We’re keeping things simple this year. Here are some meals that have worked well.

Vegan Tacos

This meal is inexpensive and almost everyone can eat the same things.

  • Corn chips – 2 oz per person
  • Vegan taco crumbles (1/4 cup dried TVP from co-op reconstituted with 1/4 cup hot water and taco seasonings, fried with onion per person). [For 18 people, I purchased 1 pound/4.5 cups of TVP at a cost of $4.50.]
  • Bean/corn/avocado salad (1/4 cup black beans, 1/4 cup corn, plus some tomato, onion, avocado and lime juice per serving). For 18 servings, I cooked 1 cup dry black beans ($1.25) in the instant pot, plus frozen corn, tomatoes from the garden, 2 avocados and lime juice.
  • Grated cheese – 1 oz per person
  • Sour cream – 1/3 oz per person
  • Salsa – <1 jar total
  • Lettuce
  • Cookies – 2-3 each (check ingredients – vegan preferred)
  • Fruit – 1-2 oz per person of grapes

Gluten-free: All GF except dessert. Make sure there’s a GF cookie or a fruit option.
Vegetarian/vegan: All vegan except dessert. Make sure there’s a vegan cookie or a fruit option.
No peanut/tree nuts: Check the cookies.
Lactose intolerant: Cheese and sour cream are optional – the meal is complete without. Check dessert.
Carb counting: We will count the carbs in a serving of bean salad and chips.

Hot Dogs/UpDogs

This meal is kind of boring, but pretty easy. The hot dogs were cooked at home in a slow cooker, then brought and plugged in again until dinner. The updogs were cooked in a separate slow cooker.

  • 2 simple hot dogs per meat eater [24 bun length hot dogs at Aldi for $3]
  • 1-2 hot dog alternatives (Target has several choices. Aldi sometimes has vegan dogs but not in September, 2021]
  • 2 hot dog buns per person
  • 1 serving of gluten-free bread
  • Ketchup
  • Mustard
  • Relish
  • Carrots/celery or other vegetable
  • Chips
  • Cookies: 2-3 each (check ingredients – vegan preferred)
  • Gluten-free cookies: 1 serving

Gluten-free: Provide one serving of GF bread/bun. Make sure there’s a GF cookie or a fruit option.
Vegetarian/vegan: Check the buns – some have dairy. The simple inexpensive ones are most likely to be OK. Make sure there’s a vegan cookie or a fruit option.
No peanut/tree nuts: Check the cookies.
Lactose intolerant: Simple buns are usually OK – check ingredients. Check cookies.
Carb Counting: We will count the carbs in the bus, chips, and cookies.

Baked Potatoes

A whole oven full of potatoes will take longer to cook that you expect. Once hot, transfer them to a cooler and they’ll stay hot several hours.

  • 1 medium/6 oz potato per person
  • Toppings:
    • Diced ham: 2 oz per meat eater
    • Meal alternative like fake bacon bits or TVP crumbles
    • Cheese – 1 oz per person
    • Sour cream – 1/2 oz per person
    • Butter (and vegan butter)
    • Salt
    • Broccali
    • Sauteed mushrooms
    • Other things!
  • Cookies/fruit

Gluten-free: Make sure there’s a GF cookie or a fruit option.
Vegetarian/vegan: Make sure the vegan toppings are sufficient, and consider bringing a serving (Toby can provide) of vegan butter. Make sure there’s a vegan cookie or a fruit option.
No peanut/tree nuts: Check the cookies.
Lactose intolerant: Cheese, butter, and sour cream are optional – the meal is complete without. Check dessert.
Carb Counting: We will calculate carbs in the potato and cookies.

Spaghetti

Vegan Chili

Updated 3/20/2023