Tortes?
July 24, 2010 10:40 AM Subscribe
What's a silent, odorless, and neat snack that will fit in a one gallon plastic bag and fuel the test-taking stamina of a bar examinee?
A good friend of mine is taking the NY bar exam in a few days, and will be allowed to bring a snack to the test center if said snack fits the above criteria. No refrigeration, no time to pause and peel an orange, no disturbing the crazed future lawyers around him, etc. This needs to be something that won't break his pace, and will hopefully keep him as clear-headed and mentally energetic as possible for 4-6 hours.
This question had some helpful suggestions, but (1) he dislikes granola-type bars (incl. Luna, Clif, Nutragrain) and (2) he is worried that nuts will be deemed too loud and fruit will be adjudged too messy. (The proctors apparently look over everyone's gallon bags upon entry and won't hesitate to toss banned items.)
All of which made it very hard for me to think of something. Any suggestions?
A good friend of mine is taking the NY bar exam in a few days, and will be allowed to bring a snack to the test center if said snack fits the above criteria. No refrigeration, no time to pause and peel an orange, no disturbing the crazed future lawyers around him, etc. This needs to be something that won't break his pace, and will hopefully keep him as clear-headed and mentally energetic as possible for 4-6 hours.
This question had some helpful suggestions, but (1) he dislikes granola-type bars (incl. Luna, Clif, Nutragrain) and (2) he is worried that nuts will be deemed too loud and fruit will be adjudged too messy. (The proctors apparently look over everyone's gallon bags upon entry and won't hesitate to toss banned items.)
All of which made it very hard for me to think of something. Any suggestions?
Best answer: PB&J is awesome for energy. Cut it into manageable pieces, throw into ziplock bag.
posted by pyro979 at 10:45 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by pyro979 at 10:45 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
These. I can not recommend them highly enough. Perhaps the bite-sized ones would be more efficacious than a large one. They don't make crumbs and you can eat them almost silently. I buy them at Trader Joe's.
posted by Lynsey at 10:48 AM on July 24, 2010
posted by Lynsey at 10:48 AM on July 24, 2010
Clif Shot Bloks? They're like gummy candy with electrolytes and caffeine. Take them out of the crinkly package beforehand.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 10:48 AM on July 24, 2010
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 10:48 AM on July 24, 2010
GORP. I always thought it was just raisins, peanuts and M&Ms, but the recipes that I am finding also add cereal and pretzel pieces. Put whatever you want. I also like better nuts - walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc.
posted by CathyG at 10:53 AM on July 24, 2010
posted by CathyG at 10:53 AM on July 24, 2010
What does he dislike about "granola-type bars"? I've found that a lot of them are chalky and weird tasting, but there are alternatives which are basically SuperGranola bars -- usually seeds and nuts bound together by some kind of fruit paste. I like Lara Bars, as well as others that I can't remember the brand name for but which are more nut/seed and less fruit paste than the Lara bars. I find that these types of bars can often completely replace a meal for me, or enable me to wait hours before eating again.
What about dried fruit? Not terribly high in protein, but it should keep him going. Much neater than regular fruit.
Beef jerky?
Trail mix?
Those Sahale snacks which for all intents and purposes are basically really swank trail mix?
Something involving peanut butter?
Raw veggies like carrots, celery, etc?
Bread and cheese?
Bananas?
Then again, if eating a nut or opening a package of any kind is too loud, and eating a neat fruit like a banana is too messy, there may not be a food out there that meets these criteria.
posted by Sara C. at 10:59 AM on July 24, 2010
What about dried fruit? Not terribly high in protein, but it should keep him going. Much neater than regular fruit.
Beef jerky?
Trail mix?
Those Sahale snacks which for all intents and purposes are basically really swank trail mix?
Something involving peanut butter?
Raw veggies like carrots, celery, etc?
Bread and cheese?
Bananas?
Then again, if eating a nut or opening a package of any kind is too loud, and eating a neat fruit like a banana is too messy, there may not be a food out there that meets these criteria.
posted by Sara C. at 10:59 AM on July 24, 2010
Trail mix! Trader Joe's, especially. It sells many trail mix varieties, and one of them will have the ingredients your friend wants or doesn't want. My favorite is the All-American, which includes raisins, almonds, cashews, and chocolate chunks. There are also surely brands of beef jerky that would fit the bill, but I haven't eaten jerky in ages, so I can't recommend one in particular -- the ones I liked smelled beefy, but they didn't create any other distraction.
When I took the bar, I had (IIRC) a spare peanut butter sandwich on wheat in a Ziploc. But I don't remember that I ate so much as half of it. Adrenaline makes me less hungry, and there was a lunch break at which I could barely eat for that reason.
He should be sure he has plenty of water, of course, but I would suggest some caffeine for midway through -- maybe one of those little 5-Hour shots.
posted by Countess Elena at 11:01 AM on July 24, 2010
When I took the bar, I had (IIRC) a spare peanut butter sandwich on wheat in a Ziploc. But I don't remember that I ate so much as half of it. Adrenaline makes me less hungry, and there was a lunch break at which I could barely eat for that reason.
He should be sure he has plenty of water, of course, but I would suggest some caffeine for midway through -- maybe one of those little 5-Hour shots.
posted by Countess Elena at 11:01 AM on July 24, 2010
Seconding the bite sized pb&j sandwiches idea, they've gotten me through many a long day. Delicious variation: peanut butter and lemon curd sandwiches.
posted by teraspawn at 11:03 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by teraspawn at 11:03 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: String cheese? They're fine unrefrigerated for hours.
posted by rtha at 11:06 AM on July 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by rtha at 11:06 AM on July 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
Tell your friend not to do peanuts or peanut butter -- if someone in the room has a severe peanut allergy, they'll be taken away (or that person will have an allergy attack). Almond butter would be better, but sandwiches like that, with jam or curd on them, sitting in a plastic bag for hours, really do build up a strong smell.
I'm nthing the Lara Bar. The cashew flavor is one of my favorites. Another option is a bag full of soaked or from-a-can-and-rinsed chickpeas/garbanzo beans. They're delicious, full of protein, and have zero smell. If the taste of a plain garbanzo bean is boring to your friend, they can be sprinkled with salt and pepper or the tiniest bit of curry powder (or anything, really) for a more interesting taste.
posted by shamash at 11:11 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm nthing the Lara Bar. The cashew flavor is one of my favorites. Another option is a bag full of soaked or from-a-can-and-rinsed chickpeas/garbanzo beans. They're delicious, full of protein, and have zero smell. If the taste of a plain garbanzo bean is boring to your friend, they can be sprinkled with salt and pepper or the tiniest bit of curry powder (or anything, really) for a more interesting taste.
posted by shamash at 11:11 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
Jumbo marshmallows, the ultimate stealth food, but each one impregnated beforehand with an almond or pecan. You get some substance to balance out the sugar, and the marshmallow pads the nut crunch sound! Most of us go 4-6 hours without food a couple of times a day anyway, so it's not like it has to be a snack fit for marathon runners. I also like the pre-unwrapped string cheese idea for something silent and filling.
posted by Askr at 11:19 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Askr at 11:19 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
A peeled, wrapped in a clean towel, hard boiled egg or two? A couple pieces of tasty but soft bread, like a cinnamon raisin or banana bread? I think the key may be wrapping things individually in quiet cloth kitchen towels (the kind that are cottony and not terrycloth) to keep things tidy and wrapper-less.
He could also concentrate on eating something filling and long-burning before the exam, like oatmeal with nuts, so he won't have to worry about sudden righteous blasts or hunger in the middle of the day.
posted by Mizu at 11:30 AM on July 24, 2010
He could also concentrate on eating something filling and long-burning before the exam, like oatmeal with nuts, so he won't have to worry about sudden righteous blasts or hunger in the middle of the day.
posted by Mizu at 11:30 AM on July 24, 2010
Best answer: Just a note - I find chickpeas and hard boiled eggs to be particularly smelly foods.
If he's really getting this minute about it ("omg what if someone in the room has a peanut allergy? what if there is a smell? what if someone hears a package crinkle?") maybe he should just bring water and try to hang with skipping a meal. Either people are going to mutually understand that there might be people snacking in this situation, or they're not and there is no ideal food that's not going to set off someone's stress levels.
posted by Sara C. at 11:44 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
If he's really getting this minute about it ("omg what if someone in the room has a peanut allergy? what if there is a smell? what if someone hears a package crinkle?") maybe he should just bring water and try to hang with skipping a meal. Either people are going to mutually understand that there might be people snacking in this situation, or they're not and there is no ideal food that's not going to set off someone's stress levels.
posted by Sara C. at 11:44 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
From Ms. Vegetable: Agreeing with aforementioned bananas.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 11:53 AM on July 24, 2010
posted by a robot made out of meat at 11:53 AM on July 24, 2010
I like cherry tomatoes as snacks and they're quiet and odorless and don't need refrigeration. You would just have to remember to eat each one in one bite so there's no chance of spraying tomato juice about.
posted by frobozz at 11:54 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by frobozz at 11:54 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
Do people really find bananas/banana bread to be odorless? I can smell a banana from the other end of the house.
I'd go with cashews and string cheese.
posted by trip and a half at 12:19 PM on July 24, 2010
I'd go with cashews and string cheese.
posted by trip and a half at 12:19 PM on July 24, 2010
Best answer: Soft oatmeal raisin cookies. They are quiet, not very smelly, and quite nourishing for the time frame you're talking about. The fibre in the oatmeal and the fat helps keep you from getting a sugar rush all at once.
posted by Ouisch at 12:33 PM on July 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Ouisch at 12:33 PM on July 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
You could peel the orange for him and just give him the segments. No muss, no fuss.
posted by teraspawn at 12:41 PM on July 24, 2010
posted by teraspawn at 12:41 PM on July 24, 2010
I like peanut butter (in fact, I finished a pb sandwich just a few moments ago), but there's a definite odor to it, so that's another good reason to skip it. Eggs and bananas, as lovely as they are, are also out as a non-trivial sampling of people above agree with me that they smell, too.
Mild cheese of some sort, yogurt (it's not going to kill you if left unrefrigerated for a few hours, or stick it in the freezer for a bit before he leaves so it stays relatively thick, cold and tasty), grapes, and the oatmeal cookies Ouisch describes will cover fiber, fat, protein, something sweet and a fair bit of variety during test taking.
Oh, and some bite size candy bars to reward himself when he gets something difficult done. I remember acing a grade 13 exam because our teacher kept handing out candy during it.
Plus: some floss and a bottle of water for after the exam.
posted by maudlin at 12:48 PM on July 24, 2010
Mild cheese of some sort, yogurt (it's not going to kill you if left unrefrigerated for a few hours, or stick it in the freezer for a bit before he leaves so it stays relatively thick, cold and tasty), grapes, and the oatmeal cookies Ouisch describes will cover fiber, fat, protein, something sweet and a fair bit of variety during test taking.
Oh, and some bite size candy bars to reward himself when he gets something difficult done. I remember acing a grade 13 exam because our teacher kept handing out candy during it.
Plus: some floss and a bottle of water for after the exam.
posted by maudlin at 12:48 PM on July 24, 2010
Pre-peeled oranges are a bad idea. At least, when I eat oranges my hands get sticky, which seems like something you wouldn't want to deal with in that situation.
posted by madcaptenor at 1:02 PM on July 24, 2010
posted by madcaptenor at 1:02 PM on July 24, 2010
Grapes with some cheese cut cube sized. The grapes can be wrapped in a paper towel, cheese in a small lidded plastic container.
posted by JujuB at 1:46 PM on July 24, 2010
posted by JujuB at 1:46 PM on July 24, 2010
Hard boiled eggs may be a good option here, if they're de-shelled ahead of time (cuts down on the smell that normally accompanies them -- think of the hardboiled eggs in salad bars that sit out for a few hours. Those don't smell). They're good cold. They're full of good, filling nutrients and protein. And they're not particularly messy to eat with hands because they can be eaten in just a few bites and while holding on to one of the egg-white ends. If thrown in a small tupperware container, the outside can be sprinkled with a little bit of salt and pepper before they're eaten.
posted by zizzle at 2:42 PM on July 24, 2010
posted by zizzle at 2:42 PM on July 24, 2010
Cherry tomatoes AND string cheese.
posted by thirteenkiller at 2:50 PM on July 24, 2010
posted by thirteenkiller at 2:50 PM on July 24, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks, everyone! I love the oatmeal raisin cookie idea, maybe in combination with some cheese cubes or string cheese--non-smelly, pretty silent (if done right!), easy to fit in the gallon bag, and not too messy. Plus I can bake cookies for him and feel like I'm giving him some good luck to take along.
(I really liked the PB&J idea too, but didn't think about the allergy aspect.)
posted by sallybrown at 2:52 PM on July 24, 2010
(I really liked the PB&J idea too, but didn't think about the allergy aspect.)
posted by sallybrown at 2:52 PM on July 24, 2010
Meat jerky, in small bite sized pieces, although I am not sure about the smell factor.
posted by annsunny at 3:29 PM on July 24, 2010
posted by annsunny at 3:29 PM on July 24, 2010
Jerky tends to be *very* smelly (at least any I've ever eaten) and you have to be careful not to smack while you're chewing, lest that annoy others.
posted by IndigoRain at 4:24 PM on July 24, 2010
posted by IndigoRain at 4:24 PM on July 24, 2010
PB&J is ALWAYS messy for me, but maybe it's because I use the natural peanut butter. I can't even make my sammich before work; I have to make it RIGHT AT LUNCH to get a not-so-messy PB&J out of it. I suspect if you cut it into bite-sized pieces and threw it in a bag, they would absolutely throw it away due to the jelly and PB mess.
Oatmeal cookies and string cheese though, that sounds delicious and perfect. Good luck to him!
posted by two lights above the sea at 4:30 PM on July 24, 2010
Oatmeal cookies and string cheese though, that sounds delicious and perfect. Good luck to him!
posted by two lights above the sea at 4:30 PM on July 24, 2010
individual grapes
small chunks of cheddar cheese (or another firm non-stinky cheese)
dried fruit, like mission figs, apricots
raw cashews
posted by fifilaru at 4:41 PM on July 24, 2010
small chunks of cheddar cheese (or another firm non-stinky cheese)
dried fruit, like mission figs, apricots
raw cashews
posted by fifilaru at 4:41 PM on July 24, 2010
fifilaru beat me to it: definitely grapes. If they're prewashed and removed from the stem, they're a perfect bite-sized snack. No smell, little sound, no mess.
posted by studioaudience at 4:52 PM on July 24, 2010
posted by studioaudience at 4:52 PM on July 24, 2010
Frozen grapes...refreshing and they keep you hydrated too without making you have to pee as much. And if they defrost, they're just as delicious.
posted by NoraCharles at 5:19 PM on July 24, 2010
posted by NoraCharles at 5:19 PM on July 24, 2010
Make some bite sized 'breakfast cookies' with nuts or seeds or fruit in them.
posted by spinifex23 at 6:07 PM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by spinifex23 at 6:07 PM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
I took the NY bar a few years ago. There was a lunch break. Unless your friend has super-high metabolism or low-blood sugar, skip the snack and focus on downloading the info from the brain to the test. Eat at lunch.
posted by slateyness at 9:11 PM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by slateyness at 9:11 PM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
Oh, and if he/she is taking it on a laptop? No liquids to spill on it, nothing sticky to mess with typing abilities/distract him/her.
posted by slateyness at 9:14 PM on July 24, 2010
posted by slateyness at 9:14 PM on July 24, 2010
If it were me, and I was wanting something with high energy and not worried about being too healthy, I'd bring a big pack of M&Ms. Perhaps I'd mix it with some raisins/dried fruit and nuts or granola bites to make my own trail mix.
posted by 1000monkeys at 10:32 PM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by 1000monkeys at 10:32 PM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
Grapes are near, easy to eat while thinking/reading, refreshing and tasty. Those were a good mid-afternoon bar exam snack.
posted by andrewraff at 11:44 AM on July 26, 2010
posted by andrewraff at 11:44 AM on July 26, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by clerestory at 10:44 AM on July 24, 2010