Contributor: Zoe
Submission: "Of Food and Feasting: Eating (Well) at a LARP
LARP (system): Accelerant
Location: Cambridge, MA
Character name: Esme Kingslocke, Tev
Years LARPing: 2, Nutritional Anthropologist
This was inspired by some discussions on livejournal and on forums-- please share, and add your own thoughts!
While you’re battling hoards of hobgoblins and mortal-munching zombies, it’s important to fuel yourself with nutritious and wholesome foods. At LARPs, it’s often too easy to load up on cookies, cupcakes, and high-sugar, saturated-fat dense fats. These foods often leave people feeling headached, nauseated, and hungry for good food. At a LARP, where you’re engaged in heavy physical activity for an entire weekend, it’s important to not only eat healthfully, but also to eat regularly. But that’s not always so easy: as we know from our day-to-day lives, some of the most convenient foods are pre-packaged. (It’s pretty hard to make your greek yogurt smoothie with fresh berries and protein powder at a LARP. Or a cobb salad, for that matter.) So here are a couple topics to help you fuel your body and your LARP.
(Before I go on, while this article is written for PCs, everything said gos for NPCs and plot-staff. NPCs often work twice as hard as PCs, and are often on their own for food. However, NPCs and plot-staff often have a few things that PCs don’t have: a monster camp with power, refrigeration, and/or a kitchen, and, hopefully, a more generalized scheduled. Because of these capacities, NPCs and plotstaffs can plan when to take snack breaks. Moreover, they can more easily have convenient and nutritious food on hand all the time. The Endgame and Aralis monster camps, both of which for whom I’ve NPC’d, always provide easy-to-eat hot food and snacks for NPCs. Since both games work their NPCs pretty hard, it’s really appreciated that they have the food available.)
Think Efficiently.
One of the hardest parts of the LARP-eating is that, amidst the battles against warlocks and dictatorial government powers, you seldom feel like you have the time to grab a “real meal.” Most LARPs offer a hard dinner hour, where everyone can sit down to a hot(tish) meal, and unwind for an hour or two. In the Accelerant system, we also observe, more or less, a breakfast time. All the same, what about those 3 to 6 hour grinders, where you have ten minutes of rest while your restless monsters set up the next module? Think about it: if you were on a 4-hour hike, wouldn’t you be munching on some trail mix? When LARPing, think like an endurance athlete: you need to eat healthful food to keep you going. But those feeds need to be convenient, nutritionally rich, and easy to digest.
So let’s break those three categories down.
1) Convenience
2) Nutrition
3) Easy to Digest
If you don’t have a food allergy or a condition like heartburn/acid reflux, then you might not think of digestion at a LARP. When you engage in heavy activity, like LARPing, your body undergoes a period of stress where certain parts of it, more or less, “shut down.” At LARPs, digestion often becomes difficult-- you may get stomach-aches or bowel problems that last for a day or two afterwards. This is only made worse by eating high saturated fat, high-sugar, and rich foods (like cheeseburgers, fried foods, or pizza). However, these foods aren’t the only culprits of indigestion-- when your body is under stress, it will have a harder time digesting fibrous foods like beans, raw fruits, and veggies (these create uncomfortable gas bubbles). So, when selecting LARP food, it’s important to think of things that will be easy on your individual digestive system.
Here are a couple quick ideas for good foods at LARP. If readers are interested, I will post more about these individual topics.
Trail Mix (carb+protein+fat): Trail mix is tasty, easy to make, and keeps well. You can bake it into bars, or keep it in a giant container for convenient munching throughout the day. While it doesn’t make a “meal” (unless you’re biking across the country), it is satisfying, tasty, and adaptable to most diets. You can make it yourself by combining carbohydrates (dried fruits and grains), proteins and fats (nuts, yogurt covered nuts or raisins, granola-pieces baked in olive oil). Trail mix can also be stirred into yogurt, kept in a cooler, for a more rounded snack. Try a savory trail mix: smoked nuts, your favorite wholegrain cereal, pretzels, and maybe some chopped jerky if you eat meat.
Crockpot Cooking: Most LARPs have access to power, and crockpots are a great way to cater to nutritional needs, personal preferences, and special diets. Moreover, crockpots are convenient: it’s easy enough to fill a paper-cup with chili, curry, or stew, and carry it to the pre-hook speech out in the main field (just make sure you throw it away). A loaf of bread, pita, tortilla chips, or crackers can make crockpot cooking a well-rounded meal. The best part? Crockpots bubble away long after the dinner hour-- the food keeps, and will keep you satisfied late into the wee-hours of the demon-dashing morn. Lately, Chris and I have been experiement with Pho-- while it’s a bit of a hassle, the fresh veggies and light noodles don’t weight us down during busy LARP times. My friend Anthony makes Chili, and Aaron, a vegetarian, makes a great lentil stew and spiced rice. As long as you obey the rules of the campgroud, dispose of food in the proper situations, there’s no reason you can’t have a satisfying, healthy, and homemade meal at a LARP.
Fruit/Veggie + Protein: This is a great standard snack that can be extrapolated into a meal-- it’s also easy to serve this sort of stuff at a tavern (our last Madrigal event offered platters of fruits and veggies with various dips. Take presliced veggies sticks, like carrots, zuchinni, and celery, and serve them with hummus, nut butters, or salsa. Add some hard cheese, and you have a healthy meal that’s quick to prepare, and keeps well. The possibilities are really endless here.
Theme your food
This is an overlooked things in most LARPs. I’m a nutritional anthropologist, so I study food history extensively. Maybe I take it for granted that most people don’t necessarily obsess over Ancient Roman cuisine. Anyways, I love to theme my food to a LARP. While I think safety and properly fueling your body is the biggest priority, there’s no reason why players can’t or shouldn’t work towards matching IG universes with OoG dietary patterns. In Mirror, Mirror, for instance, Chris and I play fantasy Persian characters. We bring dried dates, hummus, lavash, rice, and pistachios. In Madrigal, even though we generally have Pho, we try to work it into the Madrigal landscape, serving it in special bowl, and eating it with special spoons. While food and food culture are special interests of mine, I think most people can get into it.
Drink Up!
You’ve heard this 85 cajillion times, I know, but water is important. It helps you move, think, and function effectively. Dehydration is a huge problem in LARPs (last Madrigal, someone collapsed due to dehydration), and it’s up to everyone to look out for eachother. You always have time for a water break. Accelerant is usually great about providing all players with water, but it’s really up to you to hydrate yourself. Water aids digestion, and will help relieve the headaches, nausea, and stomach problems that come during LARPing. Make water available and in large quantities. If someone’s looks dehydrated? Get them some water? If someone’s trying to drink? Let them. Safety first. Finally, if you’re loading up on high-sugar, high-sodium, or highly-caffienated products? Double up your water intake. Everyone’s individual, but here’s a way to find out your water intake level. Keep in mind, however, that when you’re physically active, you’ll need even more for compensation. http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm
Be Aware of Sensitivities.
Be sensitive about food sensitivities! One of the reasons this topic is so important to me, is because I have a severe gluten/wheat allergy. A lot of LARPs have been ruined for me because of sickness due to food. While I’m not blaming others, it would really help if people were careful. Here are some pointers to help you participate in a safer LARP.
If providing food, provide for everybody-- ask for suggestions, and encourage people to be open about allergies or restrictions. Obviously, you can’t please everyone, so try to go with the lowest common denominator. If you have someone with celiac’s, a vegan, a meat lover, someone who insists on sweets, and someone on a diet, offer almondbutter, brownies, rice cakes, a loaf of bread, some coldcuts, carrot sticks, and hummus-- none of these products are too expensive, and they store well.
If providing food, take responsibilities to read labels-- if you’re unsure ask! People with dietary restrictions are usually happy to help. If possible photocopy, or keep the package. As a celiac, I’ve learned a lot from asking other people what products to use. List everything that’s in it-- if you’re not positive that something doesn’t contain an ingredient, don’t say it doesn’t. Leave it up to others to decide whether or not they can eat it.
Don’t cross-contaminate food. It’s ok to the stick that crumb covered fork in the communal peanut butter, right? Well, no. You could get the guy with the peanut allergy really sick-- or make the woman with the gluten allergy miserable. (I had to leave Engame because of cross-contamination-- while it was probably my fault for not being cautious, it was awful for the game-- we only had 4 NPCs, and I felt so bad I came back the next day-- much recovered.) People with allergies are usually overly cautious, but they want to participate-- especially in monster camps.
Be polite. Don’t force food on people. It’s really awkward to have to refuse food from others because you’ve already eaten, or don’t like the food they’ve made. Moreover, if someone’s providing food for you, don’t bash it. They’re working hard to make sure you’re well fed. Be constructive and helpful if you want the food to be better (or find another with whom to eat). After a particularly bad dinner experience, I had a friend who went out with another person for dinner-- they took care of themselves, and got out of a bad situation really appropriately. If you’re kosher, gluten-free, or vegetarian, see if you can find others with your dietary needs. It’s a great way to meet new people, and it keeps you safe and healthy. On the forums or email list, send out a-- “hey, any other vegan out there?” right before the LARP. People in the LARP community are supportive and understanding. If their teams can’t eat with them, they’ll more than understand.
If you have a food allergy or restriction? Speak up! It’s ultimately your responsibility to take care of yourself. While this may sound like common sense, it bears repeating. No one wants to make you sick, or make you feel awkward. If you say, “Sorry, can’t eat that,” people will most likely respect it. And if someone’s says that to you? Don’t take it offense-- treat it like Accelerant’s “plague” and move on.
Have fun.
Food at a LARP can be a way too add to the experience. Eating healthy can be a way to expand your game universe. Perhaps you’re having tea with the headmistress of a warlock academy, or maybe a fae is coming over for a quick breakfast. Or maybe you’re a tavern keep who loves to travel the land searching for new recipes. Check ahead of time with everyone involved, and go crazy! Just respect people, remember everyone has individual needs, and clean up.
Moreover, food can be a cool way to expand your props. A shield fighter at madrigal had made a bagel, cream cheese, and granola pocket for his shield-- that way, he could stay fueled up during battles. During a field fight when a player collapsed, he was able to offer the player a granola bar and some water.
So what do you do for food at LARPs? What would you like the hear more about? Do you have any recipes? Would you like any of the above expanded?
Some links:
http://www.godecookery.com/afeast/afeast.htm
http://vegweb.com/
http://www.tibetantsampa.com/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gluten-free-diet/my01140
Submission: "Of Food and Feasting: Eating (Well) at a LARP
LARP (system): Accelerant
Location: Cambridge, MA
Character name: Esme Kingslocke, Tev
Years LARPing: 2, Nutritional Anthropologist
This was inspired by some discussions on livejournal and on forums-- please share, and add your own thoughts!
While you’re battling hoards of hobgoblins and mortal-munching zombies, it’s important to fuel yourself with nutritious and wholesome foods. At LARPs, it’s often too easy to load up on cookies, cupcakes, and high-sugar, saturated-fat dense fats. These foods often leave people feeling headached, nauseated, and hungry for good food. At a LARP, where you’re engaged in heavy physical activity for an entire weekend, it’s important to not only eat healthfully, but also to eat regularly. But that’s not always so easy: as we know from our day-to-day lives, some of the most convenient foods are pre-packaged. (It’s pretty hard to make your greek yogurt smoothie with fresh berries and protein powder at a LARP. Or a cobb salad, for that matter.) So here are a couple topics to help you fuel your body and your LARP.
(Before I go on, while this article is written for PCs, everything said gos for NPCs and plot-staff. NPCs often work twice as hard as PCs, and are often on their own for food. However, NPCs and plot-staff often have a few things that PCs don’t have: a monster camp with power, refrigeration, and/or a kitchen, and, hopefully, a more generalized scheduled. Because of these capacities, NPCs and plotstaffs can plan when to take snack breaks. Moreover, they can more easily have convenient and nutritious food on hand all the time. The Endgame and Aralis monster camps, both of which for whom I’ve NPC’d, always provide easy-to-eat hot food and snacks for NPCs. Since both games work their NPCs pretty hard, it’s really appreciated that they have the food available.)
Think Efficiently.
One of the hardest parts of the LARP-eating is that, amidst the battles against warlocks and dictatorial government powers, you seldom feel like you have the time to grab a “real meal.” Most LARPs offer a hard dinner hour, where everyone can sit down to a hot(tish) meal, and unwind for an hour or two. In the Accelerant system, we also observe, more or less, a breakfast time. All the same, what about those 3 to 6 hour grinders, where you have ten minutes of rest while your restless monsters set up the next module? Think about it: if you were on a 4-hour hike, wouldn’t you be munching on some trail mix? When LARPing, think like an endurance athlete: you need to eat healthful food to keep you going. But those feeds need to be convenient, nutritionally rich, and easy to digest.
So let’s break those three categories down.
1) Convenience
If you’ve been LARPing, you know how difficult it is to eat and make what would be simple meals at home (spaghetti, salads, curries etc.). You need something you can a) eat quickly, b) won’t go bad, and c) won’t result in a lot of pots, pans, and dishes.
2) Nutrition
Many LARPers with whom I’ve spoke are not endurance athletes (quite a few are!). Accordingly, I’m always surprised by some of the answers I receive about LARP eating and activity. LARPs, especially Accelerant LARPs, are high-level activity. Even if you are predominantly non-combat, chances are you are burning far more calories than in your day-to-day life: you are walking on difficult terrain (hiking) and often enduring more severe temperatures than in daily experience (shivering and sweating both require energy). To break it down, kind of roughly, this is what your body needs during levels of high-activity. And so, the Macronutrients!
A) Carbohydrates: The main source of fuel for your body, they are also the quickest to give you energy. You absolutely need these for the type of activity at a LARP! You can get these in breads, grains, fruits, milk, and yogurt. (Almost anything has carbs.) Whole grains, brown rice or whole wheat bread, will give you a more sustained energy than refined grains (white bread, cookies, white rice etc.)
B) Fats: These will help give you the longest amount of energy and satisfaction. Fats also help you think and concentrate (your brain is mostly fat). Moreover, because they are dense in nutrients, they are very convenient for a LARP-- you don’t need a huge amount to fuel yourself. Just before your going out onto a big field fight, popping a serving of almonds is a great idea. Look for good fats, nuts, nutbutters, avocado, edamame, and most oils (olive oil, for instance).
C) Protein: Protein gives you energy, but also helps to rebuild and repair the cells used in heavy activity. Look for clean sources of protein, like nuts, tofu, lean meats, and low-fat dairy. Jerky and cured meats can be great at LARPs-- they keep well, and are low in fats. However, they are often high in sodium, so be careful when selecting jerky (I make my own out of fish). High-sodium foods like jerky will dehydrate you quickly and mercilessly (the same goes for salted nuts).
3) Easy to Digest
If you don’t have a food allergy or a condition like heartburn/acid reflux, then you might not think of digestion at a LARP. When you engage in heavy activity, like LARPing, your body undergoes a period of stress where certain parts of it, more or less, “shut down.” At LARPs, digestion often becomes difficult-- you may get stomach-aches or bowel problems that last for a day or two afterwards. This is only made worse by eating high saturated fat, high-sugar, and rich foods (like cheeseburgers, fried foods, or pizza). However, these foods aren’t the only culprits of indigestion-- when your body is under stress, it will have a harder time digesting fibrous foods like beans, raw fruits, and veggies (these create uncomfortable gas bubbles). So, when selecting LARP food, it’s important to think of things that will be easy on your individual digestive system.
Here are a couple quick ideas for good foods at LARP. If readers are interested, I will post more about these individual topics.
Trail Mix (carb+protein+fat): Trail mix is tasty, easy to make, and keeps well. You can bake it into bars, or keep it in a giant container for convenient munching throughout the day. While it doesn’t make a “meal” (unless you’re biking across the country), it is satisfying, tasty, and adaptable to most diets. You can make it yourself by combining carbohydrates (dried fruits and grains), proteins and fats (nuts, yogurt covered nuts or raisins, granola-pieces baked in olive oil). Trail mix can also be stirred into yogurt, kept in a cooler, for a more rounded snack. Try a savory trail mix: smoked nuts, your favorite wholegrain cereal, pretzels, and maybe some chopped jerky if you eat meat.
Crockpot Cooking: Most LARPs have access to power, and crockpots are a great way to cater to nutritional needs, personal preferences, and special diets. Moreover, crockpots are convenient: it’s easy enough to fill a paper-cup with chili, curry, or stew, and carry it to the pre-hook speech out in the main field (just make sure you throw it away). A loaf of bread, pita, tortilla chips, or crackers can make crockpot cooking a well-rounded meal. The best part? Crockpots bubble away long after the dinner hour-- the food keeps, and will keep you satisfied late into the wee-hours of the demon-dashing morn. Lately, Chris and I have been experiement with Pho-- while it’s a bit of a hassle, the fresh veggies and light noodles don’t weight us down during busy LARP times. My friend Anthony makes Chili, and Aaron, a vegetarian, makes a great lentil stew and spiced rice. As long as you obey the rules of the campgroud, dispose of food in the proper situations, there’s no reason you can’t have a satisfying, healthy, and homemade meal at a LARP.
Fruit/Veggie + Protein: This is a great standard snack that can be extrapolated into a meal-- it’s also easy to serve this sort of stuff at a tavern (our last Madrigal event offered platters of fruits and veggies with various dips. Take presliced veggies sticks, like carrots, zuchinni, and celery, and serve them with hummus, nut butters, or salsa. Add some hard cheese, and you have a healthy meal that’s quick to prepare, and keeps well. The possibilities are really endless here.
Theme your food
This is an overlooked things in most LARPs. I’m a nutritional anthropologist, so I study food history extensively. Maybe I take it for granted that most people don’t necessarily obsess over Ancient Roman cuisine. Anyways, I love to theme my food to a LARP. While I think safety and properly fueling your body is the biggest priority, there’s no reason why players can’t or shouldn’t work towards matching IG universes with OoG dietary patterns. In Mirror, Mirror, for instance, Chris and I play fantasy Persian characters. We bring dried dates, hummus, lavash, rice, and pistachios. In Madrigal, even though we generally have Pho, we try to work it into the Madrigal landscape, serving it in special bowl, and eating it with special spoons. While food and food culture are special interests of mine, I think most people can get into it.
Drink Up!
You’ve heard this 85 cajillion times, I know, but water is important. It helps you move, think, and function effectively. Dehydration is a huge problem in LARPs (last Madrigal, someone collapsed due to dehydration), and it’s up to everyone to look out for eachother. You always have time for a water break. Accelerant is usually great about providing all players with water, but it’s really up to you to hydrate yourself. Water aids digestion, and will help relieve the headaches, nausea, and stomach problems that come during LARPing. Make water available and in large quantities. If someone’s looks dehydrated? Get them some water? If someone’s trying to drink? Let them. Safety first. Finally, if you’re loading up on high-sugar, high-sodium, or highly-caffienated products? Double up your water intake. Everyone’s individual, but here’s a way to find out your water intake level. Keep in mind, however, that when you’re physically active, you’ll need even more for compensation. http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm
Be Aware of Sensitivities.
Be sensitive about food sensitivities! One of the reasons this topic is so important to me, is because I have a severe gluten/wheat allergy. A lot of LARPs have been ruined for me because of sickness due to food. While I’m not blaming others, it would really help if people were careful. Here are some pointers to help you participate in a safer LARP.
If providing food, provide for everybody-- ask for suggestions, and encourage people to be open about allergies or restrictions. Obviously, you can’t please everyone, so try to go with the lowest common denominator. If you have someone with celiac’s, a vegan, a meat lover, someone who insists on sweets, and someone on a diet, offer almondbutter, brownies, rice cakes, a loaf of bread, some coldcuts, carrot sticks, and hummus-- none of these products are too expensive, and they store well.
If providing food, take responsibilities to read labels-- if you’re unsure ask! People with dietary restrictions are usually happy to help. If possible photocopy, or keep the package. As a celiac, I’ve learned a lot from asking other people what products to use. List everything that’s in it-- if you’re not positive that something doesn’t contain an ingredient, don’t say it doesn’t. Leave it up to others to decide whether or not they can eat it.
Don’t cross-contaminate food. It’s ok to the stick that crumb covered fork in the communal peanut butter, right? Well, no. You could get the guy with the peanut allergy really sick-- or make the woman with the gluten allergy miserable. (I had to leave Engame because of cross-contamination-- while it was probably my fault for not being cautious, it was awful for the game-- we only had 4 NPCs, and I felt so bad I came back the next day-- much recovered.) People with allergies are usually overly cautious, but they want to participate-- especially in monster camps.
Be polite. Don’t force food on people. It’s really awkward to have to refuse food from others because you’ve already eaten, or don’t like the food they’ve made. Moreover, if someone’s providing food for you, don’t bash it. They’re working hard to make sure you’re well fed. Be constructive and helpful if you want the food to be better (or find another with whom to eat). After a particularly bad dinner experience, I had a friend who went out with another person for dinner-- they took care of themselves, and got out of a bad situation really appropriately. If you’re kosher, gluten-free, or vegetarian, see if you can find others with your dietary needs. It’s a great way to meet new people, and it keeps you safe and healthy. On the forums or email list, send out a-- “hey, any other vegan out there?” right before the LARP. People in the LARP community are supportive and understanding. If their teams can’t eat with them, they’ll more than understand.
If you have a food allergy or restriction? Speak up! It’s ultimately your responsibility to take care of yourself. While this may sound like common sense, it bears repeating. No one wants to make you sick, or make you feel awkward. If you say, “Sorry, can’t eat that,” people will most likely respect it. And if someone’s says that to you? Don’t take it offense-- treat it like Accelerant’s “plague” and move on.
Have fun.
Food at a LARP can be a way too add to the experience. Eating healthy can be a way to expand your game universe. Perhaps you’re having tea with the headmistress of a warlock academy, or maybe a fae is coming over for a quick breakfast. Or maybe you’re a tavern keep who loves to travel the land searching for new recipes. Check ahead of time with everyone involved, and go crazy! Just respect people, remember everyone has individual needs, and clean up.
Moreover, food can be a cool way to expand your props. A shield fighter at madrigal had made a bagel, cream cheese, and granola pocket for his shield-- that way, he could stay fueled up during battles. During a field fight when a player collapsed, he was able to offer the player a granola bar and some water.
So what do you do for food at LARPs? What would you like the hear more about? Do you have any recipes? Would you like any of the above expanded?
Some links:
http://www.godecookery.com/afeast/afeast.htm
http://vegweb.com/
http://www.tibetantsampa.com/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gluten-free-diet/my01140
I think vegetable samosas are the best larp food ever.
ReplyDeleteYum... what a great idea. You can eat them hot, cold, stick them in a freezer, microwave.
DeleteYay, godecookery.com!
ReplyDeleteI love the themed food stuff too, even when it's just simple things. I think that cooking and eating can definitely be part of the immersive larp experience. It's definitely a way to make friends and connect with people.
All of the nutritional advice is also good and well-received!
thanks a lot for this information article! I recommend you skywritingservice.com that describes in details healthy food!
ReplyDelete