100 lb. Club - Calling all you New Yorkers! and anyone with travel advice!

Specifically the city slickers...ok well the count down to that wedding I've been going on about having to go to is on....the wedding is now just 2 weeks away so I'm trying to get a jump on planning and I need some advice/recommendations!


This is what I know:

I'll be gone Friday-Sunday and need to plan on all meals except dinners on Friday and Saturday (covered by wedding stuff and I have no idea what to expect)

My hotel comes with comp passes to New York Sports Club...though time wise with all that I'll be doing there won't be much time to trek off to work out...there is no onsite gym...however I'm positive I'll be doing a lot of trekking on foot in heels at least!

I can't afford to eat at the hotel restaurant. period. nuff said.

I'll be staying on W. 56th (between 5th & 6th)

The wedding itself is at the Millennium Broadway Hotel

I'm taking the Acela down and back (its about 3.5 hours) so I'll need to a) pack something to have with me for lunch when I travel down, and b) have something with me on the train on the way back

I have to have an early brunch on Sunday with a friend

This is what I need:

ANY AND ALL recommendations from you NYC slickers on where to eat that is at least moderately healthy and won't break the bank (I'm on a real tight budget and try to avoid anything related to 'street meat') in the general area where I'll be

Recommendations on a good place for Sunday brunch... I'll have to be at Penn Station by 1pm so the closer to there the better...cause it'll give me more time with my friend.

Recommendations of good light weight travelable food....specifically things that are high protein and lightweight....I do not believe there are fridges in the rooms at the hotel but I could be mistaken.

This is gonna be my first time traveling since the new lifestyle so any advice from those who have gone before me would be greatly appreciated!

Sunshine, I've never been to New York, but I just want to say congratulations on planning ahead!

Regarding lightweight travelable food, I like the Southbeach protein bars. They are yummy!

http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=new_york_city@111&cur_section=din&sort=location&review=brief&pg=13

Check out Fodor's for midtown west- there are two GREAT delis, Carnegie and - crap, i can't remember the name of the other one, but it's up one block and it's not listed on that. I'll let you know if I can think of it. Okay, that's not the *healthiest* option, the sandwiches are enormous and delicious.. drool.. oy. The site has a price approximation which is pretty helpful. If you're downtown at all, check out a cute little vegetarian place called Red Bamboo: http://www.redbamboo-nyc.com/. Hotel staff, in my experience, is pretty knowledgeable about restaurant options.

As for snacks, I'd try luna bars, a few crackers with peanut butter, carrot/celery sticks, pretzels.. things in that variety.

Have a good trip!

Snack foods (and/or foods to take in case you can't find anything healthy to eat while you're out):
Individual serving packs of tuna
raisins
almonds
instant oatmeal packages
protein bars
1/2 c servings of canned fruit.

Sorry, I can't even being to help with dining out in NY. I hope you have a great time!

This may be a little lowbrow for what you had in mind but the whole foods in the Time Warner Center (59th and 8th Ave) has a really nice buffet for about 7.99 a pound which is pretty awesome for healthy new york prices and Columbus circle is very pretty anyhow

Thanks folks! Whole foods... I'm there... now that I know where it is! I didn't pick the hotel....I go where I can get a deal. I get the sense that I'm too lowbrow for that area of town!

Thanks so much, I'm gonna check out the links too!

As far as bringing things, I like the South Beath lunch wraps. You can easily eat that on the train.