Prepared foods crossing state lines within the US is not the same as prepared foods coming into the US from another country (including Canada).

There is a brochure published by the US Customs and Border Protection titled "Know Before You Go" which itemizes permitted, restricted and prohibited items including food. It states in part:

"Food Products (Prepared)
You may bring bakery items and certain cheeses into the United States. The APHIS website features a Travelers Tips section and Game and Hunting Trophies section that offers extensive information about bringing food and other products into the country. Many prepared foods are admissible. However, almost anything containing meat products, such as bouillon, soup mixes, etc., is not admissible. As a general rule, condiments, vinegars, oils, packaged spices, honey, coffee and tea are admissible. Because rice can often harbor insects, it is best to avoid bringing it into the United States."

Before you go to all the time and effort to prepare and package these foods for your daughter, do yourself a favor and ask your airline if they will accept them for transport, and ask US Customs if they will confiscate them on your arrival.

Oops, I forgot to include the part about meats (spaghetti and meatballs, chicken & rice). This is also from the above "Know Before Your Go" brochure:

"Meats, Livestock, and Poultry
The regulations governing meat and meat products are very strict. You may not import fresh, dried, or canned meats or meat products from most foreign countries into the United States. Also, you may not import food products that have been prepared with meat."

My advice - have a second kid. You won't even think about feeding them. You'll just haul them on the plane and make do. It's great.

hi belle.. we went to kauai w/ our 1 year old (now 18months) and it was great. Here's what we learned re: food issues.
1) The place is a baby food making paradise. Our girl was thriving on the local produce we got from the farmer's markets which are all year long. Especially great for her were the local sweet potatoes, papayas, avocadoes, apple bananas(don't miss these!). Delightful.
2)We wished we were not in a hotel even though we stayed at a couple of very nice places(sheraton poipu and princeville). The main reason for this was that going out to *every* meal started to wear on the baby pretty quick and we ended up taking doggie bags of expensive dinners back to the hotel room. no fun.

One thing we did which was against the rules, but saved our butts was buying a hotplate and a couple of pans and using it in the hotel room to boil sweet potatoes, make rice, sterilize bottles. If you do this, be sure to be safe and not burn the place down, but put it away out of sight after use and cooling down.

We found the hotplate in kapaa at the walmart, i think. We also stocked up around there on her basic cereals and so forth. Hawaii has most of what the mainland does in the supermarkets and health food stores, so relax unless there are some real odd needs.
Hope this helps ..have fun!

Hi amz, I don't mean to be crude but your going against the rules at the hotels with your hot plate etc. - if you had caught the hotel on fire - your butts and your finances would have been in big trouble!! Rules are made for a reason. For the safety of others. Not clever IMO.

It makes me very nervous to think of staying in a hotel with a hot plate plugged in the next room. If it were safe, it would not be against the rules, right? Most HI hotels are great about helping with bottle warmers and fridges and deals on kids meals, even things off-menu like mashed sweet potatoes and avocado slices. If a child is so young or that restricted, maybe leaving the child behind or delaying the trip would be better options than the hot plate or mailing frozen homemade food.

<delaying the trip would be better options than the hot plate or mailing frozen homemade food> TRULY!! this is just not a reasonable idea for at least a dozen reasons listed above.

wow! what a response. didn't expect that. but i guess this is fodor's and not lonely planet forum.. Anyway..i spoke with housekeeping about our needs and they were polite about it, although they did offer us a microwave and then didn't have one free. Also I donated both the bot and the warmer to housekeeping upon checkout. AND for heaven's sake..hotplates *are* dangerous when used without caution. Our room had a little kitchen area where is was andthere was nothing dangerous regarding our VERY careful and intermittent usage of it. It's not like i plunked it down on the bed and went out for a swim. You guys are very careful types, though, i guess, so you understand how to be careful and take calculated risks. Anyway..the conclusion we came to was that our next trip we are staying at a condo as we need a kitchen..so don't worry about our hotplate boiling a potato into flames in the hotel room next to you from us. geesh..

oh..i should say further..that IMO i reccomend not staying at a hotel with a baby or young toddler. It is simply easier with a kitchen and there are a million condos and suites out there with all the same amenities as the hotel resorts at comparable prices.

Belle mentioned that she was staying at a hotel..and so i shared one way we worked around the problems when we found ourselves in a similar situation. i would like to clarify that i do not think it is a particularly great idea to use the hot plate in the hotel..rather choose a kitchen equipped place to stay. ok..i think that's all.

One word for you amz -
FIRE.

Okay, I can't stop at one word. How's 'bout this. You let me know the next time you are boiling sweet potatoes on your hot plate in your hotel room and I'll get a room next door and boil me some yummy cabbage!

All's well, right? Especially since I'm going to "donate" an illegal appliance to the hotel? What? Wow! Thanks for the $9 generosity!

closing remark. nope..actually..you all are *fire*d..hrmp.
good luck..hope you get happy.

I'm very happy as long as we aren't in the same hotel while you are cooking on a hot plate.

Evidently, you have not had any personal experiences with fire.

I'm glad you are so blessed - and hope you continue to remain safe - and do everything in your power to be a good citizen and ensure the safety of others.

I guess I just don't understand the magic of boiled sweet potatoes and why a child couldn't go a week during a vacation without one.

starrsville: Sensible people know that using a hotplate in a hotel not only puts their family in danger but every single occupant of the hotel is also in danger.

I'll never forget one year, right before Christmas a hotel fire killed 26 people in my area and just recently the horrible fire in Paris.

I'm sure Bellezza will use common sense, right?

Hello... Getting back to the OP... <doesn't do very well with restaurant food, so we were thinking of bringing some home made meals>

I don't see why you can't do something in between eating only in restaurants and attempting to ship homemade frozen foods...

As people have mentioned Hawaii is wonderful for fresh fruits, white rice, grilled meats. Not to mention that they have normal grocery stores to purchase food (even frozen mac & cheese to put in that hotel microwave as one example).

Seetheworld - I agree completely.

My comment was responding to amz's three posts today.

AMZ acknowledges that hot plates were dangerous but went ahead and used one in a hotel room because her child wanted sweet potatoes, etc.

Here's part of her post:
"One thing we did which was against the rules, but saved our butts was buying a hotplate and a couple of pans and using it in the hotel room to boil sweet potatoes, make rice, sterilize bottles. If you do this, be sure to be safe and not burn the place down, but put it away out of sight after use and cooling down."

The Paris hotel was being used as residential housing for immigrants. One might wonder if someone was using a hot plate or similar appliance.

Hi all, obviously amz knew that using a hotplate was against the hotel rules as she stated that in her post. And also stated that she put the equipment away after using it. Obviously so that the hotel staff would not see it.

Good grief, hope I never stay near a room with someone with that mentality. But guess we never know whether we do or not.

This thread would be unbelievable had I not recently tuned into the disoards.com, the forums about WDW.

You would not believe how many people cook in their rooms, both offsite and ON THE DISNEY PROPERTY.
And we're not just talking the *value* propertys here people.
Apparently many can only afford the *moderate* and *luxury* resorts by actually cooking in their rooms.
They take electric frying pans, hot pots, even pack microwaves.
I am not kidding.
Tune in yourselves, disboards.com

There are continuous cyber *cat fights* on their budget board and resort board especially.
Its downright scarey IMO.
My take on it: if they can't afford to buy frickin food or obtain the food (as in this thread) then stay home.

Please don't jeapordize the health and safety of everyone else.

starrsville, I know you agree. I'm agreeing with you!

Fire is my biggest fear when it comes to dorm life. Not the drinking, sex, or any of those things lots of parents worry about. FIRE! Candles, hotplates and even microwaves are not allowed all in the hopes of preventing a disaster.

LoveItaly, you point is true and scary!

OMG!

AMZ cooked on a hot plate at the Princeville Resort!

Love Italy and wanderluster, you are both right!

I don't know who amz "used to be" but she's only posted today but obviously isn't a newbie. Hmmmm... who used to pepper their posts with :o)?