American foods in Qatar

JSR_1967
By JSR_1967

Hello everyone. My wife, daughter, and I will be moving to Doha at the beginning of February and are trying to think ahead to things we may want to stock up on before moving. In particular, we would appreciate information regarding the availability of the following foods:

- Packaged macaroni & cheese (Kraft?)
- Canned pumpkin and other foods for Thanksgiving (turkey, etc.)
- Peanut butter
- Ketchup

I assume the last two are readily available, as we didn't have any trouble finding them in Paris when we lived there about 10 years ago, but we wanted to be sure. For any American expats who may read this, are there things that you wish you had brought but didn't, or anything that's readily available over there that you wish you hadn't taken?

Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

By Dan Calgary• 20 Nov 2008 16:08
Rating: 3/5
Dan Calgary

Any damn thing you find in US food stores is available in all food stores here in Doha too.

With US going in to deep recession, you may find more of the stuff here!

By samata• 20 Nov 2008 15:45
samata

You'll find anything you want in Doha.

By JSR_1967• 20 Nov 2008 15:16
JSR_1967

Hi, minicruz. Just to clarify, most of this stuff is for my daughter. As has been noted, there's nothing wrong with any of this in moderation, especially since half my daughter's diet is fresh fruit. Besides, she does gymnastics and ballet for a total of nearly 10 hours a week and is in better shape than most adults I know--I, for one, couldn't climb a 30-foot rope in a matter of seconds like she does!

Thanks again to everyone who has provided the information about the foods that are available, as well as the info about the sheets.

By Mandilulur• 20 Nov 2008 13:51
Rating: 5/5
Mandilulur

Baldrick, you can come over to my house and cut the rind off the pumpkin, and then de-seed and de-string it, and then bake (or steam) the pumpkin and then puree it in the food processor I don't have! Cheap, maybe, easy, NOT!

By cynbob• 20 Nov 2008 11:57
Rating: 5/5
cynbob

In addition, BRING your higher thread count sheets. Higher thread count sheets here (ie.400+) are very expensive. I bought some on sale back home to bring with me. Ditto to the previous comment on FITTED sheets! They are very hard to find! Nothing like a good night's rest...

If the luggage is getting too heavy, have the goods air freighted. It may take a little while, but you'll be glad you did. ;}

By baldrick2dogs• 20 Nov 2008 10:47
baldrick2dogs

Macaroni and cheese in a packet - I just can't get my head around this. It's so easy to make ... and I'm a bloke!

By anonymous• 20 Nov 2008 10:32
anonymous

"No, it's really not a joke", "I apologize if the question seems ill-informed"

Your question is fine, no need to apologize man. Wish you the best of luck.

By cherukkan• 20 Nov 2008 09:26
cherukkan

I like the reply of mini even though it will be difficult to convince those who are already using such food.

By tatess• 20 Nov 2008 09:14
Rating: 5/5
tatess

They have almost everything at shoprite ,megamart but sometimes out of stock so when you see one stock up as much as you can. Some medicines are not available here like tylenol, tums, benadryl. child vitamins(chewable tablets)

You can bring some McCormic beef stew and meat loaf mix too .

By kimo55• 20 Nov 2008 09:09
kimo55

Hi Mini!

Just for Info. kids loves peanut butter.

You can eat whatever you want in right amount and do some exercise.

Stay free and be happy.

By GodFather.• 20 Nov 2008 08:56
Rating: 2/5
GodFather.

They are all here..

Macdonalds

KFC

Burger King

Pizza Hut

TGIF

By cynbob• 20 Nov 2008 08:42
Rating: 5/5
cynbob

Hi, I am from the US and after searching, you can find pretty much what you need, including canned pumpkin with a Libby's label. As stated before, it may have an American label, but manufactured somewhere else in the middle eastern world. I have found that most American labeled goods here are very similar in taste to what is available at home. Some are even better! No problems there.

Next summer, I plan on packing some other things that are not available here: Alkaseltzer Plus Cold tablets; Gold Bond lotion; Benedryl; certain flavors of chewing gum; Refresh brand eye drops, etc. THERE are fine pharmacies here with great products, but it is expensive finding products that are similar to what you are used to having in the states.

If there is a particular brand that you MUST have, especially drugstore products,stock up and bring them with you.

Good luck!

By mr1968• 20 Nov 2008 08:30
Rating: 4/5
mr1968

These are things that I found to be either absent or hard to find.

If you take tylenol. Bring some along.

Excedrine Migraine (I could'nt find it anywhere).

It wont hurt to bring Mac and Cheese since the one I found tasted funky.

If you are used to good comforters, take some along.

Twin sized "fitted" bed sheets.Hard to find and less to chose from.

bring your Levis too:-)

hope this helps.

By minycruz• 20 Nov 2008 08:27
Rating: 4/5
minycruz

All these food are available here. But why you eat these kind of food anyhow? No wonder why most of us Americans are obese. There is plenty of healthy food here that will help you live longer and happier.

Stay healthy.

By kimo55• 20 Nov 2008 08:26
Rating: 5/5
kimo55

JSR,

Bring all the stuff your family needs or perhaps the brands you are use too but do not OVER WEIGHT your baggage.

At least when you arrived to your new home in Doha, you are ready to prepare your meal without much delay especially if you have little ones.

Grocery store to look for:

1. Mega Mart-Near Ramada Hotel and The Mall

2. Carrefore-City Center, Villagio, and LandMark

Fast foods: McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, etc. is here to stay.

Hope this will help.

By baldrick2dogs• 20 Nov 2008 08:05
baldrick2dogs

Canned Pumpkin!?!?! The fresh stuff is so cheap :o)

By missymoo• 20 Nov 2008 07:50
Rating: 3/5
missymoo

When you are buying ketchup, it is always a good idea to check where it is produced. For me, the ketchup made in Egypt is not the same as the US version.

By JSR_1967• 20 Nov 2008 05:42
JSR_1967

Hokey-Pokey and notfromhere,

Thanks very much for the info--this is exactly what I needed!

By anonymous• 20 Nov 2008 05:36
Rating: 5/5
anonymous

Kraft macaroni and cheese! Some people just don't understand the importance! All I can say is, thank God my kids have outgrown it because Yes, there were many times I brought it back here with me after trips home.

It's the kind of thing you can usually find , but not always, so stock up when you see it.

Same with canned pumpkin.

Ketchup and PB, no problem.

By Hokey-Pokey• 20 Nov 2008 04:27
Rating: 5/5
Hokey-Pokey

Peanut butter - no problem, many kinds including Kraft. All in small jars though, nothing over 500 ml

Ketchup, Heinz is avialble everywhere

Kraft Dinner and Kraft Mac and Chese is available most places, but always in MegaMart

Not 100% sure of canned Pumkin, but believe it would be available in Megamart. Turkey, cranberries etc. are all available.

We have been here over a year now and have not found anything that we really missed or could not find, sometimes you need to look in more than one store, and if you find it buy three or four jars at once, but generally you won't do without...

By JSR_1967• 20 Nov 2008 02:47
JSR_1967

Thanks for the advice, Timtan. Unless we get confirmation that a particular item is readily available, we'll definitely follow your approach and bring anything non-perishable that we think we would miss.

By JSR_1967• 20 Nov 2008 02:14
Rating: 5/5
JSR_1967

No, it's really not a joke. Like I said in my post, I assumed that things like ketchup and peanut butter would be readily available since I've seen them in other parts of the world, but I've spent a total of 36 hours in Qatar and really don't know what stores carry there. I was afraid that something like Kraft macaroni & cheese--which my daughter loves--might not be so easy to find, and was just hoping to get some information. I apologize if the question seems ill-informed, but I've found that most stores in Qatar don't have websites, and sites like QL seem to be the best place to pose these questions.

By christine spanos• 20 Nov 2008 02:07
christine spanos

Maybe all ur questions r a joke.....u want to move with ketchup...? its any country without?......

By nicklessguy• 20 Nov 2008 02:03
nicklessguy

you can get anything you want in qatar :D.. dont u worry about the food items here

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