Must one arrange to have warm food on Shabbos day while traveling?

Question

There is a mitzvah, or at least a strong minhag, to eat warm food at one's Shabbos day meal. What about when traveling?

Must one arrange to always have warm food on Shabbos while traveling, or is this something that one could be lenient with while traveling?

It may be possible to, say, always bring a crockpot with you when you're going to be somewhere for Shabbos without access to warm food, but would this be required when this would be inconvenient?

Answer 1

It is an additional mitzva to have hot food on Shabbat although it is not required for those who cannot arrange it.

As background Shulchan Aruch (OC 257:8) writes that

It is a mitzvah to insulate food for Shabbos so that he will have hot food to eat on Shabbos, for this is an honor and delight of Shabbos. Whoever does not put trust in the words of the Sages and forbids eating hot food on Shabbos, may be suspect of being a heretic.

However, one who has health or culinary constraints doesn't have to do so

• Mishna Brura 257:48 writes that, although it is a mitzva, someone who is disturbed (mazik) by hot foods can eat cold foods
• Beer Moshe (vol 1, chapter 1:2, brought in MB Ohr Olam) writes that the Geonim instituted this, barring health or culinary constraints, to show we are not like those who don't agree with the Oral Law that one can keep food warm on Shabbat.

I checked this with R Binyamin Tabady who told me this was indeed a mitzva but it is not meakev if not practical.