Looking for pre-made, portable lunch and healthy snacks

16 years ago

I finally got hubby to get on board for a healthier lifestyle, food and exercise are big parts of it of course. In order to do that, we have to make a lot of changes in our schedules. Now I have to come up with some very portable lunch and healthy snacks (especially high in protein) that I can prepare ahead for him to grab and go. He doesn't have a fix hour for lunch because he has to travel around the city so a traditional lunch doesn't work. A lot of time he just grabs a coffee and some junk food, or he will just skip lunch all together. I make protein bars for him; that's the only thing that he can carry around without being bruised, crushed, or turning all yucky. Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance! Al

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canarybird01

16 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

I'm currently on a high protein diet since beginning of last July and yes it is an important requisite to have a mid morning and mid afternoon snack every day.

Is he doing a protein diet for weight loss? I've lost 44 lbs so far on mine.

Some things I make for either snack or evening light supper are:

Make ahead large meatballs or patties, stored cooked in freezer in separate bags. These are made with ground turkey/chicken.
The diet at that point allowed me salad greens, artichoke hearts, red peppers and olives along with the protein.

As I'm not allowed pork on this diet, I use lean beef, or ground turkey and chicken, garlic, onion and plenty of spices.

Chicken breast schnitzels - again can be flattened, cooked and bagged separately for storing in the freezer. A very good breading instead of breadcrumbs and what my dietitian recommended is oat bran from a health food store. No need to put the chicken through egg and flour first. Just put some oat bran in a ziploc bag with a couple of slices of breast and shake. The moisture of the chicken holds the coating on well. You can also mix (as I do) half and half oat bran and ground almond flour for a really delicious coating....also can add garlic powder and pepper to the bag.

Chicken schnitzels for dinner.

Chicken tenders, also good whole and breaded with bran as below. Easy to bag and carry to work.

You could even make ahead and pack some brown rice to go with it as in dinner above. It's good even when cold.

Fish fillets. Here's a typical diet lunch I've been having in a restaurant. Fish (usually white hake) - neither breaded nor deep fried, and served with chopped lettuce and cucumber.

Eggplant or small courgette-type squash stuffed with a meat, onion and cheese mixture and baked. You'd need a plastic kitchen container with lid for transporting that to work.

Lentil stew, easy to cook and nutritious, it keeps in the fridge for several days, it can be reheated and put in a thermos.

Other between-meal snacks I use are small tins of tuna packed in olive oil or water. I eat them with a small pickle fork directly out of the can.

Skim milk or plain yoghurt with non-sugar sweetener. Pieces of fresh goat cheese. Slices of turkey breast ham or very lean pork ham.

That's all I can think of for the moment but I'll be back with more if you are interested. Good Luck!

SharonCb

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Comments (39)

beanthere_dunthat
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
What sorts of things does he like?

Soup in a thermos travels well, as does hummus.

DH used to work in 12 hour shifts in a factory where theree was only 30 minutes for lunch and no reasonable access to refrigeration. We bought him a really well insulated lunch pack from LL Bean, and it worked out really well. An ice pack kept everything cold, the carrier protected the contents, and it was big enough to hold just about anything he'd want to carry. We bought a set of Rubbermaid containers at Walmart for cheap that were specifically for his lunches, which further protected the foods from getting beat up.

Here is a link that might be useful: large insulated lunch box
rachelellen
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
There was a time I did a protein diet (very successfully, too!) and I discovered that if I had to eat "on the run", protein was the way to go because it supplied me with long-term energy.

Hard boiled eggs are great, they are quick to eat, easy to carry and low in calories. I also liked to take bags of my own roasted nuts, squares of cheese (very nice, coupled with cherry tomatoes), and home made beef jerky.

One thing he must understand, is that skipping meals is bad. For one thing, your body requires proper nutrition in order for you to be at your best. For another, when you allow yourself to get too hungry, you make poor choices when you finally do eat.

Even if he grabs fast food, nowadays fast food restaurants almost always have a reasonably healthy offering. It's a matter of making wise choices.
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Fluff couscous with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon oil and cool completely, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl whisk together garlic paste, remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir lentils and dressing into couscous. Chill salad, covered, at least 3 hours and up to 24. Just before serving, stir in remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper. reviews 11/29/09 jennaren from Alberta, Canada I usually use spinach and basil for this recipe, because my husband has a real aversion to mint. It's great with the variation, really clean flavours. However, last time I made it with mint and arugula exactly as written - even my husband loved it. The pungency of the arugula and the earthiness of the mint really bring the salad together. Great dish every time. 09/26/09 peeblesl from Austin, TX Oh man, how is this so delicious? Even my boyfriend had four helpings, and he hates lentils more than anyone I've ever met! I definitely recommend the French green lentils - they hold their shape so nicely and don't tend to go all mushy on you. Will me making this for lunch this week and maybe next week too. 09/25/09 A Cook from Toronto, ON This is my go to lunch now -- it's absolutely delicious, but after making this a few times, I recommend the following adjustments: 1. I agree with other reviewers: definitely double the dressing. 2. I use quinoa instead of couscous. Much healthier, and the texture works better in this. 2. Omit the cheese; replace the mint with cilantro (I'm not a huge fan of mint and I don't eat much dairy, but cilantro is lovely here). 3. Omit the arugula and tomatoes. Instead, I throw in chopped green onions, chopped cucumber and chopped red pepper. I think it's nicer than with the greens, and the big batch keeps in the fridge better (one batch will last me most of a week). Delish, delish delish. 08/23/09 momesty from San Francisco Bay Area Made this for a picnic at a winery. The combination of flavors was excellent and everyone enjoyed this salad. Used small red lentils because that was all there was at home, but would recommend using regular lentils next time. 08/15/09 lucindah This was excellent, a good combination of flavors. The more mint and arugula the better. And healthy too! 08/10/09 A Cook from Cleveland, Oh Made this for the first time and was very pleased. It's a wonderful dish for a summer evening. I used brown lentils and they took much less than 15- 20 minutes to cook, I checked them after 12 minutes and they were already too mushy. The texture and appearance of the salad is better if the lentils are not mashed. 07/06/09 A Cook from Washington, DC I have made this salad many times over the years - it has so many wonderful flavors and textures and is so healthy. I took a previous reviewer's suggestion of using Trader Joe's "Harvest Grains Mix" in place of the lentils and couscous and really liked that variation. 06/14/09 hungrypeanut Cannot go wrong with this recipe. Used ISRAELI COUSCOUS which made for a much more beautiful presentation with the lentils. 05/19/09 A Cook from Mountain View, CA I've made this salad several times, usually as a side dish to chicken kebobs and Greek yogurt sauce. One substitute I like to make is replacing the lentils and couscous with the "Harvest Grains Mix" sold by Trader Joe's. This nutty mix contains the larger Israeli couscous, quinoa, red and green orzo, and split-dried garbanzo beans - a great combination! 04/23/09 radariii from UK made the recipe exactly as stated except double the garlic and it was a big hit. I got a few suggestions to perhaps add a bit of lemon, some olives, and maybe some cucumber for a little more crunch 02/26/09 kgrim from New York This recipe is just fantastic. Great combination of flavors. I followed the suggestion of several other reviewers and doubled the dressing, which turned out to be just the right amount. This is a wonderful alternative to the traditional side salad and a great choice for a potluck. 02/22/09 avbrown I thought this was great. I made it exactly as written. The only change I will make next time is to leave out the feta all together. I love feta but it didn't enhance this dish in my opinion and would be better left out. I am not a vegetarian and actually served this with grilled steak (gasp, I know). Loved the arugula and mint. Nice and healthy. 02/11/09 A Cook from Charlotte NC Great dish! Alot of flavor and really nice combination of ingredients. I fluff the cous cous after it sits with my hands rubbed with olive oil. It seperates it nicely and keeps it seperated. I used about 4 med. cloves of garlic and it could have taken more but was fine with that amount. The arugula MAKES it and is a great vegan dish if you eliminate the feta and add more tomatoes and cucumbers. I might try olives next time as well. I also added slivered scallions and cilantro as I didn't have mint. I couldn't really taste the cilantro (surprisingly). Makes enough for 8-10 generous servings and them some...but the leftovers will rock tomorrow! Cant' wait! YUM! 01/05/09 marcellene from Beaufort, SC If you need a good vegetarian lunch option, this is an excellent choice. I made it ahead and then followed the other reviewer's advice about adding the tomatoes and arugula right before serving. I also added a little extra olive oil and vinegar before eating. 08/26/08 tttterri from Wauwatosa WI I really love this salad. I made it exactly as directed except I added seeded cucumber and deleted the cheese. Impressed with how well it keeps over several days. I'm taking it to work for lunch and the only thing I've done to accomodate the salad is to slice and add the cherry tomatoes each morning when I package it. I highly recommend this salad. I'm very glad I found this recipe and all the great reviews. 08/25/08 tree1456 from Alameda, CA Wonderful salad! I added a bit more olive oil as it seemed a bit dry when I was ready to serve - try to find fresh, peppery arugula - it really makes the dish! MAde this with lamb kebobs and everyone loved it. 07/22/08 A Cook from Long Island This salad was delicious! People have made some suggestions about adding more dressing or veggies, but I thought the original recipe worked just fine...I could be wrong, but it seems that the dressing was meant to just give flavor to the bland lentils and couscous, and I don't care for food swimming in dressing. Obviously an easy salad to adapt to your liking though. Great for a summer side with anything grilled. 06/17/08 mish_lc I really enjoyed this recipe but would make a few changes next time. As others said, I doubled the dressing which worked out perfectly. I would add cucumbers or more tomatoes as well as using only 3/4 cup couscous or substituting quinoa. Otherwise it was a delicious blend of flavors, healthy and easy to make. 04/29/08 A Cook from Westport, CT This salad is beautiful and delicious. I used the food processor to chop the arugula (I used half a bag of prepped arugula salad.) Couldn't find mint, so I used about six stems of basil leaves; also chopped that in the food processor. It resembles taboule; I will try it with mint next time. Loved the suggestion of using precooked lentils from Trader Joes. I also needed to double the dressing. 04/09/08 taniquaa from San Diego, CA I made this dish on Easter for 24 family members. I added cucumber and increased the tomatoes a bit for more color. This recipe got so many compliments at the table, from the picky kids to my 90-year-old grandmother. Everyone asked to take leftovers home and for the recipe. Healthy, light, and delicious! I absolutely recommend this recipe. 03/19/08 A Cook from San Francisco I used Israeli couscous, which mixed with the lentils, were tasty and satisfying. 03/14/08 chungclan from Cincinnati OH Really delicious, but more labor intensive than I expected, with cooking couscous and lentils separately, and a fair amount of chopping to do. Will definitely make again. 10/16/07 A Cook from NY My family and guests could not stop eating this...really delicious. Used frisee instead of arugula and it was very good. 09/17/07 A Cook from Ventura, CA This is really tasty - addictive. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of using whole wheat couscous. Also delicious leftover. 07/31/07 erflores This was really good. I used quinoa instead of cous cous to add more protein and I also added cucumber to give it more of a crunch. It turned out well but I agree with the other reviews that it needed more dressing so I doubled the dressing myself. My husband loved it and more importantly I loved it too since I'm always looking for easy, healthy, filling meals. It's a keeper! 07/01/07 stravis2 from Tampa, FL My husband loved this so much, he asked me to make it again the next day. I obliged, but made some changes to the recipe based on the outcome as written. I used red, green, and brown lentils (no big difference). I doubled the Israeli couscous and the sauce (it seemed a little dry the first time, but nice and moist the second - big difference). I subbed spinach for arugula as someone else suggested. I used grape tomatoes and a French feta. The French feta I purchased at a Mediterranean market and boy, is it tasty! 03/21/07 hikergirl31 from longwood, FL. WOW! I spent two years in Israel and gained 15 pounds from the food. This dish brought me back to the delicious land. The fresh mint, and arugula really made it super fresh tasting. This dish says it serves 6 but i brought it to a party and it was enough for 20 with leftovers... Everyone loved it. 02/17/07 andynbron I've been making this since the recipe appeared in 1995. It is a great recipe, and it is so refreshing! I usually make this exactly as written, except I substitute spinach for the arugula. However, like others have suggested, you can substitute basil for mint (I prefer the mint and spinach combination). You can also substitute fresh mozzarella for the feta cheese--I used to do that because I didn't like feta, but now I love it so I only use feta cheese in the recipe. But the mozzarella adds a nice, very subtle flavor to the salad for those who would not eat feta cheese. This is definitely one of my favorite recipes, and anytime I make it people finish it quickly and always ask for the recipe! 02/04/07 A Cook from New York, NY This recipe is excellent. Get French lentils if you can; it makes a huge difference. I used a little less feta cheese than the recipe called for. Goes really well with herb roasted pork tenderloin. 01/21/07 A Cook from Los Angeles, CA This recipe is so delicious and easy to make!! If possible, use the French green lentils as brown lentils tend to fall apart. Green lentils keep their firmness and work better in this dish. I cooked the couscous in vegetable broth to give it more flavor and sometimes add diced and seeded persian cucumbers. This salad is great to take to parties or bring to work for lunch because it keeps for a couple days and the arugula doesn't get soggy. 08/29/06 missperkin from Scottsdale Superb. Great on a hot summer day since there is little cooking on the stove involved. The mint is a must, in my opinion. Epicurious.com © Condé Nast Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.
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arabellamiller
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
As others have said, a thermos is essential. My kids take a thermos for lunch to school 2-3 times a week. Chili, soups, whole wheat pasta, grilled veggies, roasted potatoes, meatballs, everything travels well and stays hot nicely. My older son's absolute favorite is miso soup with rice noodles. No need to pre-cook the noodles, just toss them in to the thermos uncooked, add the miso and some seaweed and onion (you can get dehydrated packets in the Japanese food section), add the hot water and seal it up. By lunchtime the noodles are soft and perfect. My middle kid likes chicken breast slices over rice noodles. I cut everything to bite size portions so only a fork is needed.

Cold things travel well in the thermos too - fruit salad, homemade yogurt, etc.

AM
teresa_nc7
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
A very easy snack is what I call roll-ups: take a thin slice of deli turkey breast or low fat ham, top with a thin slice of lower fat cheese, roll them up together like a cigar, slice in 1/2-inch slices and put in a small container or zip bag and keep cold in an insulated lunch bag with a freezer pack.

Grape tomatoes, marinated cucumbers, hard boiled egg wedges, cubes of cheese, meatballs w/o sauce, chunks of cooked chicken, tuna salad, shrimp salad or cold whole shrimp, all of these are easy to fix ahead and are portable. Look on line at the bento lunch web sites. There is a nice plastic bento box on Amazon that holds other containers of food in one easily portable container.
caliloo
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
You mentioned that he doesn't have a set time for lunch, does he have a micro, etc at his disposal? That would make it a lot easier to bring stuff from home. I send a lot of leftovers (lean meats, veg, salads) with DH when he is in the office, unfortunately, my DH spends a lot of time on the road too and sometimes has to make do with lunch in the car. Makes it very difficult to send anything that needs to be warm.

I do a lot of lean meat and veg in wraps, Cut up apples, baggies of nuts (sometimes with dried fruit, but not often since it is really high in sugar), popcorn for a quick fill up, whole wheat pretzels, etc.

Sometimes I toss shredded chicken with the salad stuff and a bit of lo-fat dressing and roll the whole mixture in WW wraps. Those are really popular.

Also, pasta salads with lean meats and lots of veg.

Good luck and I am looking for more ideas for my DH too!

Alexa
arabellamiller
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Oh, I forgot to add our other lunchtime favorite: sushi. It's very easy to make and travels very well. I never use raw fish at home (I can get sushi grade, but it makes me nervous), but I'll use the fake crab stuff, and smoked salmon and trout. I'll even use stuff like grilled chicken, roasted veggies - whatever - I just roll it all up in rice and nori. Yum.

There are some great online sources for bento boxes, but the right size tupperware-type container works also. Use a tiny container for soy sauce.

AM
booberry85
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I'm on the road a lot for work. I try and have granola bars with me. Other things I like to have are dried fruit, nuts, and / or wasabi peas with me too.
loves2cook4six
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Sharon, do you have a guest room and a willingness to cook for a longterm guest wanting to lose weight LOL
canarybird01
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Loves2cook....gosh you just gave me an idea for a good business lol lol lol!

But I'm just going to start renovating a guest bedroom for my sister arriving in the summer :-).....but maybe another time ;-).

SharonCb
althetrainer
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Thanks all for your suggestions. Let me explain a bit more of hubby's situation. He goes to work before 6 in the morning and is usually on the road most of the day. There is a fridge but no microwave in his office... that doesn't matter because if he's not in the office what they have is not going to help.

Granola/energy bars and nuts are the things that he has been eating. But after a while, he gets tired of them. I tried making different types of energy bars but that didn't take long before they become boring too. The biggest problem is, he doesn't like to carry a bag of food with him when he's on the road. He will try to tough it out until he's back to his office.

We have tried the thermos things. Since he leaves the house before 6 in the morning, by the time he has a chance to eat anything the food in the thermos is just lukewarm, if not cold. He hated it. I had tried making him carry a lunch bag with him but he always ended up leaving it in the office. Not sure if it's a guys thing... he rather skipping lunch than hauling a bag with him when he goes to meetings or visiting his clients.

Dinner will be a crunch but I probably can do crock pot or precooked-frozen stuff... not always fresh but at least it's homemade. It's the lunch thing that I can't figure out how to make it healthy yet convenient for him.

I would like him to eat some lean protein and veggies etc but those will look gross (if not bad) after sitting in his office for hours, and he won't eat his food.

By the way, Sharon, congrats on the weight loss! Way to go. Those pictures look good enough to eat!

And yes, I am trying to get him lose some weight. He's not very over weight but all the fats deposited around his abdomen and that's a very bad sign for a guy his age.

Oh AM, hubby loves sushi but... how do you keep the sushi fresh? I find keeping sushi fresh a big challenge. It doesn't taste very good after a few hours, even in the fridge. The nori becomes soggy and hubby will never touch rice wrapped in soggy nori. Whenever I make sushi my family loves it only I can't seem to keep it fresh enough for a return.

Alexa, I like the idea of lean meat with veggies but again it's the sporadic schedule of his that won't guarantee freshness when the food is not eaten within a certain amount of time.

Thanks again!

Al
dgkritch
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Lots of pre-prepped veggies, celery filled with peanut butter or low fat cream cheese or Light Laughing Cow wedges.
Carrots, peppers, cucumers, broccoli, cauliflower can all be cut into pieces and packed. Nibbled on the the car if necessary.

Wraps are easy to eat on the go.
Pita Bread sandwiches are good.

I make a homemade McMuffin with egg, cheese, lean meat. You could omit the egg if no access to a microwave.

Cheese and crackers.
Granola bars, as mentioned. Look for high fiber ones too!
Bananas, apples, pears.
Many types of salads can be a complete meal.
Green salad with tuna and cheese.
Chicken Salad.
Pasta Salads.
Marinated veggies.

Deanna
beanthere_dunthat
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Al, I don't mean to sound like a naysayer, but it's not going to matter what ideas you come up with and prepare if you don't have his FULL buy-in -- which means HE needs to figure out how to make creative, problem-solving changes to HIS routine in order to get HIS lunch. There's nothing you can do for him until he resolves to handle his part of the equation.

Is he driving a car to these meetings? If so, there's the place to leave the lunch until he can eat it. If not, then, he's going to have to adapt. They also make thermoses with heaters that plug into the cig lighter. You can find 'em at any truck stop. Ice packs in the bottom keep things cold. Good quality thermoses will keep foods eating temp for at least 6 hours. Those can be found at hunting/camping stores.

Pretty much, anything he can slip into his pocket and carry around all day with no effort on his part is going to be a granola bar.
annie1992
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I agree, Renee, unless the DH at least tries a little, it's not going to work.

I do agree on the thermos, I have a big Stanley thermos that has a steel liner, I can't tell you how many times it's been dropped on a cement floor or off a set of bleachers and it's still fine. It'll keep a batch of hot chocolate so hot it steams for at least 6 hours, I've found that it's still HOT (not warm) after 8 hours, so a good thermos will keep things hot all day if it's properly "preheated" before putting the food into it.

Sure enough, where'd I get mine? Camping section of the local hardware store but I'd bet Amazon has them.

Annie
althetrainer
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Thanks Beanthere and Annie! I have to agree that hubby is a baby when it comes to food and relationship. He doesn't like anything less than perfect. Not easy to please to say the least.

I guess we have tried the wrong kind of Thermos. Just to be fair, it can be extremely cold here during the winter, between -15C and -35C on an average day, any food kept in the car will be frozen. I am interested in the kind that can be plugged into the car cigarette lighter. Can it be used in the office too? How long will it take to heat up the frozen food if left in the car?

We live in the middle of a city so will have to take a trip to the highway for a truck stop. Can't get anything from Amazon.com (except for books, CDs & movies) because they won't ship to Canada. But I will go to Wal-mart where they carry some hunting stuff this week.

You've all been very helpful!

Al
jessicavanderhoff
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I wholeheartedly agree with Bean. In intro psych we learned about the self justification effect-- any goal we put effort toward ourselves becomes more valuable in our eyes-- and my experiences have validated that theory over and over. If you're putting him on the diet, it'll be so easy for it to be your thing, and he rebels and eats junk with the guys. There's no reason you should be convincing him to eat healthy and dancing around trying to come up with 'perfect' food. I'd buy him a Bento box or a nice thermos (should be available pretty much anywhere) as a gift, and let him do the rest.

All right, unsolicited advice finished.
althetrainer
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Jessica, I appreciate your advice. :-) Have to agree that if he doesn't try no matter what I do, it won't work. Buying him a good Thermos is part of my plan. I always joke him about not wanting to be a widow or single parent. After trying my best, all I can do is to hope that he will do his part. Al
dirtgirl07
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Sorry, I have to agree with the others. After working in a roofing firm, ALL the guys had schedules like this. None of them would or could come to the office to eat and none of them took their lunches.

Unfortunately, when you are young(er) you don't put as much stock into the visceral fat thing - but it will kill you...
Terri_PacNW
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I think they still make some "plug in" type thermos things that he could plug into a car lighter type thing in the car for heated items..

Maybe look for one of those??? A mug warmer or something like that..
sushipup1
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Watch out for the granola bars. They are high in sugars and calories, lower in protein that desirable. Try the Atkins brand bars, available with diet foods in pharmacy section at Walmart. Today I had a Peanut Fudge Granola bar: 200 calories, 17 grams carbo (1 gram sugar), 10 grams fat, 16 grams protein.
catlover
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
semi freezing yogurt (if he will eat it) works. Give him a spoon and a yogurt fruit mixture and by the time he is hungry, it will be thawed.

Similar situation for many years with my DH of 32 years. I guilt, discuss, etc. He has a relationship with food that is very different than mine. He is 52, not sure if he will ever eat "healthy."

He is not obese but could be healthier.

He has one hook though. After my dad died at 68, DH was then 28, my DH became an avid and thin runner. For many years he was fit. Life took that away and I am working on getting it back. He is capable of being passionate, but not sacrificing.

Hope this makes sense. I love the guy. I hope you have success. However, My guess is that passion is the key.

Adele (whose hubby loves mayo)
althetrainer
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Sushi, thanks for the reminder. We don't buy granola bars. I make all of them at home so I have complete control of the ingredients. In fact, I formulated the recipe and it has the perfect carb:fat:carb ratio for weight loss.

Adele, thanks for your support. My husband will pick a small piece of celery out of a dish if he finds it. He believes by skipping a meal he will lose the fat but the fact is he's promoting fat storage when starving himself. It's a strange thing. I have been in the physical training business for almost 20 years, I still can't get my husband to believe what I know. Can never preach to your own family, I guess.

I make yogurt for him once a week. He loves my yogurt; it's part of his everyday breakfast. Not sure if he will eat it again for lunch though. But it doesn't hurt to give it a try. If he likes the idea I will put some fruits and nuts on the bottom of the cup so he will get a little extra protein and healthy fat as well.

Al
Terri_PacNW
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I make yogurt parfaits for my lunch box.

in a jelly jar, 3 or 4 frozen berries, glob of yogurt, some more frozen berries, for "sweetness" if I'm using plain yogurt a put in a blob of homemade freezer jam..some walnuts, more yogurt..more berries, more walnuts on top..

The berries are thawed within 3 or 4 hours in my insulated lunch box.
loves2cook4six
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Sharon, do you have a guest room and a willingness to cook for a longterm guest wanting to lose weight LOL
arabellamiller
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Hi Al, yes, the "sushi" stays fresh, particularly since I'm not using fresh fish. I use either cooked or smoked, or cooked chicken. Non-traditional, but delicious. I haven't noticed the nori getting soggy, but I'm not sure you'll have the same experience keeping it in a car as we do keeping it in a classroom. Worth a try though, right?

I got my kids bento boxes at laptoplunches.com, they also have some great suggestions there for lunches. If you can't find what you need elsewhere and like what you see there but they won't ship to canada, email me - they can ship it here and I'll send it to you.

I identify with your efforts. My husband brought entemann's donuts into the house over the weekend. They contain both high fructose corn syrup AND hydrogenated oils. He knows how I feel about that stuff and still buys it, and even worse makes light fun of me for being angry about it. Drives me nuts.

AM
althetrainer
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Terri, your yogurt parfaits sound delicious. I definitely will give it a try. In fact, I should give that to little man for school lunch too, without the nuts of course. If hubby doesn't mind two yogurt meals a day I will be more than happy to prepare that for him.

AM, I wonder why my sushi get soggy after a couple of hours. I have seen some premade in plastic packages in Safeway... they must have been sitting there for a while. They didn't look soggy! could I be putting too much water in the rice? I don't eat raw fish so I too use canned tuna, egg, and/or cooked meat. I hear you! Hubby doesn't do donuts but he loves chips and Toblerone! He eats them late at night. When I bug him he will say "Well, I didn't eat much dinner!" UGH!

Al
cseim
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I realize this is the cooking forum, so this might not be that helpful, but just as a backup plan you may want to look at the nutrition facts on the websites of all of the fast food joints around town. I rarely eat fast food, but when I do, I know what all of the best choices are at each location. It is often very suprising what the best choices are (for example salads and fish sandwiches are often the worst things on the menu while a simple hamburger may not be that bad). Obviously the very best options will be what you make at home, but it's good to be knowledgeable when you're in a pinch to avoid a complete diet failure.

Chrissy
beanthere_dunthat
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Al, I'm glad you weren't upset by my admittedly blunt opinion. LOL! I tend to be a little more honest than is good for me sometimes.

My DH is now a long-haul trucker and literally lives in his truck 3 to 5 weeks at a time. Some trucking companies allow their drivers to have generators -- and therefore microwaves and toaster ovens -- but because some fool managed to burn down not one but two company trucks a few years ago, his company doesn't allow generators. Before that, he worked in factories or in other jobs that really restricted his access to healthy and quick food or to appliances for reheating it. He is a very particular eater, and he realized quickly that he could not eat all his meals in truckstops and diners and hope to stay healthy, much less trim. With his other jobs, I did sort of what you're doing, and tried to facilitate his options. With this job, it's all in his lap. I don't see him for weeks at a time, so he has to figure it out on his own. I don't know if it's coincidence or conscious choice, but he makes healthier choices (in food, at least) than he ever has.

He has a small stove that runs on 12 volt that uses small disposable loaf pans for cooking/warming foods. (We're not ecstatic about all that aluminum, but you have to pick your battles.) Yeah, it takes time for it to fully heat lunch, so he plugs it in an hour before he wants to eat, and goes about his business until lunch time. I bought the stove for him at a Pilot for $20. I think they are about $25 now. The thermos is also 12-volt and works much like a mug warmer except it's all one piece. It will keep contents at 150 degrees while plugged in, and maintains temp for 4 hours after unplugging. He doesn't often use that one, though, because he only has so many outlets, and the Thermos we bought (at Cabala's I think it was) will hold food steaming hot for a long time. The Thermos cost more than the stove, but, like Annie's, it's been through a lot. I've lost coun't of how many times the thing has hit concrete floors and parking lots. Obviously it's got a stainless interior. You couldn't give me a glass-lined Thermos.
annie1992
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Al, that thermos will keep drinks hot at 10 below zero Farenheit (colder if you count wind chill) for a couple of hours while I'm ice fishing, so I doubt it would freeze in the vehicle but I've never pushed the envelope as to how hot it will stay for how long at those temps.

As Renee suggested, camping places like Cabela's have lots of things that are utilized by hunters, campers and fishermen who spend a lot of time outside in the cold and away from amenities like electricity, so you might have good luck there.

Annie
althetrainer
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Chrissy, thanks for your input. It's greatly appreciated.

Annie and Renee, I went on Cabela's website and found the Nissan food jar, between $28 and $40 depended on the size. I am pretty sure they will ship to Canada (not sure of the cost though) because I had purchased something from them years ago. I will first look around to see if I can find the same jar available locally. The cost of shipping can be as much as the jar itself, easily.

Is this the one you're referring to?

Here is a link that might be useful: Nissan food jar
beanthere_dunthat
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Ours was bigger, but I bought it quite a while ago.
There's not enough info on the website to tell me if it's a good one. Cabela's -- or even Thermos -- probably has an 800 # and could give your more details on it.

Quite frankly, the stuff Wally World sells is not high quality and just isn't made for serious use. I've never seen a Thermos or insulated lunch box at WM that I would depend on.
mara_2008
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Al, are there any Chick-Fil-A fast food restaurants in your area?

They have some of the healthiest selections I've seen anywhere, plus they're delicious. I really like the grilled chicken sandwich on a whole-wheat bun (real leaf lettuce, not iceberg! and a really red slice of tomato, LOL) with a side order of cole slaw. They also have carrot slaw -- haven't tried it.

C-F-A also has several salads -- my fave is the Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad. It is loaded with delicious fresh veggies. Did I say it's delicious? ;-)

Taco Bell is airing commercials advertising low-fat meals, too. I haven't tried them yet.

Since you said DH is on the road a lot, thought I'd mention these. If I were he, I would take a cooler with water and other healthy drinks -- not only healthy, but usually cheaper, too -- plus quick snacks like apples, bananas, baby carrots, broccoli florets, pickles, nuts, low-fat stick cheese, etc. Hope these ideas help.
annie1992
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Al, mine is a Stanley Brand, I'll try to add the link but my office computer is picky.

I did love the story about the trucker who put his thermos under the truck tire to keep the truck from rolling, though, and he still uses the thermos, LOL.

Mine is at least 20 years old and it's kind of beaten up, but it works better than anything else I've ever tried.

Annie

Here is a link that might be useful: Stanley
annie1992
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
BTW, I have the classic 2 quart, green. The website says it'll keep hot stuff hot for 24 hours and cold stuff for 32 hours. I've never put anything cold in it, but I don't have any reason to doubt that claim at all.

Dad took his deer hunting and 10 hours later when he came home, his coffee was still hot in the Stanley...

Annie
jessicavanderhoff
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Ditto, thanks for not being mad :-)

I like to have a plan A and plan B. I absolutely have to have a bag of nuts in the car. It saves me from the too hungry -> eating junk thing at least a couple of times a week. Then I try to have something more appealing with me most of the time. One of my favorites lately is a powerhouse on whole wheat-- corned beef, sprouts, cuc, and a slice of swiss with mustard (if you had one of those hard-sided sandwich boxes, maybe it would survive intact?) I checked, and the Dietz and Watson corned beef is low fat. I also like tuna or chicken salad made with reduced fat sour cream (I like it much better than mayo) in a carb balance tortilla or with all-bran crackers (these are better than the name makes them sound). For crackers and tuna or chicken salad, I think if you got two little hard-sided containers (or a bento box) and packed the cracker one really full, it could bounce around all day and not be too much worse for the wear. And I second chili! So easy to make it healthy and you can use whatever you need to get rid of-- grilled chicken, roasted chicken, any kind of ground, lean meat, any kind of beans, any kind of tomatoes or tomato sauce, and kind of wine or beer, any kind of stock, etc. You can even throw pumpkin or squash in there. I like to saute onions and garlic and then drain off the oil-- I think it adds a lot to the flavor.
beanthere_dunthat
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Oh, man, I so miss Chick-fil-a. They have the best chicken noodle soup and salads!
althetrainer
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Thanks everyone!

Annie, I looked at Stanley's site and found many different sizes to choose from. Not sure about shipping outside the US though. Amazon.com won't do it and Amazon.ca only carries things that I don't care for. None of the retail/hardware stores listed on Stanley's homepage are available in Canada, but Wal-Mart. Of course, the Wal-Mart stores here in Canada are very different than the ones in the US. AM, I completely agree with you about the fact that Wal-Mart stores don't carry high quality stuff especially the ones in Canada.

Anyway, after searching for an hour I finally found one local store: Home Hardware, that carries Stanley Thermal bottles. They are small, 1-L and 24 Oz are all they have. Maybe the 1-liter will work. Compare to what he eats right now (basically nothing), 1-liter of hot food will seem like a huge meal to him.

Mara, I don't believe we have Chick-Fil-A in Canada, at least not in our city. Even if we did DH probably wouldn't bother to go look for Chick-Fil-A for a meal. A chocolate bar from the vending machine and a cup of coffee at the office lobby would be much easier to him.

Jessica, I could never get angry with people who try to help me. I will consider the Bento box idea once the weather is less brutal. Definitely would try sushi because DH loves sushi. A salad is good too as long as the box has lot of compartment so the greens, protein, and dressing won't mix until he's ready to eat.

Will off to Home Hardware next week to see if I can find the Stanley bottle. They have it listed on a national site doesn't always mean they have it in a certain store.

Thanks again, everyone! I will continue to try.

Al
annie1992
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Al, I got mine at the local hardware store, and I see the site has free shipping in the US, so if you really want one and can't find one, let me know, I'd buy one and send it to you.

Geez, I sound like a salesperson for Stanley, don't I? I know I have one of my own and I have Dad's old one, his is at least 60 years old and it's still fine. They are not pretty, though, LOL.

Annie
althetrainer
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Annie, that's very kind of you! I greatly appreciate your help. If Home Hardware has the 1-L bottle I will settle with it. I probably have a better chance make DH take the 1-L to work with him. If I can't find it anywhere in town I will know who to call! :-) Thanks again!

Al

Looking for pre-made, portable lunch and healthy snacks

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