What do you pack in dh's lunches?

[wagnfun]

Many of the save money thread contained dh's taking lunch to work. My dh does but gets tired of the same sandwhiches every day. What are your dh's getting in their lunches or when you go to the park with the kids, what are you packing?

Thanks for new ideas! :)

[hsmom]

I switch up the types of sandwiches. From like roast beef, corned beef, hero sands. Then there is other times where he like those hot pocket sub sands., and on cold days I use left over sliced pork loin, grilled onions, pepper jack cheese, and brown gravy or the same with meatloaf. (of course the gravy is on the side until later). I just use my imagination most of the time.

[Josie]

I just try to make a bit too much for dinner and give him the leftovers. If your DH doens't have access to a microwave this wouldn't work.

Cold lunches could be salads cubed meat and cheese, chicken salad, tuna salad, ham salad, different lunch meats, cheese and crackers with fruit. You could add fruit to any of these lunches. Canned fruit or fresh would work.

[WendyK]

leftovers, canned soup, cup o noodle soup, various types of sandwiches, etc

[Parrothead]

I just try to make a bit too much for dinner and give him the leftovers. If your DH doens't have access to a microwave this wouldn't work.


I do that quite often. My dh has the ability to come home to get his lunch at lunch time. Some days if he doesn't have leftovers available I'll start our lunch early so he can have some. It could be PB&J or chicken nuggets with fries. Just depends.

If I had to pack him a cold lunch everyday I'd do a variety of sandwiches on a variety of breads, keep fruit packs handy, fresh fruit, snack bars, fixings for homemade adult-size Lunchables, soups that can be heated in the mornings and put into a hot container, and bite-sized veggies and dips.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Lots of good lunch ideas, that I won't repeat.

I will speak to the picnic lunches. With our beautiful spring weather we've been eating out more - last night we even had a picnic supper out! Besides the regular sandwiches I'm starting to branch out a bit. Last week I took cooked chicken-apple sausages kept warm in foil, rolls, and cut fruit. It was a big hit!

We have an insulated picnic cooler that keeps things hot or cold. For the picnic supper I took an asian noodle dish with beef and shredded veggies (in a ginger sauce). I took paper plates, silverware. We take cold water in a thermos bottle and plastic cups.

[DIY-DY]

Hitting Target's deli, or the W-M deli on Monday. For less than $5, he can get enough chicken to last him the week. :) Then I supplement w/ the "side dishes", which are easy enough for me to throw together.

With those two options being the norm, DH kind of likes the occasional sandwich-style lunch. But also, burritos are a fave around here. Quesadillas work well, also. Beans and rice are quick and easy to fix ahead and put into individual serving size containers.

But since I'm basically kind of lazy when it comes to lunch prep, anyway, I try to shoot for leftovers. ;)

Dy

[RoughCollie]

I make him 2 sandwiches from Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Double Fiber bread. I use either deli meat (ham, roast beef) or pb & j.

I give him a sweet (100 calorie pack, 2 cookies, or a couple Hershey's kisses).

I pack a banana if he promises to eat it.

Sometimes I put 1.5 oz. nuts in his lunch.

[wagnfun]

I make him 2 sandwiches from Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Double Fiber bread. I use either deli meat (ham, roast beef) or pb & j.

I give him a sweet (100 calorie pack, 2 cookies, or a couple Hershey's kisses).

I pack a banana if he promises to eat it.

Sometimes I put 1.5 oz. nuts in his lunch.

Thanks for the great ideas! As far as the banana goes, you made me laugh. A lady in my husbands office emailed me a picture of a "group of apples arranged as artwork" on my husbands desk. Apparently, he only eats the apples when I cut them and hand them to him at home!

[RoughCollie]

Yes, that's exactly how DH is. The bread, by the way, tastes great, and has 10 grams of fiber per sandwich. That's why I use it for DH's lunches -- to make sure he gets plenty of fiber.

Thanks for the great ideas! As far as the banana goes, you made me laugh. A lady in my husbands office emailed me a picture of a "group of apples arranged as artwork" on my husbands desk. Apparently, he only eats the apples when I cut them and hand them to him at home!

[JFS in IL]

I make sure we have either lunchmeat and/or leftovers available, and fruit. He makes his own lunches - always brownbags it (ok - he reuses the plastic bag the newspaper came in). While he is doing that and getting out the door to walk to the commuter train (we bought a house within walking distance on purpose) I am making kids get up etc. and talking my son with autism through eating/washing/dressing - he can not tell time and if I do not watch it he will still be in his jammies and playing with the dog when the bus comes.

[Quiver0f10]

He usually takes leftovers from dinner the night before.

[angela in ohio]

Greens, with cheese (cut into heart shapes if he's lucky :001_smile:), chicken breast pieces, raw veggies, nuts, and/or fruit.

[Snickerdoodle]

He usually takes leftovers from dinner the night before.

Here too.

[Cheryl in NM]

Usually leftovers. He has access to a microwave, but sometimes chooses to eat his lunch cold. Occassionally, I'll make a sandwich. We also allow for him to eat out once a week and he usually only eats out at fast food restaurants.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

So, when I saw this post, I read it aloud to my dh. He LOL and said, "Go ahead! Tell them what you pack for my lunch."

Ummm, nothing. He's a big boy and can do just fine on his own. Yeah, I don't take care of him. There are usually leftovers that if he wants them, he can pack them. Usually, he takes a piece of fruit or goes to the cafeteria at work.

[Jennifer in MI]

You all are so nice!!! You make your dh's lunch? Maybe I'm just mean, but my dh makes his own!!! He'll pack up leftovers usually. Sometimes he'll take in a frozen chicken breast and salad fixin's or a hamburger or something.

[Jennifer in MI]

So, when I saw this post, I read it aloud to my dh. He LOL and said, "Go ahead! Tell them what you pack for my lunch."

Ummm, nothing. He's a big boy and can do just fine on his own. Yeah, I don't take care of him. There are usually leftovers that if he wants them, he can pack them. Usually, he takes a piece of fruit or goes to the cafeteria at work.


LOL!!!! We were posting the same thing at the same time. My dh wants to meet your dh so they can commiserate!! Now, if you ever have more than one window open at once again, I'll be even more impressed with you!!!

[Mom2legomaniacs]

LOL!!!! We were posting the same thing at the same time. My dh wants to meet your dh so they can commiserate!! Now, if you ever have more than one window open at once again, I'll be even more impressed with you!!!

At least once a day, I am opening more than just one. Thought you'd be proud of me! Right now, just one because we are leaving the house in a minute and I am closing all down.

LOL! Great minds, baby!:lol:

[Janet in Toronto]

Usually turkey breast, cheese, and lettuce on homemade herb bread with dijon mustard. Plain yogurt with walnuts and raisins to mix in, some mini-cucumbers if we have them, 2 fruit, homemade granola bar or cookies, bottle of water, napkin. He takes it in an Eddie Bauer semi-insulated lunch bag. Poor man has staff a three hour time zone away, so he spends most of his day on the phone with no time to microwave or buy himself lunch.

[KellyBelly]

Yep, you all are very nice wives. I have never packed a lunch for dh, but the reason is --- he is very particular and eats MUCH healthier than I do. He wouldn't touch PB&J, doesn't eat lunch meat (nitrates), doesn't eat bananas (all sugar, raises insulin too much...) won't eat anything he has to put in a microwave, won't eat anything processed (like a hot pocket or pre-made frozen meal) and doesn't even eat bread unless it's sprouted and organic, and then it's only one slice!!!!!!

So, he's on his own. What the heck does he eat???? Salads with every kind of nut, seed, veggie and healthy thing in it, with olive oil as the dressing.

He'll also take leftovers - as long as they are within his "approved foods" guidelines!!! (chicken/rice soup with NO salt, artificial flavorings like bouillion cubes etc....)

I have actually offered to make his lunch before and he's declined!!!! :D

[Jen in PA]

My dh does not have access to a microwave, which makes it hard to keep things exciting. We have salad almost every night at supper, so I don't like to overload on that, either. He gets a sandwich most days, either pb&j or lean cold cuts on homemade bread. I try to throw in something with extra protein on the days I know he's going to the gym, usually hard boiled eggs, cubed low-fat cheese, or cottage cheese. I also try to throw in some pretzels or crackers for snacking, as well as any cookies I have made. Fruit is whatever is in season and/or on sale, which has been oranges lately, although he also likes apples and grapes. I usually fill a bottle with either unsweetened iced tea or juice as well.

Two days a week I am out of the house all day with the kids, and I pack a lot of the same sorts of things for us. They also like dried fruit, and I make up little bags of "trail mix" using whatever I have on hand in the way of dried fruit, cereal, nuts, and usually something sweet. The kids really like tuna or cream cheese and jelly for sandwiches.

[Liberty]

My dh has no microwave and was getting tired of sandwiches also. So, we invested in a very good thermos and I heat up soup, stew, raviolios, etc... At lunch, it's still piping hot.

Other things:
Cheese and crackers
Crackers with peanut butter
Carrot sticks w/ranch dressing to dip them in
Pickles
Applesauce
Canned/fresh fruit
Yogurt w/granola

[Danestress]

because I've never even considered packing my DH's lunch for him.

But he takes leftovers mostly - he does have access to a microwave. He also takes protein bars for the days he swims at lunch time - something quick to eat, and usually swimming makes him less hungry (which is strange - it makes me ravenous). He also likes to take trail mix sometimes. He's apparently not a big lunch eater, and there is often a lot of food around the office, so I think he snacks a lot. He eats a bigger breakfast and a full dinner, so sometimes he skimps on lunch. He also, unfortunately, buys sandwiches more than I would like, but he doesn't like packing sandwiches.

Also, he comes home about twice a week at lunch time and plays tennis with one of our sons. On those days, he seems to expect that I will have cooked something wonderful:) If I am indulgent, I will make him hummus or a vegetable burrito.

[PiCO]

So, when I saw this post, I read it aloud to my dh. He LOL and said, "Go ahead! Tell them what you pack for my lunch."

Ummm, nothing. He's a big boy and can do just fine on his own. Yeah, I don't take care of him. There are usually leftovers that if he wants them, he can pack them. Usually, he takes a piece of fruit or goes to the cafeteria at work.

My dh used to pack his own lunches, but they were so pathetic I would sometimes take pity on him and make him lunch. One time I made him this awesome sandwich. It was so big I cut it in half to make it easier to eat. Well, he didn't notice this, and when he pulled it out of the bagie it splattered all over the floor! When he got home, he was starving. So much for being nice!

[GailV]

Dh is gluten intolerant, plus has several other food sensitivity issues.

He gets a salad of mixed baby greens, separate container of cooked chicken (leftover roast chicken, or leftover grilled chicken breast), small bottle of Brianna's French Vinaigrette (doesn't contain soy oil, which gives him a headache and rules out most salad dressing).

Also, a bag of Glutino crackers -- the ones that look like Ritz crackers but taste better. A banana, an apple, a bag of baby carrots.

Homemade bison jerky (doesn't tolerate beef well).

Also, a small bag of sliced turkey lunchmeat and another bag with Pecan Thins, in case he has to stay late and needs a snack before he gets home.

Hmmm, I feel like I'm leaving something out....

It's all about the food intolerances here. Fortunately dh eats to live rather than lives to eat, so he isn't really fussy about eating the same lunch every day.

[Kim in TN]

When I make dh's lunch, I make 2 ham and cheese sandwiches, some chips in a Ziploc bag, and a cold drink. When we have them, I'll also throw in some cookies.

Not the healthiest of lunches, but I figure it's better than most fast food places.

[freethinkermom]

I am another that has never considered packing a lunch for dh. I don't feel the least bit guilty about it. He is an adult and can feed himself. I do think those of you that do are very nice and considerate though, and I am sure your husbands appreciate it.

My husband only eats at work 3 or four days a week. The other days he is working from home and eats with us. He will take leftovers from dinner if he remembers. He does all the dishes (and at least half the cooking) so he tries to remeber to put some aside for lunch as he is cleaning up. More and more he is forced to go out to eat with client reps or other company execs (company pays not us). He would rather not go out so much, but it is not optional. He also keeps a stock of non-perishables like canned soup and those tuna snack things in his office just in case.

[strider]

One peanutbutter-and-jelly sandwich.

One bag of pretzels.

Two pieces of fruit.

When we were first married I inadvertently upset the delicate balance of his lunch by making him really GREAT sandwiches and throwing in lovely treats. These sandwiches were amazing--deli meat, lettuce, the works. Dh approached me rather emotionally (He really was! I am not making this up!) and asked why he couldn't have PBJs and pretzels anymore. As we talked I learned that he has a deep need to have the lunch of his youth, for the rest of his days.

So. That's what he eats.

Every. Single. Day.

[GailV]

One peanutbutter-and-jelly sandwich.

One bag of pretzels.

Two pieces of fruit.

When we were first married I inadvertently upset the delicate balance of his lunch by making him really GREAT sandwiches and throwing in lovely treats. These sandwiches were amazing--deli meat, lettuce, the works. Dh approached me rather emotionally (He really was! I am not making this up!) and asked why he couldn't have PBJs and pretzels anymore. As we talked I learned that he has a deep need to have the lunch of his youth, for the rest of his days.

So. That's what he eats.

Every. Single. Day.

Aw, that's really a sweet story! I love it!

[Punkinelly]

We pack up leftovers of each night's supper. He takes that to work and heats it in the microwave and loves it. We don't do sandwiches that often because most sandwich fillings are too high in animal fats.

He loves my cooking, though, so it works out nicely. I just plan to make more than we need for dinner.

The kids and I eat leftovers for lunch, too. It is a great system here. Everyone loves it.

Mary

[RoughCollie]

I pack my DH's lunch because, if I don't, he eats at BK. I figured out the "nutritional" value of what he eats there and I was horrified. Now I pack his lunch merely to make sure he eats more nutritious food. Honestly, there is nothing I could fix him from home that would be equal to or worse than fast food.

I have an ulterior motive: I want DH to be healthier and to live longer than he would on his self-selected, steady diet of fast food.

He would never pack his own lunch, not in a million years. He does nothing in the kitchen at all. That's why I'm teaching my boys to cook, so their wives will be able to say, "He is an adult and can feed himself".

I am another that has never considered packing a lunch for dh. I don't feel the least bit guilty about it. He is an adult and can feed himself. I do think those of you that do are very nice and considerate though, and I am sure your husbands appreciate it.

[momofkhm]

I was getting upset about it for a while and then I mentioned it to my brother on the phone once. He helped me see the light. For my brother, brown bagging takes him away from work. Brother lays tile so the simple act of going to the truck and getting a sandwich takes him away from being able to cintinue to work.

DH on the other hand works on a computer all day. If he brown bagged it, he would work through lunch and not take a break at all until he drove home. He also usually goes to lunch with others - social time for him. They tend to email a lot or even IM each other rather than walk over to each others' cubes.

So although I could pack him lunch, or he could pack it, I see him eating out as a break from work. One he needs.

[DIY-DY]

One peanutbutter-and-jelly sandwich.

One bag of pretzels.

Two pieces of fruit.

When we were first married I inadvertently upset the delicate balance of his lunch by making him really GREAT sandwiches and throwing in lovely treats. These sandwiches were amazing--deli meat, lettuce, the works. Dh approached me rather emotionally (He really was! I am not making this up!) and asked why he couldn't have PBJs and pretzels anymore. As we talked I learned that he has a deep need to have the lunch of his youth, for the rest of his days.

So. That's what he eats.

Every. Single. Day.

Every. Single. Day.

He had Cheerios for breakfast, too. Aunt B tried to liven things up for him when they first married, until he asked what he'd done to make her mad. LOL! It is sweet, and you are sweet for "getting" it, too.

[strider]

Every. Single. Day.

He had Cheerios for breakfast, too. Aunt B tried to liven things up for him when they first married, until he asked what he'd done to make her mad. LOL! It is sweet, and you are sweet for "getting" it, too.

MY DH EATS CHEERIOS FOR BREAKFAST NEARLY EVERY DAY TOO!!!! :smilielol5:

He is a little looser about breakfast than he is about lunch, so he doesn't mind an occasional alien box of cereal, like Raisin Bran or granola. BUT he does that only occasionally--he much prefers good ole Cheerios.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Oh my goodness! It sounds like "Uncle Fred" reincarnate!!! :lol:

[yvonne]

Thanks for posting, Cheryl. My dh eats lunch out every day, too. At first I tried making lunches for him a couple of times a week to cut down on the expense. He was nice enough about it, but he clearly preferred eating out. He's in front of a computer all day, too. Sometimes all I think of is the expense, but your post reminded me that the cost of his eating out is probably worth the benefits he gets from it in terms of socializing with his co-workers and getting a break from work.

yvonne

[fenni]

always leftovers. We rarely have sandwich fixings in the house.