to go lunches...

[Holly IN]

I know I posted this on the old WTM board but alas I can't access it. So can we figure this out together?

Starting in March my kids and I will be at the library meeting rooms for our co-op classes on Tuesdays. We will have a 45 min lunch break. My delima is I want to save money on food as well as give one of my son's a wholesome meal that is free of sugar and white flour due to his Glucose Intolerance. I need a good pacakging which I think I would love to go with this: http://www.laptoplunches.com/retail.html

There are no microwaves for us to use at the library. I need to figure out what I can do for lunches than the standard turkey sandwiches. It would be wonderful if I can find a thermos that will actually keep soups warm for for at least 3 hours. :confused:

So help...

Any ideas...I do have a converter in my van so crockpot cooking away in the van is another option but have no clue as to what I can put in there?? Anybody?

Thanks in Advance!!

Holly

[sclisa]

Thermos brand, Element 5 food jars are touted to have the ability to keep foods hot for 7 hours and cold for 9 hours. I haven't gone the whole 7 hours for hot food, but they have definitely kept food hot for 5, ime. I preheat the thermos by first filling with boiling water, leaving it for a couple of minutes, draining & then filling with the hot food. You might want to take a look at them.

I don't have any exciting ideas for lunch foods. Possibly chili, stews, lentil soup, etc. Also, if you are interested in a sandwich alternative, maybe you could find some whole grain wraps that would suit your needs & make "roll ups" with various sandwich fillings.

Lunches on the go are always challenging for me, but it sounds as if you have a bit of an advantage with the ability to have a crockpot available! :)

Lisa

[dirty ethel rackham]

Here's what we do:

Soup in a thermos (or many thermoses, depending on the number of servings.) If you prefill them with hot water, they will stay hot (provided they are not left in the car. You could also do chili or left over stew.
Sandwhiches on whole wheat bread. We use leftovers to put on the sandwiches, such as chicken breast w/ some cheese and a touch of mayo for flavor. We use meatloaf this way (with ketchup.)
Carrot sticks with hummus. Cut up bell peppers and dip.
Apples with peanut butter (provided there are no allergies.)

When we are on the go, we use two insultated containers - one for hot foods and one for cold foods. I try to bring washable dishware when we need them.

[Jane in NC]

One of our favorite wrap sandwiches: smear Ranch or Blue cheese dressing on a large wheat tortilla, cover with a large leaf of Romaine lettuce, chopped celery and some Buffalo chicken. (I shred cooked chicken and cover with a purchased Buffalo sauce product, letting the flavors meld overnight. Alternately, I cook the chicken in Buffalo style sauce in my crockpot.) I also add shredded carrot into the filling and slices of cucumber if I have a cuke around.

Pasta salads made with whole wheat pasta, your favorite veggies, and salad dressing. For protein I add shrimp or garbanzo beans.

Another grab and go luncheon favorite in this house is onion pizza which is delicious at room temperature: thick whole wheat crust covered with grated mozzarella, smothered with a layer of carmelized onion (flavored with thyme).

How about a parfait with yogurt, granola and fruit?

Salads with chicken, tuna or cheese are also easy to make the night before.

Jane

[Adrianne]

that keeps coffee hot for a long time (provided it is not left in the car on an ice cold day). I assume it would to the same for soups.

We usually pack PB sandwiches on whole wheat or PB on celery with raisins, apples, cheese and whole wheat crackers. for lunch. Some tuna fish, now comes snap top cans so no can opener is needed. Serve with celery and crackers and yum!

Adrianne

[RoughCollie]

http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-Bento-Stainless-Steel-Lined-Silver/dp/B000246GSE/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1203444792&sr=8-1

Zojirushi Mr. Bento Stainless-Steel Lined Lunch Jar, Silver

[Mrs Mungo]

I would suggest checking out this blog:

http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/

It's a vegan blog but she started out with the laptop lunch box and came up with *all sorts* of ideas of what to put in it. If you're not vegan there are plenty of ways to adapt the recipes to add meat or dairy. She also used a few different bento-style lunchboxes in the time she was actively doing her blog.

[Annie G]

Our Thermos container keeps things hot for hours, and we mainly do chicken and dumplings, bean and ham soup, or stew in them. Hearty!
We also use bento boxes and fill them with small amounts of several different foods. Leftover meat ...little bites of chicken, meatloaf, etc, with a dipping sauce are excellent cold. Whole wheat tortilla wraps precut into bite sized pieces (it's easier to be neat when the fillings aren't oozing out) and fruits/veggies are what we usually put in ours.
We're out several meals a week and this saves a ton of money, but it does take a bt more advance prep than throwing a sandwich and a banana in a bag. The bonus is that these meals are healthier than what we previously ate and our teens are eating things they never thought they would like...

[EarleneW]

To be honest we would eat sandwiches or take something I had left over in a thermos. It's only 1 day a week.

[Annie G]

To be honest we would eat sandwiches or take something I had left over in a thermos. It's only 1 day a week.

I probably would, too, but we face this at least three times a week with musical theater, and during dress week we're out of the house 50+ hours...our kids really NEED food from home to keep them feeling well.
Having good food with us eliminates the desire to grab fast food, and grabbing fast food can quickly become a habit that gets out of hand. I'm probably overly cautious about what my teens eat, but heart disease is something my kids have had to deal with...dh has 8 stents in his heart.

[Carol in Cal.]

He found these great China bowls at a Japanese store here in town. They have snap on plastic lids that are microwave safe, and seal perfectly. So the plastic is not actually touching the food. He makes oatmeal in these and carries along something to sprinkle onto it before he eats it, like blueberries, strawberries, or nuts (ugh). This is not a low carb meal, but it IS a low glycemic index meal that does not raise his blood sugar if he eats it in the morning when he is active. (It's not great at dinner time, though.)

He also eats VERY LARGE salads. Think salad for 4 normal people. These are instead of lunch, and he carries them in ginormous Tupperware containers. A typical amount is one whole head of Romaine lettuce, lots of other raw veggies like celery, carrots, cabbage, etc., and about 2 ounces of cheese in little chunks, or a can of water packed tuna, or can of salmon, or a half can of little beans.