Son and husband needing to take lunches to work

[milovany]

I've never been good at this.  What are some good things to have on hand for them to prepare their lunches in the morning?  I don't believe they have a microwave or stove available to them.  We're used to just defaulting to lunch meat and fruit but they obviously need more, and more variety. 

 

 

[Joker]

My dds take a lunch everyday.

 

vegetable sushi

pasta in thermos

soup in thermos

cold pizza

cold chicken nuggets

 

The soup, pasta, chicken nuggets, and pizza crust are things I make batches of in advance and freeze. I just thaw overnight and heat in the morning. I always add veggies (usually carrot and zucchini sticks), fruit, and usually a muffin (right now it's pumpkin muffins and they freeze well).

 

[SweetMissMagnolia]

I usually send dh off to work with whatever leftovers we have from supper that night....You're right sandwiches can get boring...Love the thermos idea-my dh has one but it's only for coffee.

[Cindy in FL.]

Leftovers if I have them, otherwise soup or sandwiches.

[Mandylubug]

We do left overs. We are a family of six and I cook enough for 8 and pack up two lunches before we sit to eat.

[Orthodox6]

Would either of them be able to plug in something small-sized, to warm food?  I have seen these at Target:

http://www.amazon.com/Crock-Pot-SCCPLC200-PK-20-Ounce-Lunch-Warmer/dp/B006H5V7ZY

 

 

 

[nmoira]

DH skips breakfast, so I pack enough for a morning snack as well as lunch.

 

I pack leftovers when I can. DH would happily eat PBJ on Dave's Killer Bread every day if he could, so I provide variety by mixing up the fruit & cut veggies and cheeses, adding a bit of salmon jerky or another high umami snack. Olives, nuts, trail mix. Yogurt dips for the veggies. A small piece of quick bread if there is some about.

[Mom-ninja.]

My dh eats a salad everyday for lunch. Boring but that's what he wants. So he gets variety from the salad toppings.

[milovany]

Thanks for so many great ideas so far. Part of the problem for us (reading your answers) include the fact that there are nine in our family, so we don't often have leftovers.  Everything gets gobbled up at our meals.  I make a 9x13 or 10x15 of something and it's gone after dinner.  Also, some say "I make such and such for them --" but I work in the mornings and so am not the one making their lunches (even if I wasn't working, I probably wouldn't be, truth be told).  So they're just grabbing/doing what's easiest because they're not as experienced cooks.  We'll learn and get there! 

 

The thermos and heating thing (Antonia) are great ideas with the colder months coming on.  We'll be having more soups, so they can take that.  Thanks again. 

[LucyStoner]

One night when you are making a pan of something (9x13 or whatever), make two. Then portion out the second pan into individual containers for grab and go lunches you can all benefit from. I only have leftovers by design.

[bolt.]

On Sundays I cook meats, bake loafs and pre-package fruits and veggies. I don't do all of these the same week, but do one or two meats and freeze enough extra to not have to do it again for a couple of weeks:

 

All of this is cold. I don't have the energy to fuss with hot meals, thermoses, etc.

Meats that I prepare from scratch:

Steak, pan cooked, chilled, sliced into thin strips
Chicken breasts, cooked enclosed on low heat to stay juicy, chilled, sliced into thin strips.
Pork chops, often marinated, cooked as above.
Ground beef cooked with taco spices
Ground beef cooked plain-ish (garlic salt, pepper)

.... Note: to the plan ground beef I add a tbsp of some kinds of sauce: hp sauce, pasta sauce, pizza sauce, etc.
Meatloaf, chilled, sliced
Turkey meatloaf, chilled, sliced

Leftovers from family roasts (pork, beef, turkey)

 

Proteins that I buy:

Sandwich meats (ham, turkey, chicken, roast beef, etc)

Hot dogs: baked until puffy then chilled until wrinkly = kids' peperoni

Pepperoni, jerky, etc.

Peanut butter

Various nuts

Various cheeses

Eggs (I hard boil these)

Canned Tuna

Baked grains that I prepare:

French toast

Pancakes
Banana bread
Muffins

 

Usually hot, but "just fine cold" grains that I prepare:

Pasta (pasta salads)

Rice (chinese-food style)

Pearl barley (as if pasta salad)

 

Grains that I buy:

Bread

Buns (lots of variety)

Tortillas / flatbread

Bagels

Crackers that fit my criteria (ie 7 Grain & Honey)

Whole grain cereals that fit my criteria (ie Mini Wheats)

Bars that fit my criteria (ie All Bran)

Rice cakes

Cheap oven pizza: bake, cut off excessive crust, fold 2 pcs 'face to face' as a sandwich

Veggies:

Cucumber, peeled, sliced, salted
Carrots, cut into sticks, immersed in water
Baby tomatoes
Celery, washed, cut into sticks
Peas-in-pods

Salad-ing

Fruits:

Grapes, washed
Berries, not washed
Baby oranges
Apples, not sliced
Canned fruits in juice: open the can and make 'fruit cups'
Apple sauce: open the can, make individual servings
Dry fruit: all the kinds, but small servings

 

Spreads:

Peanut butter

Jam(s) including the usual flavours, plus lemon, blueberry and peach

Cream cheese

Cheese whiz

Nutella

Honey Butter (I make this)

[whitestavern]

DD started school this year and dh started working at an office (was previously self employed) so I have begun making lunches for them on a daily basis.  The first thing I did was purchase this Thermos from Amazon for my daughter (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017IFSIS/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i02?ie=UTF8&psc=1) since she has no way to heat anything up at school.  It works great...she actually burned her tongue on some soup because it was so hot.  She leaves here at 7:15 in the morning and has lunch at 12:10.  The trick is making sure it is full.  And it's not a huge thermos so that is not hard, although it is plenty big enough.

 

As far as ideas for lunches: leftovers of all kinds, soups, salads of all kinds (I try to add protein, so feta, mozzarella, chicken/turkey, steak, etc.)  I also do lots of pasta salad (also with protein).  I don't buy cold cuts but do make some sandwiches with leftovers.  A current favorite is sliced cheddar, stone ground mustard and sliced granny smith apples.  If I have time I will make an onion jam to go on it.  Yum.  Other sandwiches I make include egg salad, tuna salad, and roasted veggies w/or without hummus.  I make lots of different chicken salads too.    I have made fresh spring rolls with tofu and a peanut dipping sauce.  If you do a Google search for packable lunches or work lunches, etc. you can find lots of good ideas. 

[Lara in Colo]

I have a child that doesn't like sandwiches very much so I shake it up with some meat and cheese type things.

 

Cold chicken,  summer sausage, ham, beef

 

cheese chunks, (cheddar, swiss or mozzerella)

 

fruit:  apple,grapes, orange,

 

french bread chunk,  crackers,

 

raw veggies-- cabbage (her favorite) carrots, celery, cucumber, .......

 

 

This can all be "made" the night before (unlike a sandwich) and you can definitely have several days worth cut up and ready. 

[Χά�ων]

I bought a thermos and so far I have no trouble filling it with non soup entrees. I always pack some sort of fruit, cheese and veggie seperate from the main course

 

Recent main courses (we do soup in the winter)

Chef's salad

Madra lentils and chicken

Rice, chicken, veggies with a bit of sweet chili sauce

Chicken salad with crackers

Speghetti

Rice noodles with peanut sateee sauce veggies mixed in

Chicken and chickpea curry w/cabbbage

Breakfast cassorole (shredded sweet poatato, white potato, broccoli and spaghetti squash with cream of chicken soup and lots of cheese)

Bacon (once and we didn't even get to the highway before someone inhaled it)

Pancake sausage bread (a thick pancake recipe with ground precooked sausage in it)

More chicken and veggie curry

[Χά�ων]

DD started school this year and dh started working at an office (was previously self employed) so I have begun making lunches for them on a daily basis. The first thing I did was purchase this Thermos from Amazon for my daughter (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017IFSIS/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i02?ie=UTF8&psc=1) since she has no way to heat anything up at school. It works great...she actually burned her tongue on some soup because it was so hot. She leaves here at 7:15 in the morning and has lunch at 12:10. The trick is making sure it is full. And it's not a huge thermos so that is not hard, although it is plenty big enough.

 

As far as ideas for lunches: leftovers of all kinds, soups, salads of all kinds (I try to add protein, so feta, mozzarella, chicken/turkey, steak, etc.) I also do lots of pasta salad (also with protein). I don't buy cold cuts but do make some sandwiches with leftovers. A current favorite is sliced cheddar, stone ground mustard and sliced granny smith apples. If I have time I will make an onion jam to go on it. Yum. Other sandwiches I make include egg salad, tuna salad, and roasted veggies w/or without hummus. I make lots of different chicken salads too. I have made fresh spring rolls with tofu and a peanut dipping sauce. If you do a Google search for packable lunches or work lunches, etc. you can find lots of good ideas.

This is the thermos we have. I love it. Everything is always hot and it is easy to clean. I actually need a second one.

[Miss Tick]

Great replies already. I want to caution you not to get too caught up in providing a different thing each day. This is just speaking from my own experience of getting overwhelmed trying to have something different for lunch and dinner (and breakfast?) every day. When dh and I packed lunches we did have basically the same thing every day. When it got boring I would be motivated to perk it up, but we always ended up back at the default lunch. That made it easy to have the ingredients on hand, and required minimal thought in the mornings.

 

Hope you find whatever works best for you!

[bolt.]

I edited my post above, so it's a bit clearer and more comprehensive.

 

I wanted to add that because I pre-prepare, I have at the back of my fridge some nested plastic baskets that are filled with these things, either thawing from being frozen or going into the fridge as they are prepared. Each basket is the "starter" for one day (Thu and Fri share a basket), containing the protein for that day, plus a start on fruits and veggies, and/or any grains that require refrigeration. It still takes thought in the morning, but not too much creativity.

 

The baskets also help with the "off limits" nature of such appealingly already prepped food at breakfast and snack times.

[Cafdog]

DH likes anything wrapped in a tortilla- be it leftover shredded chicken/pork/beef, hummus (with pepperonicinis and olives packed in a baggie), or even peanut butter and nutella!  We are a small family, so the tortillas keep longer than regular bread, which is good for us.  :)

[Ravin]

Hot soup in thermos, pasties, bento boxes, cold noodle dishes, salads, fruit or veggies as a side, sandwiches with regular meat instead of lunch meat.

[alisoncooks]

I'm at a place where I'll need to start fixing DH lunches daily.  We've been "researching" and watching some of the "body builder" types on youtube, where they discuss how they meal plan lunches.  We like some of their ideas, like cooking all of this at the beginning of the week:   protein (steak, chicken), roasting a bunch of veggies (onions, mushrooms, zucchini, squash) and packing them into a container with a half small sweet potato and a tiny scoop brown rice.  Then you just pull it out in the morning.  

Other options:  a big salad with meat + a hard-boiled egg is another option.  Or a stir-fry (lots of meat and veggies), small scoop rice.

Sides of fruit for them all.

[J-rap]

Burritos have been a hit for my family, and they don't mind eating them room temperature.  Refried beans (we often cook our own -- our favorite is black beans -- and mash them), cheese, rice, onions, lettuce... whatever you have on hand!  I've even added leftover potatoes to burritos.

[weddell]

We have the smaller version of that thermos linked above for my 8yo dd and it is great! I would get the big one (16oz) for adults. She likes leftover chilli or hearty soups in it, but you could add anything. We mostly do boring sandwiches. Too much variety makes it hard for me to think. I like to bake muffins and freeze them and then pull one out in the morning for the lunchbox. They thaw by lunch. Yogurt, fruit, crackers are all good. Anything that can be made in batches and frozen then pulled out the night before or morning of. Those are my favorite things!

[justasque]

I've never been good at this.  What are some good things to have on hand for them to prepare their lunches in the morning?  I don't believe they have a microwave or stove available to them.  We're used to just defaulting to lunch meat and fruit but they obviously need more, and more variety. 

 

Most dinners are fine cold the next day.  (Or they can be heated and put into appropriate containers to stay hot.)  I purposely make extra when that's the case.  As part of clearing away the dinner, we package the leftovers in single-serving containers, and they become lunches. Everyone has learned to label what they want if they expect it to be there in the morning, as everyone leaves at different times.

 

If there are no leftovers:

apples with peanut butter

hummus or bean dip and crackers or carrots or pepper strips

yogurt and fruit

bread and cheese and other antipasti elements

veg and dip

bagels and cream cheese and lox

mac-and-cheese

chocolate!

[Sparkle]

The Crockpot Lunch Warmer thingy is great! I have one and use it for 4-H days.

 

I'll admit I cheat and buy pre-made lunches for ds to take to school with him most days. I get him wraps and sushi from Trader Joe's. But making wraps at home wouldn't be hard to do - lunch meat or pre-cooked chicken strips, some veggies and a dressing. Even falafel and hummus in a wrap.

[mom31257]

I was able to buy a hot plate (single burner) at Walmart for less than $10. I recommend getting that and having a pot there. You could heat up all kinds of things (soups, stews, chilis, spaghetti and meatballs, other pasta dishes, etc.).  If you don't have many leftovers, I would take one or two nights a week after the kids are in bed and make up some food just for their lunches. 

[AK_Mom4]

Not much help here since DH has taken a PBJ sandwich (raspberry or strawberry jelly), carrots and an apple for lunch for over 20 years.   DS21 took PBJ (grape jelly), chips and an apple everyday from Kindergarten until he graduated from high school. 

 

Lunch ideas that my other kids used that don't have to be reheated:

PBJ (ha ha!) and other sandwiches on bread or bagels

Tortilla wraps - chicken or tuna salad is great with some lettuce and cheese in a tortilla!

Salads with noodles - oriental chicken is a good choice.

Taco salad

Burritos with rice and beans.

Mini Pizzas - we made our own crusts, but you can also use English muiffins or Boboli crusts.

 

[Susan C.]

Lunchmeat was never enough for my guys. If its not too much money, I would get chicken breasts on sale (you could even split into two thinner pieces after cooking), bake an entire batch, then have rolls, cheese, mayo/mustard, onion, etc. on hand for making quick sandwiches. I got LL Bean lunch boxes and blue ice to keep cold. The way it was "changed up" was to change the seasonings.

[Alenee]

DD started school this year and dh started working at an office (was previously self employed) so I have begun making lunches for them on a daily basis.  The first thing I did was purchase this Thermos from Amazon for my daughter (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017IFSIS/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i02?ie=UTF8&psc=1) since she has no way to heat anything up at school.  It works great...she actually burned her tongue on some soup because it was so hot.  She leaves here at 7:15 in the morning and has lunch at 12:10.  The trick is making sure it is full.  And it's not a huge thermos so that is not hard, although it is plenty big enough.

Thank you! Dd started at the local high school this year and is bored stiff with sandwiches. She's been lamenting that she cannot take leftovers to school because there's no way to heat it up. I told her about this yesterday and she was thrilled! She proceeded to go through the list of all the meals she could start taking to school. LOL! :D

[Donna]

My old stand by is to boil 5lb of boneless chicken breasts each week and make different types of wraps. I put in different spices in the chicken (they love it shredded with chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and hot sauce), different types of cheese depending on what I have, veggies, and a spread. Sometimes I put in some fruits like mandarin oranges or nuts if I am feeling creative. 

 

Then they get fruit bars and some fruit. I do leftovers sometimes but the chicken wraps are their favorites.

[Deb in NZ]

I make lunch for ds#1 & ds#2 most days.  As I am NOT a morning person I make their lunches the night before & put them in the fridge for them to grab in the morning.  If I know that I am working the next day I make a lunch for me as well.  I find what works best for us is if I cook a huge roast (of whatever meat is on special that week) on the weekend & save half for lunches.  I usually get a small amount of shaved ham incase we run out of roast before the end of the week.  Neither of my boys like basic sandwiches, so I make wraps (using tortillas), subs (using pieces of french loaf). "regatta" buns (using small rolls) or if I'm in a baking mood calzones or pig-in-a-blankets (using pizza dough).  I vary the sauce & veggies each day, so even if they are eating lamb for the week, it doesn't get boring.  Adding in a piece of fresh fruit, a small bit of homebaking, a yogurt or UHT milk, & a small bag of chips, makes a very filling lunch for a teenage boy.  

 

When ds#1 was in polytech he used to take left-overs most days & heat them up at school.  This doesn't work anymore as the apprentices at work don't like to eat in the lunch room.  Ds#2 doesn't even sit down to eat as schools here don't have cafeterias.  The students eat outside, so ds#2 needs something he can grab & eat.  

 

I like to fix a bento box-style lunch for me.  

 

It takes me less than 30 minutes to make all the lunches.  If I make them as I clean-up from dinner, I find it works best.

 

HTH,