Cold Lunches - Huntington,UT

Hi K.!

My daughter has celiac, so we went through the same issues with what do we pack that doesnt bore her to tears every day. We didnt have many options I thought due to her inability to have wheat and gluten so I have had to be very creative!

I found over at Target in the thermos/ camping area they have the coolest things ever. Its called a Heat n Go. I sadly an not finding the exact item right now in my rush befor e work, but here are 2 links that may help

http://www.thermos.com/Product_detail.aspx?CatCode=ELE5&a...

http://www.thermos.com/Product_detail.aspx?CatCode=Foog&a...

We do a lot of hot dinner left overs, soups, stews... Whatever she likes hot. It has been a life saver.

If you want, you can contact me anytime and I would be more then happy to share ideas. I know with men, they dont want all the fufu stuff that we like and they want that "manly" lunch. I will be more then happy to brainstorm with you anytime!!!

K. & Kids

What we do for my husband's lunches at work, is that the night before for dinner I always make a little bit more, then box up the leftovers for his lunch. It's great because then we're not throwing away the leftovers a few weeks later from the fridge, and we don't have to buy extra food to make sandwiches. It works great for him!

Hello. Try doing a few "wraps". Buy the fresh tortilla's that you have to cook (they taste better than the standard). Then try putting in chicken salad, ceasar salad, or a regular sandwich fill. I have some actual recipe's, if you are interested e-mail me back. I also sometimes just stick in a can of clam chowder.

wraps are good

tortilla to start and fill to suit!

refried beans as a base then some mayo -- next fill with lettuce or coleslaw and roll for later!

there are so many variations too! you can use salsa or fresh onions and tomatoes -- or instead of beans you can use tuna salad

or you can use taco meat with cheese and onions and micro it when it's lunch time

imagination is the key here! enjoy!

I have some ideas for you. I have a 7 and 5 year old who take cold lunch to school. These work for kids, I am not sure if your husband may approve, but here's what we do:
1) Pizza pocketsor rolls, corn dogs, chicken nuggets, etc. Heat in microwave and wrap in tinfoil. Will last a few hours in a good insulated lunch box.
2) We also like leftovers. We heat them and stick them in a thermos (can buy for around $3 at Walmart). This is also great for soups.
3) Salad. We like cold chicken ones best. Use leftover chicken or grill up some and store them in advance. Just put the chicken and salad in a tupperware, stick in a cooler with some frozen cooler, and wah-lah.

S.

I saw this website noted here on mamasource once - then it was highlighted in some parenting magazing. Although it was designed for kids, there are GREAT and different ideas on this site. Check it out!

http://www.laptoplunches.com/LaptopLunchPhotos.html

I love www.savingdinner.com. She also has a section for saving lunch. It's a neat website.

Have you tried wraps? A great alternative and less bread in the diet also. You can add just about anything you like to them. Vegetables, meat, cheese, spreads and use your imagination! I do have several recipes and I am sure there are more on line to keep it an interesting alternative. Let me know if you would like me to send you mine.

G.
Homemade Gourmet Consultant

Wraps are similar to sandwiches but a little different. Really good with humus. If he has access to hot water or a microwave then he could use noodle meals.
Good Luck!

I LOVE cold chicken. I buy the roasted ones from the grocery store and they are so good.

K.,
How about a salad? If you get one of those air tight containers by Glad it will keep it fresh until lunch time.
Keep the dressing seperate.
You can put the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, you can add strips of ham, turkery, chicken, balogna, for a creative chef's salad. Put the dressing separate, some crackers, then a Jello pudding, or two and there is a different lunch.
Another that I used to make was a Hoagy sandwich. On those large sausage buns (or whatever they are called), and put everything but the kitchen sink on it, with some chips or fresh sliced veggies, with some fresh sliced fruit.
Send a cup of soup with him that he just has to add hot water to. With some fresh sliced fruit and veggies.
Those a few ideas and I hope they help.
Good luck.
M.

Hi K.,

Go to Walmart or Target and get a couple of stainless steel thermos type containers, they come in all sizes.

It may take a few minutes, but you will need to fill the container with hot water while you microwave the lunch item, then empty the hot water out and fill with heated lunch. I have sent many yummy leftovers, etc. that way.

Good luck!

Chris

Does he have any way to reheat something? When I used to substitute alot my lunches would be leftovers from dinner the night before and I would just put them in the school's fridge and reheat them at lunch time. You could also do a hot pocket or pot pie the same way. Good luck.
J.

K., I feel your pain! Sandwiches get really old don't they? Some of the things we have packed for lunch are fried chicken (cold)or canned chicken (my favorite is costco brand) mixed with a little mayo, seasoned salt and celery to spread on crackers or taco salad mixed together with all the fixings (lettuce,taco meat, beans, olives, cheese) with a side of tortilla chips to crush on top and a serving of fiesta ranch dressing (1/8 cup salsa and 1/8 cup ranch mixed together). Hopefully this gives you a few ideas or maybe it will spark some other ideas. Good luck!

Hi! My husband just retired about 3 years ago,and sandwiches are pretty boring,day after day.i make up all kinds of salas,and spreads and put them on tortillias of all kinds.while he is helping me with home-based cake decorating! Hope this helps you! V.

Have you tried wraps or even left overs from past dinners. Depending on your food budget sometimes stores have great deals with Microwave lunches. (EX. Hungry man, lean meals...)

I have fives children and my husband and I also have cold lunches to so sometimes we jazz things up for lunch.

R.

Hi K.

I just read a great article in Parenting magazine or maybe it was Parents giving ideas for Kids lunches but a lot of them were great ideas for big kids too. Maybe you can go to their web site and check it out. They might even have something on the web if you google it, but there are a ton of ideas out there that I would never have thought of
Good luck

How about fresh fruit and veggies?

Just change the carbs! Try taking the meat and cheese with crackers (I perfer Wheat Thins), or try it on a tortilla, so it's like a wrap. (Think turkey with ranch dressing, tomatoes and lettuce). You will still get your food groups but it's not the same old sandwitch! In fact I perfer tuna fish on Wheat Thins so much I haven't eaten it in a sandwich in years! I also take quick pastas like easy mac to work, but the downside to these is calories. (and thats assuming you have access to a microwave) I also take soup alot in the winter.

Near the ramen noodles at the grocery store are microwave meals called "compleats" they come in all different flavors but my husbands favorite is beef stew. They are cheapest at Walmart and with a yogurt and piece of fruit - it is a great lunch. If you don't want that big of portion they also have the smaller bowls.

Good Luck!

I like pita pockets with hummus and falafel. Yummy!

Wraps are great, you can get different flavors, sun dried tomato, garlic and so on, fill with turkey, lettuce, tomato.

Or try cold pasta salads, get rotini noodles boil them, lite mayo, a little ranch dry dressing mix, chop up imitation crab or cooked chicken, add semi thawed frozen peas, shred some carrots and there you have a yummy cold salad, add onions or extra garlic to kick it up.

There are the heatable soups now already in a bowl, like Campbells has a line, throw that in your purse with some crackers.

Make some turkey bacon, do a BLT wrap.

We do a lot of leftovers, but I like making pinwheel sandwiches, fruit salad or fresh fruit cut up the night before, and instant soups.

Katina,
Have you guys thought of pasta salads?
With my whole heart,
C.