Although it is quite unfashionable, my husband takes a sack lunch with him to work with each morning. He also brings a stainless steel thermos of tea and a coffee to go (the coffee is long gone by the time he gets to the office, so he really isn’t walking in juggling all of that along with his computer). Why do I pack his lunch? Mostly because I love him and want him to subsist on something other than Diet Coke and Doritos, which is what he lives on when I fail to make his lunch. He works long hours and has a long commute, couple that with his aversion to taking lunch breaks and it equals a vending machine diet disaster. There is also an economic benefit. I can make a month’s worth of tea for what my husband used to spend on soda in one day. I can also pack breakfast, lunch, and a couple of snacks for the cost of one fast food value meal.
I started making my husband’s lunch twenty years ago by just throwing together leftovers. As his work day has lengthened I have added breakfast and snacks. When I realized how much we spent each month at Starbuck’s, I started making my own French Vanilla Creamer. Switching from soda to tea was inevitable as I tried to make improvements in our diet.
I try to vary the food I pack each day, but really, my husband can eat Doritos for three meals a day, so I don’t stress too much over variety. Since he leaves before 6:00 a.m. each morning, I pack him a light breakfast; usually yoghurt, Puffins cereal, and a piece of fruit. The container holds a lunch of garden salad with grilled chicken and dressing. I have added multigrain crackers and carrots to sop up the extra dressing. I also put in several snacks that he can eat through out the day: grapes, cereal bar, granola bars, and trail mix.
If I am able, I prepack 5 brown bags with many of the lunch items on Sunday night and store the bags on top of the refrigerator. I prepack the packaged food and bagged items like trail mix that I know will not spoil. I also stage bagged veggies and fruit in the refrigerator. Then all I have to do the night before is add the easily perishable items to the prepacked items and store it in the refrigerator next to the thermos of tea.
Some ways that I save even more money on brown bag lunches:
- Buy trail mix, dried fruit, nuts, and other snacks in bulk and bag them individually myself.
- Stock up on granola bars, cereal, anc crackers when they are on sale.
- Use leftovers from dinner for the main lunch course.
- Pack in season fruits and vegetables, which are usually on sale.
- If I send sweets, I send homemade sweets.
One of our current homemade snacks is modified from The Frugal Girl’s Chocolate Cereal Treats to make it gluten free:
6 cups Rice Chex
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Place cereal in a large bowl; set aside. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter; stir until smooth. Pour over cereal and stir gently to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and toss to coat. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container. I placed 1/2 cup portions in snack bags, so they are readily available to put in lunches.
For more lunch ideas visit The Lunch Box Love Edition of The Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life As Mom. For more gluten free treats visit Slightly Indulgent Mondays where you will find a wonderful mix of delicious recipes.
Do you pack lunches for yourself or family members? If so, what are your favorite items to pack?
trishtator says
Packing lunches is where it's at. We usually pack a sandwich (rolled in a brown rice wrap), fruit, and a small bag of chips. It's quick, filling, and always gluten free. What a lucky hubby!
Amy Green says
I pack my husband's lunch, too. Usually I make him a sandwich, fruit, chips, dip, and a zone bar. Sometimes he gets left overs. He loves it and he always has the best lunch at the office.
Once in a while he makes it out of the house and forgets his lunch in the refrigerator – he calls me at lunch time quite sad that he had to eat out. It takes time and planning each day but it's one of the ways I show him how much I love him.
Thanks for participating in Slightly Indulgent Mondays!
TammyLee says
My husband doesnt take a lunch but I do. At his work, it is super cheap for him to eat, so we dont worry about it.
I take leftovers all the time for lunch.
Cate says
I pack my husband's lunches. He's a teacher and only has about 20 minutes for lunch, so I have to be sure to pack things he can eat reasonably quickly. I usually send him off with a big (reusable) bottle of water, a small plastic container each of fruits and veggies, and a "main course" of something like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, pitas and hummus, cheese and crackers, peanut butter and crackers, muffins, or a granola bar. He also sometimes ends up with a little treat if we have extras laying around. When he has longer days (meetings, etc), I try to pack him a little something extra as an afternoon snack. Honestly, for us, packing his lunches is probably more expensive than not–because if I forget, rather than picking something up at school, he just won't eat. Not that I can blame him, given the state of school lunches, but I would never want him to go hungry just to save money!
The Thrifty Countrywoman says
No need to pack lunches here, but certainly did a lot of it in the past. Wouldn't mind if someone would pack my lunches for me now. It would certainly be very convenient! Still like to prepackage things to keep the calories in control. Around here he call the cereal treats Muddy Buddies.
Jane
Struggler says
Wow, that's a long day he has, and a lot of food packing for you.
Both Beloved Husband and I take lunches to work; he's great and makes his own sarnies, I'm usually more random and throw leftover bits and pieces into tupperware containers.
You're quite right, as well as money, it's healthier. I have a nice cafe here at work but I'm sure their sandwiches are heavy on the cheese and mayo. Yummy for the days when I don't bring something, but at about $6 each, the costs add up fast.
Melissa says
Great idea to bag up all the non-perishables for the week. It's so efficient, and I never would have thought of it!