Lunch Rut.

[tasha313]

I saw alot of threads on 'What's for dinner', my issue is.. I make hubbys lunch and I feel like theres a dish a fruit granola bar something in a cup (pudding,fruit cup ..) I try to vary what I put with his dish but when I look at the snack isle in the grocery store all there is is granola bars and puddings... Sometimes hubby works from 9am-8pm so i have to pack a big lunch... What in the world can I put in the lunch thats not so much granola bar... i feel like im going to wake up next to a nature valley bar soon.... Help please

[fire_earth_air]

How about veggie and dip?
or apple slices and peanut butter/nutella?
or pita chips and hummus?
or home made trail mix with nuts, chocolate chips, cheerios, pretzels (depends if he likes the salty/sweet mixture)

[tasha313]

did the veggie and dip but the other ideas are great thanks

[Natalka]

With your little one, you probably aren't baking - but how about buying some baking - my husband loves those huge cinnamon buns (especially from Safeway). They are around $4 for six with cream cheese icing when they go on sale. Also, he likes the cherry strudel from there. Or any other baking like muffins, scones, etc. - any store bakery has lots of stuff.
My husband also likes a ziploc of fresh cherries or cut up cauliflower.

[fire_earth_air]

I thought of more:
- cheese n crackers or just pieces of cheese/cheese string
- pop tarts
- pizza pocket or something like that which is small
- bagelfuls
- fruit to go bars

[tasha313]

yes i do bake great idea its funny because its all so obvious and i hadnt thought about it.

[Angela273]

Home made snacks usually go over great. You can always make/bake these in advance and package them individually to keep in the freezer. This way it will be easier to mix up the lunch snacks.
Different varieties of cookies, squares, cinnamon buns/rolls, etc.

Fruit with hard cheese. You can slice and package these at home.
Mix and match different types of veggies with different types of dip. (even home made)

[Lynn49]

Do you ever pack left-overs from dinner the night before? My hubby absolutely cleared out the fridge each morning! ;-)
Try to steer clear of those packages fat-filled, artery-clogging grocery aisle foods. Fresh fruit, fruit dips, and like fire-earth-air mentioned in her first post....hummus is really nutritious and SO easy to make in your food processor...peanut butter and apples pack a real nutritious punch....salsa/shredded cheese and tortilla chips for his own nachos if he has a place to heat his food....hot soups in a thermos with a sandwich...hot chili in a thermos, too!
Picked these ideas up on the net:

Pair creamy smoked Gouda with sliced apples on pecan raisin bread.
Layer garlic hummus with ripe tomatoes and sharp cheddar cheese on spelt bread.
Try roasted yellow peppers, ripe tomatoes and a spread of cream cheese on a French baguette.
Stuff pita bread with sliced chicken breast, lightly dressed spinach salad and purple onions.
Spread ham salad on rye bread with dill pickles.
Sandwich deli-roasted veggies and pepper jack cheese between slices of olive bread.
Arrange cream cheese and apple or cucumber slices on sourdough raisin bread.
Hope this helps a little!

[tasha313]

yummmm hubby LOVES the ideas. Thanks a bunch

[fire_earth_air]

Do you ever pack left-overs from dinner the night before? My hubby absolutely cleared out the fridge each morning! ;-)
Try to steer clear of those packages fat-filled, artery-clogging grocery aisle foods. Fresh fruit, fruit dips, and like fire-earth-air mentioned in her first post....hummus is really nutritious and SO easy to make in your food processor...peanut butter and apples pack a real nutritious punch....salsa/shredded cheese and tortilla chips for his own nachos if he has a place to heat his food....hot soups in a thermos with a sandwich...hot chili in a thermos, too!
Picked these ideas up on the net:

Pair creamy smoked Gouda with sliced apples on pecan raisin bread.
Layer garlic hummus with ripe tomatoes and sharp cheddar cheese on spelt bread.
Try roasted yellow peppers, ripe tomatoes and a spread of cream cheese on a French baguette.
Stuff pita bread with sliced chicken breast, lightly dressed spinach salad and purple onions.
Spread ham salad on rye bread with dill pickles.
Sandwich deli-roasted veggies and pepper jack cheese between slices of olive bread.
Arrange cream cheese and apple or cucumber slices on sourdough raisin bread.
Hope this helps a little!

These sound delicious!!! I wanna go grocery shopping to get these things and make an endless amount of snacks for myself

[tasha313]

haha thats what i was just thinking. i just went grocery shopping 2-3 days ago and now i wanna go back.

[runningmom23]

This is great! Thanks for all the ideas...I am using them for packing my kids school lunches...I always get in a rut too!

[Damnedifiknow]

Don't forget that with holidays coming up...sigh...there are lots of things you can do with leftovers! I say holidays loosely...anyone can easily take a day or two to make and bake a ton and have it for convenience.

If you take a meal or two and make double what you'd usually eat, why not do "TV" dinners? You take the leftovers (which is why it's great around holiday times or family get togethers) and literally make individual freezer safe meals. If your DH is working late that night, you can take a homemade meal out of the freezer and put it in his lunch for a supper at work (provided he has access to a nuker as was suggested above).

They're also great if you're pressed for time and just need something quick for dinner!