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Angel
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My dh and I are trying to figure out how to provide a healthy lunch for him at work on a regular basis -- real food, not frozen dinners, and not always sandwiches.
Can any of you share if and how you do lunch for your husbands? Part of our problem is working it into our routine... and another problem is that my kids are eating everything I make for dinner lately (no leftovers)!!
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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MaryM
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Hopefully Stef will jump in here. She packs the most amazing and healthy lunches for her husband. I know she has posted about them here somewhere and has info on her blog.
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Mary M. in Denver
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amyable
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Could you set aside a portion of dinner before everyone eats, then if the kids are still hungry after eating everything that is left, they could have fruit or something? My kids would probably say no to the fruit, but I take this to mean they weren't *really* hungry. 
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stefoodie
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Thanks Mary 
I got my dh a bento box at Amazon -- it's an insulated 4-container lunch box.
He has multiple allergies so I really have to take care of him with regards to food. He used to take food in a plastic microwavable container, but after I read about plastic molecules leaching into food....
I usually have the ff in the compartments:
1. soup, stew, or other hot viand in the bottom compartment
2. whole grains (brown rice, or a mix of white and brown) in the next (largest) compartment -- I've tried giving him less but he really needs his carbs, so that's what makes up the bulk
3. hot vegetable -- won't stay hot because the 3rd compartment is just snap-on, but the 2 below will keep it warm at least -- or sometimes a salad (the thing with salads though is instead of chilled they're lukewarm or room temp instead, but what can you do) -- with the dressing in a miniature squeeze "bottle" which you can find at Japanese stores
4. sliced up fruit, or a handful of almonds and a handful of raisins -- or allergy-free brownies or other safe treat
I do what Amy says -- try to make enough food at dinnertime so I just have to heat up and pack in the morning before he goes. At least the rice and viand we're sure to have -- if we run out of veggies in the evening I steam some veggies in the a.m., or make the salad.
He also gets a banana or other whole fruit in addition, for a snack, and I keep him well-stocked with green tea at work.
The hardest part for me is getting up early to prepare this -- hubby wants to be out of the house by 5:30, 5;45 at the latest. Some evenings I pre-pack everything -- dh has to take them out and reheat in plates/bowls and repack -- but this eats into his time so I try not to do this often. Plus I like getting up in the a.m. and seeing him off.
In the summer I think I'll pack meal-in-a-salad for him -- e.g., greens-chopped up turkey-cranberries-walnuts-brown rice or brown rice pasta with the dressing in a little jar (hotel ketchup bottles are perfect for this). These can be packed in one large container instead of the bento. Might work for you if he's more into salads.
I'm also thinking of packing a frozen smoothie for him in the warmer months -- so he can just shake it and it will still be cold at lunchtime. Some ideas: chocolate milk (or soymilk)+ protein powder+whole fruit (raspberries or strawberries)+choc ice cream+ground up flaxseeds, or butter pecan ice cream (in our case non-dairy)+milk/soymilk+honey+cinnamon+flaxseeds+protein powder
hth,
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SusanJ
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My husband loves soup for lunches and we usually have leftovers. But when we get out of the leftover stage I will probably make up a big pot and freeze it in meal-size portions (quart size freezer bags work well for this--they freeze flat and don't take up much space). Then I can give him a good portion of soup. To round it out I add a piece of fruit and some bread/crackers/rolls--whatever we have on hand. Sometime I slice up cheese, too. We're thinking of getting a thermos jar for the soup so it can be hot without him having to hunt down a microwave. These also wouldn't leak. I like to add some dark chocolate as a treat sometimes.
Susan
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Lara Sauer
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| Posted: Jan 24 2008 at 4:29pm | IP Logged
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I do the same as the other ladies, and make a lunch for my husband before serving the dinner to our hungry masses!
I can't think of the last time that my husband took a sandwich for lunch!
However, I have a new problem...that being that my husband's new job is keeping him away from home for both lunch and the dinner hour. He arrives home between 7-9pm. He says he doesn't mind eating then, but I just think that is too long to go without a meal and I also don't think it is particularly healthy to be eating dinner so late.
Do any of you have to pack "TWO" lunches?
Peace.
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MarilynW
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Awesome thread. I had been thinking of pming Stef to find out what hot food storage she used and for ideas.
I have been keeping a little extra of dinners for him - but he has had to warm up in a microwave (and I am not a microwave fan)
I try to send in a variety - a yogurt, a trail mix with almonds, black chocolate and raisins, a banana. My dh has come a long way with changing to healthy eating - but he is not a big salad fan.
Looking forward to ideas.
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Sarah M
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Wow- this thread puts me to shame! I'm terrible at packing lunches for dh  - now I have lots of great ideas. Boy, won't he be surprised next week! Thanks for the ideas, ladies!
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guitarnan
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We always eat late...last night it was 9 P.M. I suppose it would be unhealthy if we went straight to bed, but we don't. (This is a habit we picked up while living in Italy.)
I sometimes wait for dh to come home (see above dinner time for results), and about twice a week we eat without him, but I always make food for him.
We have had a problem with leftovers disappearing, too; it has taken me a while to figure out how much to make now that dd eats like a big kid instead of a little one.
Dh prefers to eat our food (healthier and less expensive), so I am really trying to make this work. We often sit right at the table and pack his lunch for next day. I find casserole-style dishes are great for this (set aside one portion, ds and dh split portion #6). Soups are excellent, and so are foods made in the crockpot. They often taste better on Day 2! We often bake chicken (whole) in the winter months, and dh packs leftovers and some potatoes together.
He doesn't like to pack salads. Don't know why. He LOVES fruit, fresh or dried (Costco is the only way I afford dried, though), so I buy a bag of apples or bananas each week for him to take.
He takes it all cold and sticks it in the fridge at work, then nukes it. 
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Lara Sauer
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Guitarnan,
Does your whole family eat together at 9pm, or do you simply wait for him to come home before you eat dinner so that you and he can have a quiet dinner together? This would be a huge mortification for me, because my little kids are usually tucked into bed before 7:45pm and my older kids are on their way up!
I guess I shouldn't be so worried about when he eats, but this job schedule is very new to us. I guess it will work itself out, and if he is not complaining about it, then I shouldn't either!
Back to the comment at hand, however, there is no doubt that making "homemade" lunches from leftovers will definitely save money. Dinners can be stretched a bit simply by adding one more potato, or and extra 1/4 of pasta, or perhaps some extra vegetables.
I am lucky, however, as my husband eats everything and happily has no food sensitivities.
All the best!
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Mackfam
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I have loved reading this thread! Thank you so much Stef for the link to the bento box - I've been struggling with how to get my dh's lunch out of plastic!
We do much the same as all of you, I always set aside a portion from the previous night's meal for his lunch. There are occasions when I have to get a bit creative. I try to freeze small single portions of bigger meals, like a big pot roast or something, to keep in the freezer for those nights it is apparent I'm not going to have anything left over for my dh's lunch the next day. I do try to provide yogurt and fruit for snacks.
I confess  , I'm terrible at getting up with him. He too leaves early for work (about 10 til 5 in the morning) and I am so tired lately with this pregnancy, that I haven't been good lately about getting up to see him off. I make his lunches the night before. I see I need to mortify myself a little more, and just make myself get up. You're all so right about how much of a blessing it is for us to get up early and make the sacrifice to see our husband's off. I need to pray for the strength to do this!
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guitarnan
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Lara,
We do wait up...but, as I said, this is a habit we began in a country where no one eats until 7:30 PM or later. (Good thing it wasn't Spain...9:30 is more typical for "early" meals.) The kids sleep in. Please remember that my youngest is 10, though! I know my schedule won't work for everyone. For us, it's been a way to maximize time with dh, who also travels a great deal, but many children can't handle a chaotic "schedule" like mine.
Also, I grew up in a household where Dad worked late; Mom fed us kids early, then waited to eat with Dad. Eating later is how I grew up.
Tonight we are eating without dh because ds has a Scout meeting.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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mom2mpr
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I sometimes make dh's lunch for the next day when making ours. Just helps time-wise as supper clean up takes so long. Made sandwiches as we headed out to the gym playdate today and made one for dh. He also takes leftovers. I also buy those instant soups at the health food store, granola bars and instant oatmeal(hey, he likes it for lunch). He mostly takes dinner or our lunch leftovers.
Funny this thread came up, I have made a new rule that I need to make sure he has a lunch each day as he works 7a-7p. I had really not taken care of him well in this regard for the past 6 months!! Poor guy. But he never complained.....
Anne
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Lori B
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My Hubby often takes supper leftovers, too- and we have the same policy as others have stated concerning leftovers (sorry, that's Daddy's lunch- go have an apple  ).
On days when we don't have leftovers for whatever reason (ex. Hubby doesn't enjoy warmed-up eggs), we have a stockpile of soups in the freezer in small containers.
If we only have a bit of meat left over and no sides, he'll put together a hot sandwich by adding some gravy (from the freezer) and a 1/2 cup or so of frozen peas.
We always have wraps on hand- any bits of leftovers can be used to make a yummy meal (even cole slaw! Hubby adds some chopped mixed nuts for protein).
He also occasionally enjoys a 'deli' lunch- a bento type box with cheese cubes, olives, whole-grain crackers, cold leftover chicken, raw veggies, etc.
In the warmer months, his favourite lunch is a bowl of spinach topped with feta cheese and chickpeas (he puts the dressing on ahead of time, so that the spinach will wilt).
He eats beakfast at work as well, so our freezer also holds an assortment of muffins and breads, and he takes an all-natural yogurt, fruit and a hard-boiled egg to round it out.
Hubby always helps to put his lunch together, and his input makes it a lot easier for me to make it both nutritious and tasty
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JodieLyn
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OK I've got a bit different situation. DH is happy to put together his own lunch.. umm he's seen me function in the early morning.. I think he does it so his lunch will be edible Though if he gets a call in to come in early I can usually get up and help him get everything going.
He also does not have access to any sort of refrigeration or microwave.. he carries a small ice chest to pack food in. He also has a "Jet Boil" which is a small container on top of a propane sort of burner.. but it heats up super fast.. very hard to heat thick things but thinner soups and drinks is great.
Some other things I do..
sandwiches
cornish pasties
fried chicken
pizza
salad (with meats and cheeses) dressing and anything that would make it "soupy" in individual containers
In Thermos:
pasta salad with meat and cheese added
thicker soups/stews
pasta with sauce
bbq beef to put on bread
He usually has fruits
He has his one 12 oz can of cola (or in winter he takes a thermos of decaf coffee) otherwise he drinks water..
occationally he has chips (large bag at home takes a sandwich bag full)
occationally he has cookies
and even more occationally I'll send him off with homemade cinnamon rolls or such to share
Apparently, he eats much better than the guys buying junk.. both in health and in flavor 
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JodieLyn
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Oh and Angela.. if the kids are eating not because they NEED the food.. consider setting aside the portion for dh's lunch BEFORE serving dinner
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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happymama
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I only have to send a lunch 4x a week. I quizzed dh on the finest details of what he likes, doesn't like, and how often he wants it. :) He absolutely won't pack his own lunch, but never complains about what I send, so I have to drill him to get some ideas...
Anyway, he gets the same lunch every Monday, every Tuesday, etc. This way I don't have to think in the mornings. (I'm always "free" of course to substitute a yummy left-over.) Thankfully I married a man who once survived a summer in college on only bread & PB.
If I know he's going to be working through dinner, he gets additional things such as beef jerky, extra nuts or fruit, fresh veggies with dip, or a can of slimfast.
I also try to sneak in little love-notes about once a week. :) I figure, maybe it makes up for not getting a fresh meal.
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SusanMc
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I make DH's lunch each morning...it helps motivate me to get out of bed when he does. His usual fare includes some celery and carrot sticks (and I just started packing homemade hummus), two sandwiches, a can of tuna, crackers, apple or banana, and homemade soup. I sometimes substitute leftovers for sandwiches. When he works late, I throw in a sweet potato that he can cook in the microwave.
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Maddie
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Do each of the containers have lids? I couldn't tell, thanks!
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mathmama
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I am really inspired by this thread. I pride myself in giving my family good tasting and nutritious food. But, sadly, dh's lunches aren't lacking, but rather non-existent. The poor guy basically sustains himself on pretzels all day The new semester starts next week and I want to start sending him off with good food. I am seriously considering the bento box, knowing if I spend the money I will be motivated to use it. Thanks for the great ideas!!
Beth
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Lunches for husbands?
