Ambient healthy packed lunch ideas?

twink

not sure if this is any use to anyone but is low fat

pasta salad

200g pasta twists or shells, 2 tomatoes cut in chunks, 1tbsp raisins
1/4 cucumber cut in chunks, 75g low fat cheddar cubed,
3tbsp nat yoghurt, 2tbsps low cal mayo,

cook pasta drain and put in large bowl, add the tomato, cucumber,
raisins and cheese, stir together, add yoghurt and mayo and mix in
divide between four lettuce leaves and scatter with spring onions. 25g
cashew nuts can be added too

wishingonastar_3

here is a tip what not to do with a packed lunch. at 12 my dd school rang to say her packed lunch was empty apart from a drink and should they give her a school dinner? i've scooped the one with food in up with the heap of washing that was on the kitchen floor and put it on to wash on my way out. thats going to be lovely to sort out when i get home. thought it might make some of you smile.

as for none messy foods, in the summer i tend to do things like frozen sausage rolls (cooked first obviously if you buy them frozen) or cornish pastie, or things like that. whap them in the pack lunch frozen, and as dd packed lunch is kept on a trolley outside class all morning, its nicely defrosted by lunchtime.

hth

woas.

twink

for more sandwich ideas try https://www.warburtons.co.uk

dooj

What about something like pasties, slices of pie or quiche, sausage rolls, pasta salads, chopped veg (like celery sticks or carrott sticks, fish sticks, crackers with spready cheese, fruit and fruit salad, bread sticks and a dip, rice salad, pizza slices sandwiches but use a variety of breads. I think the ice blocks are the only way to keep food cool in the summer and to do what other posters have said- freeze a drink and let that act as an ice block. Keep wet wipes a napkin and kitchen roll in the car for eating and where possible in the summer sit somewhere otdoors rather than have his dinner sitting in the car.

saving-grace

Spendless wrote:

. I can't think of anything other than sandwiches he can take, and I find sandwich fillings in hot weather very hard to think up. Him buying sandwiches out for these reasons are costing us quite a lot of our budget, which is why I'm desperate for some help.

You could ask him what kind of sandwiches he likes to buy when he's out and about and then copy them in your own HM ones. Wrapped tightly and individually in foil they shouldn't fall apart and be messy and if you put them in a small coolbag with a couple of ice packs/frozen drinks as suggested above they'll stay plenty cold enough even in a hot car.

henhog

Hi,

First I would recommend an insulated lunch box, like the polar gear ones (https://www.polargear.co.uk). They say to chill your sandwiches before putting them into the lunch box and to wrap them in aluminium foil which is a good insulator. Put an ice pack directly on top of the sandwiches and put in a cold drink. Pack the lunch box as tightly as possible to reduce air flow.
I buy Tesco Value orange juice - 35p for 3 and freeze the cartons. They act as an ice pack and defrost throughout the day to make a lovely cold drink. I also buy those sipping yoghurts (like frubes) and freeze those too.
HTH - Henhog

Lucie_2

I use the smallest one of these 3 coolbags for my lunch when I'm out on the road.

I have the same problems as Spendless's OH & spend lots of my day in the car, so have to eat lunch when & where ever I get chance. The cool bag will hold a sandwich/roll, piece of fruit, bottle of water or a plastic box with salad. Cheese & crackers doesn't need to be too chilled. I always take a paper napkin/piece of kitchen roll & platic cutlery as necessary. There is a travel size pack of baby wipes in the glove box too. It has taken me a year of working on the road to be this organised! Eating lunch on your own in a soggy lay-by is a miserable experience at the best of times, so a warm lunch is a definite no-no.

redballoon_2

You can buy a small fridge for the car that may be worth investing in. They work by being plugged into your cigarette lighter. Then it wouldn't matter what he had for lunch and you could use it on days out/picnics! we use ours for camping and its fab!
Had a quick mooch on good old ebay and found these few which might interest you.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEXT-In-Car-Fridge_W0QQitemZ6628383289QQcategoryZ98965QQtcZphotoQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-Fridge-Cooler-Chiller-for-home-car-or-caravan-BN_W0QQitemZ7617928278QQcategoryZ71261QQtcZphotoQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/UK-POWER-INVERTER-MAX-100W-DC-12V-AC-220V-CAR-ADAPTER_W0QQitemZ6881337324QQcategoryZ60252QQtcZphotoQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MPV-Cool-Cooler-Cold-Hot-Box-Car-portable-12v-Fridge_W0QQitemZ230000272295QQcategoryZ9885QQtcZphotoQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Gingham_Ribbon

We have a small 'cool bag' from M&S that fits a decent packed lunch in with room for small frozen bags to keep it cold. Yoghurt is a favourite and is fine, as are salads etc.

In the summer, I'd want to keep sandwiches cool anyway, and would still use something like that, especially if there's meat, cheese or egg in it.

If it's only sandwiches that your OH wants, Spendless, what do the ones he buys have in them?