Lunch or Dinner Ideas or Snacks

I always sent leftovers with my husband to work but he had a micro to reheat. With that said.....I always like cold green beans with a little Italian dressing. I also liked cold steak strips. If he likes salmon, shrimp, chicken, you could make nice salads with a variety of things on top with the protein added. I love artichokes, cukes, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, cheese (grated), boiled eggs, bacon bits, etc. on top. Pretzels are a great snack and easy to eat as you drive. Grapes are good and easy. However, the key to all this is to get him things he likes. You have some really great ideas here so, good luck!

I would look at all of the food that you could eat cold and start there. My hubby had zero access to a microwave at his last job, so I would send sandwiches, cold leftover pizza, cold leftover stromboli (homemade), basically anything he was willing to eat cold with him. I always made sure that I had his favorite chips, some sort of veggie, pudding (that doesn't need to be refrigerated), something good for him to drink, and a pack of fruit snacks (which happen to be one of his favorite things). I'm sure he got tired of those things, but it at least gave him something every day that wasn't costing us a fortune!

As for snacks, you can include almost anything there...trail mix, granola, Fiber One bars (I find that those fill both of us up), occasionally cookies, gold fish, animal crackers, pretzels, veggies...the list goes on and on. I used to just ask him what he wanted and make sure that I had multiple items in there so if he wasn't "feeling" pretzels that day he had the option of granola. H. this helps!

It's always good to have some snacks on hand that don't require refrigeration or heating, it keeps him from paying the outragous prices at convenience stores. Try...
dried fruit
cereal
granola bars
trail mix (make your own)
chex mix (make your own)
pretzels
nuts
crackers

For items that need to be kept cold...
fruit - fruit salad
yogurt
cut up veggies with dip

For meals ...
sandwiches - try to avoid deli meats and use left overs
tuna (salad or on a sandwich)
pasta salad (add some cut up chicken for protein)
wraps
a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, corn, black beans, and cheese

Invest in a good thermos and you can send....
chilli
homemade soup w/some french bread
mac & cheese
pulled pork (send rolls so he can make a hot sandwich)

And don't overlook beverages...

Forgot a few things...
hard boild eggs
egg salad
corn on the cob is great cold
green beans are also great cold
pototoe salad

If you don't have one already, I would invest in a little cooler. I know my husband will spend a stupid amount of money on soda, chips and coffee if I don't buy him some from the store. You can pack a home made "trail mix". String cheese. Yogurt. Sandwiches (of course). Biscuits. Fresh fruit. If it's cold, some soup in a insulated container. Cook a brisket and send left over hunks of meat with him. Cold fried (or baked) chicken legs.

get whole wheat tortillas and wrap healthy meats and cheese for a sandwich. he can also take veggies (celery, carrots, etc) in a cooler. yogurt, granola bars

pack some veggies like carrots or celery standing up in a container and put his favorite dip in the bottom :) already dipped! sorry thats all i got :)

I have to agree with Meaghan.
That is nice of you for helping him to improve his eating habits.

Not exactly healthy, but my husband likes taking homemade pepperoni rolls to work. Just use frozen dough (already divided into rolls), let thaw, stuff with a couple pieces of pepperoni & some shredded cheese. A bit of sauce inside is optional. Then close up and bake for about 15 mins. Easy and taste great at room temperature for a couple days if they're stored in an airtight container or ziploc bag.

If he has a small cooler, you could do a pasta salad w/ grilled or baked chicken on it. We like a pasta salad that has grapes/strawberries or some other seasonal fruit in it and poppyseed dressing instead of the typical italian dressing. I think kraftfoods.com has the recipe, but it's pretty straightforward.

I used to drive a truck and I loved to have beef or turkey jerky...and peanuts on hand...also granola mix. It depends on what he likes..yes it is a good idea to have a cooler and stock his fav drink. String cheese...or any kind of cheese he likes would be good. Also sandwiches in the cooler would be good. It's possible to eat healthy on a truck :)