Sunday, March 4, 2012

How To Pack 5 Days Of Healthy Food In 1 Hour

Every Sunday, it is a ritual at our house, to pack a full week of meals for my husband. Ben drives a semi-truck and makes two trips a week from Michigan to the east coast.



Together we prepare his lunch, it takes about an hour.

We also do veggies for me to take in my lunch for the week. I've been dieting--seriously for a few years:) and this makes it much easier in the morning, I can just grab the little baggies and pack my lunch quick.

It saves both time and money.  I think it is so much healthier for him to eat out of his cooler

I hope some of these tips help you to pack healthier lunches.


The best thing I have found is making wraps for him to take for the week.

I use flat bread or whole wheat tortillas and a little cream cheese for the base.  For meat, I use grilled (in the summer) or baked (in the winter) chicken breast. I season the chicken breast with Montreal Chicken Seasoning and add little honey just before we take it off the grill or out of the oven.
Purchased rotisserie chickens work well also.  Beside the cream cheese and meat I add a slices of cheese (Ben's favorite is sharp cheddar).
I use only romaine lettuce since it will stay crisp all week.

Then I wrap each one individually with plastic wrap.

NOTE: Lunch meat will work if you eat the wrap the next day.  If you are making warps for the week like I do, lunch meat does not work. (I think it is the water that is in the lunch meat)

Real cooked chicken or any other cooked meat, like beef roast, pork loin or turkey do not get soggy In fact, Ben says, the wraps on Friday taste the same as Monday, so I am confident these wraps can be made ahead of time.


Other things we make, are canned salmon with olive oil mayonnaise and a little Montreal Chicken seasoning. He eats this like a dip with crackers or celery.

He loves Greek yogurt especially Chobani.



You should try Greek yogurt, the protein is much higher and it taste great!

Beside the items listed so far we add fresh fruits, a bag of cookies and a few other snack items.  He takes milk and cereal, low fat cottage cheese, mixed nuts, oranges juice and drinks lots of coffee.

He can fill his Stanley Thermos for about $1.50 which saves us money, since it is cheaper than by the cup.



If you knew my husband, you would know he has a certain way to pack his lunch in his  Coleman cooler.


Empty 

 Full


Everything has it own spot, so he can find it while driving down the road.

I am so glad he has fresh and healthy food to eat!  Plus, at Ben's last physical he got a great report from our family doctor. She told him to keep up the good work!


Here's my Ben:)

4 comments:

  1. :) great tips mom! Dad looks great!! Love him :)

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  2. Does this last him 3 meals a day for 5 days? I really should consider this for my sons at home. How easy life would be! Lovely.

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    2. Shannon, yes that is all he eats for a week. Sometimes he will eat out, usually breakfast at a fast food place.(but not very often)
      The wrap sandwiches work really well. The grilled chicken in the summer is by far the best, but MI winter..does not allow us to grill.
      I sometimes get a smoked turkey and that makes great wraps too. Just stick with the basics, a wrap, a little cream cheese spread on the wrap, a slice of good cheese, a piece of meat and a few pieces of romaine lettuce.
      Let me know how it works out for you.
      Thanks again for looking:)Enjoy your day Loreen

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Loreen