Packin' It In

I mentioned in another post recently that I religiously pack the husband's lunch.

Why?  Why ever do I go to this trouble?  Well, for one- I love my man and I'm happy to do this for him.  For another, he would never do it for himself.  And so I know that he would inevitably find himself sitting in the drive thru line day after day.  Now that just simply won't do!

Last year I posted about his lunch and all things lunch related but in re-reading that post- I've realized how MUCH has truly changed in just one year.  So today I'm going to update you all on exactly what I'm packing and I'll even include a little of his morning routine!

The restrictions haven't changed.  The husband still doesn't have access to a refrigerator or microwave.  He also still prefers food that he can easily "grab n go" and so anything with utensils is out.  Boo!  While he is getting better about sitting down and eating, he is still typically eating in his work van and most times- he's driving while doing it.  Gah.  The husband is also just a tad on the picky side, OK- he's picky.  Then of course you have to factor in the accommodation to our Flexitarian diet and it can seem almost impossible at times.

It's just lunch- why is this so hard?!?

Alright- so right off the bat, the big changes to his lunch in the last year are an even further elimination of the processed foods.  Yes, I was choosing the "healthier" processed foods but I no longer buy frozen organic pizzas or chips.  Another big change is that the husband no longer has time to sit down and eat breakfast with us- so I also include breakfast when packing his lunch.


Now let's get down to the good stuff!  What in the world am I packing him?!?  PS- most of these items would work well if you're packing school lunches too.  Sure, most school cafeteria's have access to microwaves now but kids don't always want to take the time to heat things up.  Plus, these options are seriously easy, yummy AND kid-friendly.

• Homemade Bean and Cheese Burritos.  Prep a ton of these and freeze.  I buy the super large tortillas (pretty much the ONLY unhealthy portion of this), fill with homemade refried beans, organic cheese, red onion and red sauce.  Red sauce is either enchilada sauce or salsa, both of which you can make at home!

• Homemade Beef and Bean Burritos.  Same deal here.  Use the biggest tortillas you can find, cook up a small amount of organic, grass fed ground beef and then add in your homemade beans, cheese, red onion and red sauce.  Fold n freeze you guys.  Fold n freeze.  *A note on the homemade burritos- you can make your own tortillas (which I've done many times) but homemade tortillas don't roll as easily as store bought.  So when making these burritos for lunches, this is one of the times I prefer to buy tortillas rather than make them myself.

• PB & J.  I know right?  A grown man who loves the PB & J- but really, WHO doesn't love the PB & J?  I use all organic ingredients and many times, I bake my own bread.  You can also make your own jam/jelly but I have yet to tackle that one!  If you are watching your sugars and at risk for diabetes- please be careful with this sweet little sammy.  Lots of hidden sugar in the jelly but there can also be added sugar in your bread and peanut butter.

• Meatball Subs.  The husband LOVES meatball subs.  Buy some good quality sourdough or french bread and your well on your way to creating a great sandwich!  I use homemade meatballs and every so often I've been known to sneak in some lentil balls.  Which are essentially like meatballs only made with lentils and veggies instead.  Use your own marinara (this is a PERFECT way to use up the tiny little bit of leftover sauce!), slice some green peppers and red onion and you're good to go!  I do NOT put cheese on the husband's meatball subs because well...it's not really needed and it's better for you without!

• Pizza.  Yes, pizza is still finding its way into the husband's lunch bag but now its made using homemade dough, homemade sauce and a butt ton of organic veggies!  Occasionally I will top it with some organic pepperoni or Applegate organic sausage but this is rare.  And usually only if the husband complains.  BWHAHAHA!    *A note on the pizza- you guys, homemade pizza doesn't just happen magically the morning of the lunch making.  It takes thought.  A super easy way to do this is to have a pizza night at home (we typically do this about once per month) and then simply make a couple extras for lunches.  Pizza dough is impossibly easy.  Start it in the morning or after lunch and then allow it to rise before dinner.

• Meat and Cheese Sandwiches.  Why am I including this here?  Well every so often I will actually buy real lunch meat and make a real sandwich for the husband.  For most folks, this type of sandwich is their daily.  But deli lunch meat is super bad for you and so I buy organic lunch meat- typically Applegate because that's what I can easily find.  Top with organic cheddar and lots of veggies and your in business!

• Quesadillas.  We eat a ton of quesadillas at our house.  These work well with your homemade tortillas.  The husband likes them very simple with just cheese, chili powder and some red onion.  You can also put in some bell peppers, tomatoes, avocados etc if you've got a slightly less picky man.  It takes almost no time to cook up a few of these on your stovetop, cut 'em up and pack in some foil.

• Grilled Cheese Sammys.  It all starts with a good quality organic sourdough- we LOVE the Essential Baking Company which is a local bakery offering artisan organic breads.  Our CSA even has the option to add on breads from this great company and many are bake at home.  That means, I can bake it up when I'm ready to use it!  Love that!  I don't make grilled cheese often because BUTTER...and CHEESE...and FAT...but every so often it makes for a nice change of pace.

• Tacos.  We don't eat "normal" tacos like most folks.  Our tacos are either made entirely of beans, no meat or I make a "taco meat" filling which is made using lentils and cauliflower.  I know right?  But listen- it's not as weird as it sounds and it's actually very good and it's super easy to prep ahead of time.  You can use either flour or corn tortillas or even those delicious crunchy taco shells.  We like the blue taco shells from Garden of Eatin'- SO good!  

• Hot Dogs and Burgers.  Now this one is super easy and a favorite of the husband's!  Whenever we grill up real meat, I always make sure we have some extras for lunches later on in the week.  We of course grill most frequently in the summer time but every so often we'll grill in the winter- which makes for a special treat in the lunch bag!  Now- if your husband won't eat these things cold, then this might be tricky but mine seriously doesn't care!  He's probably just so happy he's getting real meat!  Ha!  And it goes without saying- buy local and organic meats you guys!

Alright, so we've talked about the main course of the lunch bag but what about everything else?  Breakfasts are very simple- usually homemade biscuits with cheese and Applegate organic turkey sausage or a pancake with a sausage rolled inside it.  Sometimes I'll toast up some of the organic sourdough, put in a PB & J or make a smoothie.  Muffins are also super easy and a favorite of the husband's is Pumpkin Bread.  The husband isn't a big fan of breakfast so it's typically not the focus of the lunch bag.  I also try to keep in mind what I'm packing him for lunch when I'm packing breakfast.  Meaning- if I've packed a real meat sandwich, then I won't pack a breakfast item that has meat.  Or if he's eating leftover hot dogs, then I'll make him a green smoothie for breakfast to help combat all that fat and grease.  

The rest of the lunch bag is very simple.  It's all fruits and veggies.  I almost NEVER pack chips anymore but instead, I load him up on fresh organic fruits and veg.  Carrot sticks, celery with peanut butter, apple slices, grapes, cantaloupe/watermelon/honeydew chunks, a banana- basically, any "sturdy" fruit that could survive a little jostling in the lunch bag.  So berries and cut up kiwi are out- trust me on this one mmkay....

The drinks vary but every few days there's a Kombucha in there.  The husband's favorite flavors are Grape Chia and now he's all about the Cherry Chia.  I also make him a smoothie a few days per week.  It depends on what else is in the lunch bag as I've very careful about watching the sugar and fat contents.  Meaning, no Yogurt Berry Smoothie if I've made him a PB & J.  If I'm making a smoothie that day, it would be a Green Smoothie to balance out the sugar from the PB & J.  Make sense?  There's always water and yes, most days, the husband is still drinking his one can of Coke or Mt. Dew.  Full disclosure here- we have been working on removing the soda from his diet.  Where once he drank 4 or more cans each day, he's now down to this one can at lunch time.  It's a work in progress and we are almost at the finish line!  Hallelujah!

And what would lunch be without a little dessert?  Now, I don't pack a sweet treat every day but as many of you may know from following the blog, I typically bake one dessert each week and depending on what I've baked that week, I'll include it in the lunch bag.  Cookies and brownies are a easy favorite!  And sometimes right after Halloween, I'll sneak in a few pieces of the kiddo's trick or treating candy- SHH....don't tell!

In addition to religiously packing the husband's lunch, I also set out his vitamins and Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) every morning.  He is currently taking Magnesium, Fish Oil, Vitamin D, Cinnamon, Glucosamine and Vitamin C.  For his ACV, I use Bragg's organic, it's raw and unfiltered but most importantly, it contains THE MOTHER.  To take your ACV simply measure out approximately 2 tablespoons into a glass and then add about a cup of cold water.  I do NOT recommend just doing the ACV straight (like a shot) as it seriously burns!  Dilute it with water first mmkay!

Well there you have it.  I hope this has given you some inspiration for what to pack for a healthy and homemade lunch.  I know it sounds like a big undertaking and in truth, it took me awhile to get to this point.  But you can totally do this!  You will simply need to change up how you go about packing lunches.  My biggest tip is to simply think about lunch when making dinner.  If you plan on making extras for dinner, then lunch will be a breeze!  Oh- and stop buying "convenience" foods.  Fruit and veggies are THE ULTIMATE convenience food and much healthier for you.