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Idea for very on-the-go lunches


keightlynn

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My husband and I are on day 2 of our Whole 30.  I work from home, so meals aren't much of a problem, but my husband is a mailman so he is out walking on the streets all day long.  Most days he barely has time to use the bathroom, let alone sit down to a proper meal and of course heating anything up or any foods that need to be kept at a certain temperature are out of the question.  I sent him to work this morning with a couple of the egg muffins, but he needs something to eat during the day so he's not starving and tempted to stop by the gas station to pick up snacks (as used to be his go-to).  I know we're not supposed to rely on "bars" and such during the Whole 30, but any ideas on lunch foods that might work for someone who is literally on the move all day long?  Thanks!

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Your hubby is not alone! :) A good big breakfast before he starts the day and a solid meal when he gets home will help.

If a larger meal is more difficult for him, try template mini-meals while he's at work.

 

This is the Need Ideas thread: http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/14927-need-ideas-for-january-w30-with-hubby/

 

This is a shorter one http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/20030-work-lunch-with-no-access-to-microwave-or-heatideas/

 

Scotch eggs are a popular choice, and veggie bakes.

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My husband had a very successful W30 - but he would use a fork... :)  He does HVAC repair so not quite as mobile as mailmen and delivery drivers but no access to microwaves and stuff.  

 

This is what he ate for 30 days:

 

M1 - sweet potatoes fried up with eggs and veggies and compliant breakfast sausage (sometimes as a premade bake, sometimes just cooked that AM in the pan - we always had sweet potatoes prepped) 

 

M3 - "normal" dinner

 

 

What he made for himself for 30 days... 2 1 oz packs of almonds, 1 tupperware of frozen mixed berries topped with coconut milk (buy the full fat kind and let it separate so this is almost like whipped cream), 1 large tupperware with a salad at the base and left overs on top - he would use guacamole or homemade oil and vinegar as dressing (packed in a baby food jar).  

 

If he has to eat as he is literally walking down the street I guess that will be a little tougher :(  How long do you think it would take to get tired of pieces of fruit, jerky and nuts?

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Today I sent him with a sliced up apple in addition to the egg muffins for breakfast.  I intented to get some protein in there, but couldn't find anything before he had to walk out the door.  Jerky is a good idea and we do have a dehydrator.  Do you think drying fruit would be ok?  He is worried that taking fruit is too much sugar.  I think I will try making up some hard boiled eggs, maybe even try to Scotch eggs (at least he is off tomorrow so I have a day to prepare!). 

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I'd think it depends on him?  Does he have a lot of weight to lose?  Does he have a problem with sugary foods being a food without breaks?  Personally I'd think whole fruit (vs dried fruit) is probably a better option.  

 

I'd go with munchy vegetables first: snap peas, sliced carrots, florets of broccoli or cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, pepper slices... you know, finger food veggies.  Give him something to dip them in - homemade mayo/dip, guac, etc.  Maybe a piece of fruit or berries if sugar is an "issue".  A snack pack of nuts.  

 

You can also spin this W30 as a time for him to make time for HIM to be HEALTHIER.  And being healthier means taking the 15 minutes it takes to eat real food for lunch.  If he can't heat things up (or you can send him with a thermos of stew/soup), so be it, but is it 100% totally true that he has zero time to eat?  So that if you packed him a delicious meal of leftovers (that needed a fork :) ) he couldn't eat them?  

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Scotch eggs is a great idea!  Dried fruit is a risky one because it can be a food without brakes and a sugar bomb to your body.  Probably not the best option.

 

I think I would try to really get a very large breakfast into him, look at the highest end of the template.  Then egg muffins or scotch eggs during the day.  At this time of the year when it's not so hot out, you can also include a zippy bag of cooked chicken meat or a piece of steak or even a chunky chicken salad made with either mayo or avocado.  Some people are really freaked out about food poisoning but nothing is going to happen to freshly cooked food between the time he leaves the house and the time he eats it, especially if it was in the fridge all night and leaves the house already cold.

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Weight loss is definatel one of his main goals with this, so I think you're right about the dried fruit.  He grew up with a very bad diet / soda as a main drink / processed food diet and honestly I think his metabolism is very messed up.  As a mail man he walks an average of 12+ miles a day, so weight really shoulnd't be an issue for him, but he will gain weight eating fewer calories than I eat.  Actually, this has me thinking and I think I will post about this in the trouble shooting area or something, but it really is hard for me to figure out.  But back to the topic, I think I'm going to try makign those scotch eggs tomorrow and send him with those on Thursday and see how he does. 

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My hubby works construction and pretty much has to eat his food cold.  For 2-years (yes, I really mean 2-years!) he has been taking a serving on Nom Nom Paleo's Madras Chicken Salad made with homemade mayo. He dumps it over a big bowl of baby spinach and eats a small apple as well.  He just brings this all in a larger sized lunch cooler with several bottles of water.

 

We also get grass-fed beef sticks from Nick's Sticks (online) that he brings with in case he needs more "fuel".  These sticks are Whole30 compliant.

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keightlynn

 

I feel your husband's pain. I used to be a letter carrier for a whopping 11 months. Because of my chronic conditions, i couldn't sustain it. It also wasn't worth it...I started out a TE at 22.15/hr, then became a CCA at 16.25/hr. Went from 60 hours a week to 30 doing collections. Couldn't justify the numbness and pain for such a big pay cut.

 

Anyway, totally understand his issue. I used to make hot stuff and put it in a small Thermos container. It stayed hot enough which says a lot since I live in Colorado and at the time it was freezing outside. You can do the same with cold stuff...using a Thermos container or use those freezer things that keep foods cold in an insulated container.

 

After I left USPS, I went back to school. I often (then and now) was making cooking chicken strips and storing them in a plastic baggy. I like cold chicken. You can do the same with other meat. You can do the same with anything. I cut up veggies--sweet pepper strips, cucumbers, radishes (people look me funny with that one). I seldom use dips. Just a bit of salt. But there's a recipe in their book for Ranch dressing. littleg's ideas are good too.

 

Is he new at this? Just curious. In the 11 months I carried, I went from a 16/18 pant to a 10. Large/XL/1X shirts to medium. Weighed the same, but my body rearranged itself with all the walking and lifting. I try to prepare everything the night before so I don't have to rush in the morning. When it comes to letter carriers, most (not all) convenience stores and other businesses are very good to carriers. On one route there were two convenience stores...neither would let me use their restrooms. Those were the exceptions. Most others allow that and will let you use the microwave even if you don't buy anything. They get that this is a crazy job. 

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