Hi all,
My husband recently joined a plumbing apprenticeship and is working as a drain technician. He is on the road all day in his van, and generally doesn't have access to either a freezer or a microwave. This messes with our "last night's leftovers" lunch solution algorithm, and he's slipping into a tendency to take only crap snacks with him and/or eat out. Fast food is a death trap, financially and literally, so we're looking for a better solution.
Constraints:
- No microwave, so no meals that needs reheating (ex canned soup, typical dinner leftovers).
- No freezer, so no meals that require being kept frozen.
- Cooler/lunchbox with ice pack for 4-5 hours is totally doable.
- 5'11" 25 year old boy doing hard heavy labor all day requires extra protein and fiber to stay full and energized.
- $2-4 per meal is ok, I'm more concerned about balanced eating than being extremely frugal.
Right now, DH is taking Gatorade, Cheez-its, fruit leather and Cliff bars with him on a daily basis. This is high sugar, low fiber, low protein and frankly just not enough calories to carry him through the work day. He had some brief success with making a meat and cheese sandwich on a daily basis, but since hasn't been able to keep up on this habit. Ideally, the best solution is something high fiber and high protein we can batch cook on a weekend or cook in a crock pot, divide in to containers which can be grabbed quickly on the way out the door, and is still tasty when eaten cold.
Any suggestions from on the go mustachians with similar jobs working out of a vehicle?
Thanks bunches!
Kayla