Husband's Lunch at Work

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Household Management -> Finances

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother

OP ↓

Wed, Sep 20 2023, 3:45 pm

My husband has a 1.5 hour commute to work and is also careful about what he eats. Every day, he's been buying himself lunch. He spends around 30 shekel a day on average. He gets things like a salad with protein or a humus bowl. Sometimes a shwarma.

Question is, should I try to figure out how to make lunch to send with him? Or should I just leave it? I have tried once or twice but it wasn't hot. And I had to carefully prepare it so it wouldn't spill on the way. It wasn't an easy job.

kermit ↓

Wed, Sep 20 2023, 3:53 pm

My husband does the same, he wont' eat sandwiches.

He spends like $15-20 on lunch when I don't send. I try to pack him the previous nights dinner for lunch, and make extra with this in mind (ex meat sauce with spaghetti squash or chicken with grilled veggies, or schnitzel wrapped in paper towel with rice and green beans etc)

I use the Rubbermaid Brilliant containers for transport, the 3.2 cup ones. they do not spill at all, and are microwavable if you just lift the tabs

but... sometimes we don't have leftovers or he wasn't so crazy about dinner to eat it twice lol. so he buys.

I'm happy he's eating healthy - so many peoples husbands are quite heavy and eat fried all day every day. so I really try to focus on that and telling myself "haShem will provide! this is an expense for health!"

Rubbermaid Brilliant Containers

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Sep 20 2023, 4:04 pm

kermit wrote:

Thank you! Does your husband have a way to heat it up? I think there's only a treif microwave at my husband's work. But double-wrapping should solve that I imagine? I'm going to check out those containers.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Sep 20 2023, 4:07 pm

And yes the healthy diet is worth a ton. I'm very happy and impressed by how much he cares about it. He used to be mildly obese. That will make me feel better about when he buys lunch. But I still would like to do something about it if I can manage.

amother

Cantaloupe

Wed, Sep 20 2023, 4:07 pm

30 shekel is pretty reasonable imo for a healthy meal. If it were me I would probably stick with this arrangement unless you really need the extra money.

glamourmom

Wed, Sep 20 2023, 4:10 pm

not sure how much cheaper it'll come out if you do it yourself. In US a healthy lunch is $15 plus.

Sewsew_mom

Wed, Sep 20 2023, 4:10 pm

I'm not sure I would make a big deal because men also need to eat. And eating healthy is more expensive and challenging if your out of the house.
But what came to mind were these cool warming plug in containers and maybe something like that could work.
https://I.imgur.com/bmm7uXD.jpg
Bassically you keep the food warm in there until you eat.
I know you're in Israel and it's not as easy to find but maybe see if anything here can convert there and you can order on Amazon and try it.

SuperWify

Wed, Sep 20 2023, 4:11 pm

30 shekels for a healthy lunch sounds amazing. Would probably cost almost that, plus a lot of eats prep time if you were to make it.

↑ kermit

Wed, Sep 20 2023, 4:19 pm

amother OP wrote:

that's true, my husband is lucky to have a kosher microwave.

On the flipside I also sometimes bring leftovers to work and eat cold - I personally don't mind. like I can eat cold chicken and veggies, why not. but it's a personality thing lol (or maybe a mommy thing)

LovesHashem

Wed, Sep 20 2023, 4:22 pm

amother OP wrote:

Ask your LOR. My rav said double wrapping isn't sufficient to be used on the day to day basis.

Would he eat a chicken salad or other protein bowls that don't need to be hot?

zaq

Wed, Sep 20 2023, 4:27 pm

If dh is willing to carry stuff to work, you can make it happen. First, invest in:
1. Good leak-resistant containers in a range of sizes. You want each food separate. Salad greens in one, robust veggies in another, protein such as beans or hardcooked eggs in another, dressing in another. IME screw-cap containers work best for liquids.
2. Several refreezable ice packs
3. If applicable, a good thermos
4. A well- insulated bag to carry it all.

If your dh is eating a salad with humus or hard-cooked eggs or tuna, that's not a hot meal. There's no reason you can't prepare that sort of thing at home.

If dh has access to a microwave oven at work, send the cold shawarma or whatever, double wrapped. Then dh can nuke the meat and pile it into pita that you packed in a separate container, and hey presto, a hot meal. (The double-wrapping is for the sake of kashrut. I never assume that anyone has access to a kosher microwave at work.) You can do the same thing with lasagna or anything else. You can send hot or cold soup in a thermos, or dh can get an immersion heater. A good one, not a cheapie, because the cheapies start fires, burn out immediately, or first start a fire and then burn out.

To save bulk, you can freeze a noncarbonated beverage such as milk or juice in a drinking container like the rubbermaid "litterless juice box" https://www.walmart.com/ip/Rub.....4098. It will serve as an ice pack to keep the lunch cold, and then dh can drink it when it thaws. Depending on the travel conditions, you can freeze the whole thing (leave headspace to allow for expansion during freezing) or freeze the juice box half full and fill to the top with liquid juice in the morning before dh leaves.

If dh likes sandwiches, pack each sandwich component separately, and let dh assemble the sandwich himself, nuked or not, at lunchtime.

The crucial part is leak-resistant containers. Then nobody has to worry about spills on the way.

amother

Feverfew

Wed, Sep 20 2023, 6:13 pm

amother OP wrote:

I’m also in Israel. We do sandwiches, except if I’m busy the day of dh buys falafel, but I really try to avoid that (he got food poisoning last time😢)
It’s also way more cost effective and a plus that it’s homemade. Even if you are putting in pastrami or schnitzel in a baguette or pita it will still be cheaper than 30 shekel.
I do all kinds of sandwiches, that’s the only thing dh will eat since he’s very busy at work doesn’t have time to deal with containers
You can also send extra snacks in small containers or sandwich bags ie cut fruit, cake, etc.
It’s also quick and easy to send out, making dinner is like 5 min or less depending on what’s inside the sandwiches. Doesn’t spill or leak.

amother

Fuchsia

Wed, Sep 20 2023, 6:47 pm

Different situation here but my daughter brings hot soups in a food jar/thermos for lunch. It keeps the food very hot for up to 6 hours. It definitely works better for hot liquids but I believe can also work for solid foods (I haven't tried that).

amother

Sand

Wed, Sep 20 2023, 8:07 pm

My husband simply does not eat lunch. Good breakfast- eggs with salad and toast- no lunch at all. Eats a regular dinner. I do not get it, but he has done this for 45 years!

amother

↑ OP

Thu, Sep 21 2023, 2:41 am

Thank you everyone!!! This thread was really helpful. It gives me the validation that paying 30 shekel a day is allowed for my sanity (and possibly his) AND gives me options if I want to do it myself.

Page 1 of 1