Brown Bag Lunch Ideas?
 

My husband and I are starting the South Beach plan this weekend and my husband is already frustrated with it because he doesn't know what he is going to eat for lunch everyday at work. He has a job that doesn't allow him alot of eating time and prepartation. He takes a couple sandwiches to work everyday but that won't be an option anymore because of the bread. He doesn't have access to a fridge or microwave either so his lunch has to sit in his truck until he is ready to eat it.

Any lunch ideas would be really appreciated as I want him to be as eager to stick with this plan as I am.

Thanks!!

Emily

Can he use an insulated lunch box with an ice pack? For phase 1 he could use ham and cheese rollup with hard boiled eggs. For phase 2, he can have a sandwhich on whole wheat bread or in a whole wheat pita or tortilla. Fruit will work in phase 2. Raw veggies make good snacks or go with lunch in all phases.

Hopefully someone else will have some more ideas. I have a microwave at work so I usually do leftovers. I've also done three bean salad. It just depends on what your husband will eat.

I can't be certain that all of these ideas are allowed on South Beach. I have an endocrine disorder and so follow a very low-carb meal plan because my body doesn't like it when I eat too many carbs. My doctor & I put this together, and we stole pieces from various published diets.
Also, until this year, I didn't have access to a fridge or microwave because I teach. We didn't have a faculty eating area in my last school, and the only available refrigerators were the ones that the students were allowed to use. That caused way too many missing lunches for my tastes.
The ice-pack in the insulated bag works very well, but so does some of these other things, as long as you use an insultated bag or ice-chest (they make little ones).

Frozen pre-cooked shrimp, tail on or off... they thaw by lunch and also act as a tiny freezer pack
Sliced raw cucumber
Pea Pods (not the sweet peas themselves, but the pea pods like in oriental cooking)
Celery
Low-fat cheese chunks (I don't buy anything above 2% milk... Cabot makes a really good cheddar, and the Cracker Barrel cheese is passable; I've found awesome mozzarella balls and smoked cheeses at Trader Joes and Whole Foods)
Canned tuna (I use the white albacore, because that is a preference, but you can use any; I also buy the 3 ounce little cans... its a bit more expensive unless you go to a wholesale club, but the convenience is worth it. The small cans have flip-tops, and its portion controlled. One can is between 80-100 calories)
Fat-free sour cream mixed with some powdered dressing of your choice (to mix with the tuna or dip the veggies in. I usually use ranch.)
Roasted turkey breast (a local grocery store roasts in-house with all kinds of flavors. You should be okay as long as you stay away from any that say 'honey' or are sweet) sliced. I usually take a bit of miracle whip (low fat), lettuce leaves and cucumbers and wrap it together.
Roast beef (same as above, though I often put my cheese choice in this wrap)

I should note that you can substitute canned or roasted chicken for most of these. I don't, because I can't eat chicken... it is one of the foods that I can't tolerate anymore. Which really bites, because I used to LOVE chicken!!! And, because chicken is used in just about everything!

I was also allowed to have berries and low-fat cottage cheese when I started this, so I'm not sure if those are allowed on South Beach or not.

:mouse:

Those are good suggestions and they are almost all perfect for South Beach. You would need to check the ingredients on the powdered dressing. Some have bad stuff added. The pea pods are called snow peas and are fine. Berries are great for phase 2.

Keep in mind that if he has a physical job, he needs to be very sure he is getting enough healthy carbs. Black beans are good for that.

Welcome Emily!
My suggestion would be to make extra meat at dinner, preferably seasoned & grilled, and make hearty salads using the extra meat. Try different rubs, you can marinade your meat immedietly after purchase, then throw in ziplocks & into the freezer- brined chicken breasts are awesome. I made beef fajitas for my family tonight, but placed my beef on a bed of romaine with grilled peppers & onions with black beans & sour cream, very filling. Salads with beans, cheese, meat & lots of veges. Deli roast beef slices w/ provolone cheese, wrapped in romaine leaves with mustard. Chilled gazpacho in a insulated thermos, hard boiled or deviled eggs.
To cut down on prep time, try to cut up your veges the night before so everything can be tossed together quickly in the morning.
There is a recipe for bean muffins posted on the boards.
I have spent allot of time in the kitchen this week (on ph 1) but the food has been very good & I am not hungry as much now as I was before SBD.

Emily hasn't been back since she posted. I am going to close this thread and will stick it as there are lots of good lunch ideas here.