Today’s question is from Lyss:
I’m in need of ideas for grab-n-go meals for my husband. He is a very busy man and rarely eats with us during the week. Leftovers and sandwiches aren’t cutting it, but I’m stumped for much else! He would eat frozen pizzas, burritos, etc., but I don’t like buying processed foods. Anyone have healthy, make-ahead, individual meal ideas or recipes? -Lyss
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Becky says
I’ve done lasagna rolls. You just cook the lasagna noodles, spread filling/sauce/meat on each one, then roll it up and freeze. Besides tomato sauce/ground beef/cheese, you could do chicken/Alfredo, or anything else.
amy says
My hubs has always been a big meat eater, too….and these days he’s on a low-carb diet, so wraps are out for him. HOWEVER, I have found that he loves “bowls”….Chicken Fajita Bowls, Taco Bowls, etc. I just make up a bunch of servings, stick em in separate bowls and stick em in the freezer. He’ll nuke em when he comes home for lunch.
But his most favorite thing I make him for lunch is stuffed peppers!!! I make a bunch of stuffed bell peppers when I find peppers on sale and freeze them individually. Again, he’s on a low-carb diet, so I nix the bread crumbs usually called for in most stuffed pepper recipes, and use grated parmesan cheese instead. I also put some Rotel in with my browned ground beef/parm mixture and then stuff em and freeze em individually. That way he can have as many/few as he wants that day. 😀
Jessica says
Sometimes not having a heating element also equates to no fridge. I run into that some days. But atleast some ideas can be left in a lunch box cooler/sack
I like the “reinvent the sandwich”!
You could also reinvent the salad. Beyond the pasta/bean/ect posted above, there’s the “new” trend on the tomatoe salad, or salad that looks like bruschetta.
As for leafy salads, vary the leaves: head lettuce, romaine, spinach, cabbage. the extras: shredded cheese, cube cheese, shreds of sliced lunch cheese. mandarin slices, apple chunks, dried cranberries, grapes. tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, crunchy noodles. vary the nuts: pine nuts, sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, pecans. meats like shredding whatever lunch meat is in the fridge like roast beef, ham, turkey, salami, pepperoni; don’t forget the cubed ham, sausage, chop up a left over bratwurst, left over chicken (chicken can add variety to a salad by varying the chicken. roast chicken, marinated chicken, taco chicken), steak. Instead of giving that uneaten last bit to the dog, chop it for tomorrow’s salad.
I often take inspiration from salads at restaurants. Plus, when I grab a wendy’s salad, I don’t always add the nuts, and add them to another salad.
Another standby loved at this house is taco meat. Always good for lunch, dinner, or snack; nachos or tacos.
Jaime @ PJ's Pastry Shoppe says
An easy way I make & freeze individual servings of meals is with my muffin tin. I make a big patch of the meal and then scoop out portions that fit into my muffin tins. Then just put the tin in the freezer and then once the food is frozen put them into ziplock bags. My favorite to do this with is my family’s Poppyseed Chicken! So simple to just pull it out of the freezer, pop it in the microwave and you have a healthy ‘home-cooked’ meal ready to go!
.ambre. @ livingasoftheday says
You can make your own burritos (even egg breakfast burritos!) and freeze them ahead of time. You could also make calzones and fill them with his savorite toppings and even slip in some pureed veggies if you think it would boost it! Make sure you’re loading him up with good fats- butter, lard, coconut oil, etc. It will really help to keep him satisfied until the next meal. Good luck!
WilliamB says
If there’s a microwave available, it’s easy: freeze a number of meals in tupperware (or whatever container you like, I’m a TellFresh fan) and label them. Then he can grab one when he need it. Think about what you’ve eaten in the past month, ditch any idea that wouldn’t freeze well (stir-fry, salad), and use any of the rest. Don’t forget veggies!
Try hand-pies: any meat + sauce, or thick stew, spooned onto a round of pie or biscuit dough, fold dough over, seal well (dab edges w/ egg white, crimp *well*), bake. Just about every cuisine has something like this: Chinese roast pork buns, Cornish Pasties, European mini pot pies, tamales, etc.
Shannon says
If he’s stuck at his desk, try trail mix. No heating necessary, and it’s great to munch while you’re driving along. I dry some of our own fruits to throw in (the assortments are endless), some nuts for protein, a mixture of whatever granola or cereal is on hand, and something for the sweet tooth (choc. chips if it’s going to stay air conditioned, M&M’s if not). You can also make a savory one with mini pretzels, jerky, and unsalted oyster crackers, popcorn, or wheat Chex. (Adding a bit of spicy mustard or taco seasoning to canola oil, you can flavor the crackers or popcorn by shaking them in a bag.) You can make it in a gallon-size freezer bag, and it will last for several days, so he can have it on hand whenever he’s hungry.
Nancy says
I’ve got tons of recipes on my blog and website
http://www.abridescookbook.com
http://www.abridescookbook.com/blog
JoDi says
One of my favorite bloggers has a recipe for freezer breakfast burritos:
http://www.simpleorganizedliving.com/2011/06/08/breakfast-burritos-from-the-freezer/
and one for regular burritos:
http://www.simpleorganizedliving.com/2011/06/08/breakfast-burritos-from-the-freezer/
If you scroll to the bottom of the second link, you’ll see a link to a recipe for enchiladas too. She also has articles with freezer tips too that are really useful!
lyss says
Just want to say thank you, Crystal, for posting my question! I’m getting lots of great ideas. Now to go fill my pantry and freezer with some of these great ideas! I’ll feel like a better wife if I have more things on hand for my hubby. Thank you, everyone! 🙂
Maggie says
My husband also loves different pasta salads. His favorite is made with spiral noodles, roasted red pepper italian dressing (kraft makes this) and crumbled feta cheese. It’s super easy and makes a big batch for super cheap. I also make him up a big batch of homemade burritos with beans, cheese, rice and pico and freeze them for him. All you have to do is wrap the frozen burritos in a wet paper towel, microwave for 90 seconds and they are good to go.
Rae says
I’m sure this was said many times already but I’m in a hurry so sorry for the repeat. You could do a freezer cooking day and make all those type foods homemade and freeze them individually. You could do small pizzas, burritos, hot pocket type wraps, muffins, etc and control what ingredients that you put in them. Cook a bunch of things one day then they’ll be ready for him for a few weeks 🙂
MrsD05 says
Let me start by saying that we’re a family of two and we like big portions.
I like to roast a chicken over the weekend. We each eat most of a breast for dinner. Then we can have chicken salad sandwiches for lunch one day. I use mayonnaise, salt, pepper, craisins, almonds or pecans and some type of seasoning (think Mrs. Dash).
I also make chicken stock by putting the bones with salt, whole peppercorns, a couple of cloves of garlic, paprika, onions, celery, carrots, a tablespoon of vinegar (I read that it helps take the calcium from the bones) and fresh parsley, if I have it, in the crockpot and let that cook while I’m at work. Then I strain it and either put it in a pot with some chopped carrots, celery and onions (don’t use the same ones from the stock because they will be way too mushy) add in rest of the leftover chicken and reheat and then just throw in some egg noodles. It takes about 20 minutes start to finish (not including the time for the stock to cook but what do I care because I’m not even home 🙂 and I get about 8 servings of soup. We’ll usually have some for dinner that night and then I freeze the rest for three more lunches!
Now how cheap is that? I can always find a chicken for under $5 and sometimes around $3 and I get two dinners and four lunches out of it! The rest of the ingredients for the chicken salad, chicken stock and chicken noodle soup might add up to another $3-4 since everything is bought on sale and with coupons.
MrsD05 says
p.s. My chicken noodle soup has become semi-famous around my circle of friends/family/acquaintances for helping people feel better when they are sick. My husband calls it magic soup. I can pretty much guarantee that if my husband has a sick employee I’ll be getting a call “honey is there any magic soup in the freezer?” 🙂
Kimber says
Cute! 🙂
Holly says
my husband loves pizza so i picked up a stack of personal size pizza crusts (par-baked) at the restaurant supply store near us. (you could always make your own crusts as well) I then assemble the pizzas (vodka sauce with mozzarella is a favorite of ours) and freeze them, then when he wants one he can take one out and it only takes a few minutes in the toaster oven
Erika says
In the winter, I sometimes make French Canadian meat pies that reheat in the microwave like a dream. Pork pie is the holiday version… tourtiere they call it sometimes. I make my “real” holiday ones the hard way, but it’s easy breezy for dinner if you use store-bought pie crust and pre-ground pork. These are not pot pies… the slices are dense and stand up on their own. My husband’s favorite version is salmon pie He asked me to and I’ve made two pies at once and brought a whole one to his work for him to share with his shift. It’s hearty stuff and a little stinky, truth be told, but men and even my little boys seem to love it. I serve the meat pies with cranberry relish or piccalilli type things and the salmon pie with peas if I don’t put them in the filling. The salmon is $5/can… a really affordable, filling way to get Omega-3’s. It’s also a handy thing to have up your sleeve for Lenten Fridays. I would not even think about it in the warm weather, though. My husband gets cucumber and tomato slices and leftover barbeque this time of year!
{{{{{DIRECTIONS: simmer sliced potatoes (I often substitute sweet potatoes) and onion in a frying pan with juice from a can of wild Alaskan red salmon and water to cover. The juice will pretty much disappear as the vegetables get tender. Take the round bones out of salmon (the ribs just melt away), add to the pan to heat and mix/mash it all up. You can add a bag of frozen peas at the end if you want. Salt, pepper to taste. Put it in the pie crust, dot with a little butter, cover with another crust, and bake per the pie crust instructions. I make a simple “white sauce” to put on top when I serve it, which is butter and flour or cornstarch to make a roux (I add a little lemon juice here… if you do it later it will curdle), then stir in milk and bring to simmer to thicken. Add dill or whatever you want. }}}}}}}}}}
Melody @ Making Doing Living says
Frozen food is a lifesaver. We loved these meatballs…
http://www.making-doing-living.com/2011/06/grilled-meatballs/
Perfect for a meatball sandwich, added to pasta, sliced on salad, just on the side with some veggies (frozen from a bag with some seasoning works well).
We also really liked the all-seasons sesame chicken from
More Dinner’s in the Freezer …without the sesame since I didn’t have it. It’s well-marinated chicken that’s grilled and frozen cooked – perfect to slice and put on salad, eat next to some veggies, or put in a wrap or salad or stir fry. There’s a ton of flavor there, so it makes everything taste great.
Sara says
Bean burritos – heat 1 tbspn oil in skillet and add 1 chopped onion. Saute until onion is translucent. Add one large can of refried beans and stir until warm. Add 1-2 cups shredded cheese and stir. Spoon into tortillas and roll up burrito style (all ends closed in). Freeze individually in baggies, and place all in a freezer container/ziploc bag. Pull out as needed and warm in microwave (cover with a moist paper towel to keep texture of tortilla nice). Serve with fave salsa.
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches – Cook and shred chicken. Mix with fave bbq sauce. Freeze in individual sandwich portions. Thaw in microwave and put on hamburger bun. Top with pickles/onions/extra bbq sauce.
Pesto/Tomato/Provolone Ciabatta Sandwiches – For pesto, in food processor or blender mix together 1 cup olive oil, 1 cup parmesan, 2 tbpsn pine nut, 2 cup basil leaves washed and dried, salt and pepper to taste. Blend until fairly smooth (will retain a grainy texture). Slice individual ciabatta bread loaves. Spoon pesto onto loaves. Pile with provolone or mozzerella slices and sliced tomatoes. Wrap in foil. Can be served cold or put under broiler until cheese melts to serve hot.
Muffelettas – If you live in the deep south near New Orleans, you might be able to find the right bread – round sourdough loaves. Otherwise, you might have to settle for ciabatta or french bread. Slice bread. Brush loaves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Pile on ham, pepperoni and/or salami, mozzerella or provolone cheese and tomato slices. You can buy olive tapenade or make it by mixing together chopped green and black olives, a spoonful of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of italian seasoning. Spoon olive tapenade onto sandwich. A little goes a long way. Top and serve.
I know you said he’s sick of sandwiches, but maybe these are a little more exciting than the average PBJ or turkey on wheat.
Speaking of turkey on wheat – you can dress it up by mixing together a couple spoonfuls of canned whole cranberry sauce (or use your own homemade sauce if you make it) and mayo for a Thanksgiving feel. Yummy with sweet potato chips as a side! 🙂
Also, if you don’t have a good hot thermos, get one. Fill it with your favorite soups, meatballs and sauce, etc. If you need ideas for that, reply here and let me know.
Some of my favorites are homemade beans, chicken lime soup, tomatillo soup, and french onion soup. All of these freeze well in individual portions. You can pull them out hours ahead of time and put them in your crockpot on low to thaw and warm. Ladle them into the thermos and send him on his way!
Good luck!
Brenda says
Lots of great ideas here! One other idea i’ll add: English muffin pizzas Aunt Millie’s brand has sourdough English muffins (& also whole grain). Just top with pizza toppings of choice & bake. I make several sheets of these at a time & freeze for an easy grab & go meal. Since they are small, i have to plan on sending several for my husband, but the texture of them is really good even reheated in the microwave (i don’t like regular pizza reheated in a microwave as well). I’ve also done pita bread crusts & that’s good too. Otherwise my husband really likes a BIG salad topped with grilled leftover chicken or a taco salad (salad topped with taco ingredients). In winter, homemade soup in a nice, healthy & warming choice, especially if he’s working outside.
Sarah says
I was just thinking about this the other day and had a hard time coming up with ideas especially since hubby does services from his truck and usually can’t reheat anything. I really appreciate this post and all the great suggestions!
Melanie says
This may have been mentioned, but those wide-mouthed, half-pint canning jars are ideal for soups, smoothies, single pasta dishes, pies, cobblers, oatmeal, baked oatmeals, etc… They can go directly from the freezer to the oven or microwave. We use them for TONS of things. My husband often grabs one or two and takes them to work.
Abageal says
My husband and I sometimes will cut a cantalope in half, take the seeds out and fill it with cottage cheese and whatever else to mix in it. The we will wrap it in saran wrap and take it to work for a quick healthy lunch.
Kathryn says
Wow, what a great post! My hubby hates fruit and veggies and doesn’t really care for sandwiches, so he tends to buy his lunch, and where he works, the only options are fast food. Argh! (He doesn’t want to eat well, which is part of my difficulty…I want to feed him well, but I don’t want to nag him because I’ve been the naggee enough to know that it’s counterproductive.) I’ve been scratching my head for something I could send with him that he would eat, and several of these suggestions sound great! Thanks, ladies!
andy says
I make lasagna, eggplant and alot of pasta casserole recipes and cut into individual servings and freeze for myself. Check out Cooking Light magazine (they’re online also). They offer lightened recipes for all this without compromising on taste! And I really enjoy their variety of recipes.
Elizabeth says
We recently tried this recipe for homemade hot pockets from Our Best Bites and LOVED it… http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/07/kids-week-homemade-hot-pockets/. I used this recipe for the crust (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pizza-crust-i/detail.aspx) and filled it with different meats and cheeses. It made easy, delicious, and healthy grab and go meals that have been perfect for those times when we needed a quick food fix. I’m planning on trying all sorts of veggies, meats, and cheeses to change things up a bit but as is, they were awesome!!
Lisette says
I love calzones for this purpose. They reheat really well. Here is how I make them,
http://buyonsaleandsavethedifference.blogspot.com/2010/10/easy-calzones.html
We are a very busy family of 5 with two parents who work out of the home. I have lots of fast meal ideas if you look around!
Angela says
I have been making the Make Ahead Lunch Wraps on allrecipes.com for several years now. We do a quick defrost in the microwave and stick them on our George Forman grill. Have also heated them in the skillet. They are substantial enough for a meal, and oh-so-good with salsa and sour cream on top. Recipe makes about 16 large freezer burritos.
Dana says
I second the quesadilla post. We make our own tortillas on one day and then the next day I cook chicken with a can of rotel and shred it in the skillet. in another skillet add some butter and a tortilla, put some cheese and then some of the chicken mixture and then some more cheese (mozz or any kind of orange cheese works), cook a minute, flip, done! So easy. I make a ton and freeze. They taste like restaurant and very filling! Add some homemade salsa.
My kids love this: homemade hamburger buns (bread machine/yeast recipe). The bread is heavenly and freezes well. Cut in half and add mayo and sandwich meat and cheese. Put in sandwich bag and freeze. Throw in lunch box and by lunchtime they are thawed and taste great!
Angela says
I agree with all those who suggest making extras of meals and freezing it. You can easily get plastic containers that are ‘single-serving’ size and divide your leftover meals into these and freeze it. In the fall, I will make a big pot of stuffed cabbage balls which I will then put the extras into containers in the freezer. My husband can easily pull one out any time over the next couple of months for a easy lunch…or even dinner if needed. This can even work with leftover turkey/chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and some corn. Stuffed peppers can be done, as well as soups and chilli. I also make a large batch of breakfast burritos for a quick and easy breakfast for us (I make about 12-14 scrambled eggs with some cheese and whatever meat I have…sausage or ham…then fill tortillias with the cooked mixture, roll up, wrap with a paper towel and foil, and freeze.
Busy Mom in AL says
Hi. Just wanted to add an idea to this comment. We have a large family and instead of making individual breakfast burritos for everyone we just chop up about 4-5 tortillas and mix them in with the eggs or breakfast sausage to soften them a bit and then serve the breakfast burritos in a bowl and top with salsa. It saves time and money not having to roll each individual burrito or use up 14- 16 burritos for a meal.
We also do this for lunch with refried beans and cheese and top the bean and cheese bowls with sour cream and salsa.
It tastes the same and my little ones don’t have to tell me ” My burrito is not working!” 🙂
These are all great ideas! I am taking lots of notes!
Susan says
With cold weather around the corner, find a thermos and fill with your favorite soup, and place a pre-cooked hotdog inside. Put a hotdog bun with cheese inside in a ziploc baggie. When it’s time to eat, pull out the hotdog and place it on the bun. Men love hotdogs and soup.
Julie says
Neat idea with the hotdog!
Davonne says
I don’t really have anything to add, and I don’t pack my husband’s lunches, but I do feel inspired to mix up the lunches for my daughters and me! These comments are great 🙂
Brighid says
Thanks for all the timely suggestions! I have a husband who packs a lunch and now an 18 year old son doing the same! It’s a challenge and I’ll certainly be using some of these ideas. Here are two of mine:
Brainless chicken salad – cooked chicken chunks (drained canned chicken if it’s one of those mornings) tossed with greek yogurt or mayo with craisins and pecans. (Obviously you’ll need to keep this one cold.)
Leftover grains salad – leftover (rice, quinoa, barley, couscous, etc.) tossed with corn, red and/or green pepper chunks, and drained black beans. Add some seasoned salt and you’re good to go.
Rachael says
When Rotessorie chicken is on sale, I’ll buy 2-3 and shred the meat, and freeze in freezer bags. It is great for sandwiches, wraps, quesedillas, or salads. I’ll use the carcasses to make soup.
Heidi says
http://www.simplehealthytasty.com/2008/09/our-very-favorite-refried-beans.html
I like to make burritos using these refried beans. I just add the cheese of my choice, and fill tortillas with the refried beans and cheese. They’re easy to freeze, and they’re a lot more filling than the processed burritos that you can buy at the store.
Gretchen says
I love Tammy’s Recipes post on this subject: http://www.tammysrecipes.com/node/866 – lots of great grab and go ideas. Stolen Moment’s Cooking has some good ideas and resources too – http://stolenmomentscooking.com/adult-brown-bag-lunch-ideas-part-2/.
Reagan @ Recipesmademyway says
I make a bunch of crispy southwest chicken wraps and freeze them and my hubby grabs them to bring to work and microwaves them.
http://recipesmademyway.blogspot.com/2010/02/crispy-southwest-chicken-wraps.html
Rebekah says
For breakfast, I make Egg and Cheese Biscuits that can be prepared up to two days in advance. Just use the biscuits you can pop out of the can. Cook as directed. Then I make scrambled eggs (I do not add any salt because the cheese adds enough salt for us). Be sure to slightly UNDERcook the eggs because these will be reheated later on. Then I slice the biscuit and place some of the scrambled egg on it and then put a slice of velveeta (this gives the best flavor) cheese and put the biscuit top on. I then wrap the biscuit in parchment paper, then in a container or plastic bag, and refrigerate. My husband can then pop these in the microwave the next morning and take them to go with him. They are so easy for him to eat on his way to work and he absolutely loves them. He really likes when I put bacon on the biscuits too! These are super easy and I love the fact that I can make them up to 2 nights before the morning my husband needs them. It’s like getting a biscuit from a fast food restaurant, but a whole lot less expensive and he doesn’t have to wait in the drive-thru line.
Julie in IN says
Homemade personal pan pizzas; you can make them with some white and some wheat flour (to fill him up more and make them healthier), and hide a few extra veggies under the meat and cheese to add more nutrients, too. Try some traditional flavors with sauce, sausage and cheese; next, try some new combinations with chicken (bbqed if he likes), sauteed peppers with onions and cheese.
The combinations are endless and what man doesn’t like a good pizza?
Andrea Q says
Make his favorite meals and freeze them (already cooked) in individual portions. Thaw ahead of time so he can easily heat them up.
shannon says
I really like all of these and will go back when I have more time and take notes. One thing I just started with my husband…(I did tell him recently that it is cheaper for us right now for him to eat sandwiches every day). I bought 6 of the divided ziplock type containers with lids and some different snack foods. On the weekend I pack different chips, nuts, crackers, dessert type foods in them. Then in the morning I just make a sandwich and grab a container and fruit for him. There is great variety so he does not get ‘bored’. I also mix up the breads (sandwich, kaiser rolls, poor boys, potato rolls, etc) and cheeses…that goes a long way!!!!
My question though, with some of the foods, ie homemade frozen pizza, how does it taste being heated in a microwave. Just seems like those things get soggy and way better in a toaster oven. I know frozen burritos are great in the microwave. You can also freeze enchiladas (tortilla, enchilada sauce, cheese and chicken) and reheat in microwave.
Melissa Z says
Personally, with things like frozen pizza or the breakfast burritos, I just eat them cold-take them out in the morning, they thaw by lunchtime & are ready to eat. Doesn’t work with everything, but you might be surprised at how many things it does work for 🙂
erin says
i know this isn’t something you could make, but i’m often at work during dinner time. usually i try to make our big meal at lunch so we all eat together and then i take leftovers or a sandwich, try to pull a few meals out of whatever you make before serving, that helps. if it still looks nice, he’ll be more likely to want to eat it. leave one out and freeze the rest, that way he get’s variety. i have a neat salad container that keeps the dressing in the lid and you pull out the stopper and shake the whole thing up, or divided containers so that you can do burritos and take salsa in the side so nothing gets all smooshed together. salads are great, you can wash one head of romaine and he can have ceasar one day, and the next it can be southwest with avocados and spicy dressing, italian and parm. then it doesn’t feel like you eat the same thing every day. add beans or grilled chicken for manly salad.
sometimes though we get too busy or i didn’t make lunch, forgot my container etc, so i’ve tried to make it a habit to keep healthy protein bars in my glove box or purse. That way i always have something and i’m not going for fast food. Maybe he could do that at work? make himself a little stash of non perishables, like fruit snacks, protein or granola bars, soup for the microwave? you could make your own packages of pretzels and things in ziptop bags that would last for awhile.
lori says
My husband also works unusual hours and eats on the run a lot. I have found that using plastic dishes that are divided into two or three compartments are a great way to pack up leftovers. Meat goes into one, vegetable in the second, rice or potatoes in the third, etc. (Make sure that only microwaveable things go in the same dish; if there are cold items pack them separately.) Sometimes I even freeze them that way to have homemade frozen meals. It is quick to throw in his lunch bag or easy for him to warm up himself at home.
Another lunch favorite of his is a big salad with lots of protein in it. He really likes it if there is a hot portion of it, such as roasted chicken or leftover taco meat/beans that can be warmed up separately and then tossed on top. The pouches of tuna are another easy, affordable way to get some protein in the meal.
I use Crystal’s method of roasting a whole bag of boneless skinless chicken breasts, then i cut them up into strips or cubes and freeze them in individual baggies. I can’t believe I used to pay for the chicken that was already prepared this way! Her method is easy, healthy, juicy and quick – and a lot easier on the pocketbook.
The possibilities are endless – toss the chicken in BBQ sauce and add some leftover corn for a “Wildfire” chicken salad; make a chef salad with the chicken, bacon bits and hard-boiled eggs; add the chicken, blue cheese, apple slices, berries, pecans and a sweet vinegrette dressing to the greens, etc. Just make sure to separate any warm components from the cold salad, and also package the cheese separately so it doesn’t make the lettuce soggy.
Kristen says
Where would I find crystals mwthod for boneless chicken breasrs? I searched it but nothing came up!
Crystal says
I think this is what she was referring to:
https://moneysavingmom.com/2011/05/worlds-easiest-make-ahead-marinated-chicken-recipe.html
lori says
No, that’s not it. It was in the freezer cooking in an hour series, sometime over the winter I think. I just plunk the frozen chicken breasts on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and cook them 45 minutes or so, until they are done. I don’t season them or anything. I never heard of doing that before I read Crystal’s post but they turn out perfectly.
lori says
Sorry if that was confusing!
Crystal says
Oops, apparently I misread your comment and just got chicken in the crockpot stuck in my brain! Here’s the post on cooking chicken in the oven:
https://moneysavingmom.com/2010/03/freezer-cooking-day2.html
Brenda says
We do this all the time too! Taco salad is a favorite,as well as, a salad with leftover grilled chicken.
Cara Ivey says
Oh yes, Taco salad is great!!! You could throw together the “cold items” I always use lettuce, red bell, red onion, corn kernels, sliced olives, kidney beans, shredded cheddar. Throw it together in a tupperware. Then put a seperate sandwich bag with your ground turkey, ground beef, shredded chicken ect, mixed with your dressing. I LOVE catalina on my taco salad (hot or cold) If he can heat it up and throw it on top, GREAT!! If he doesn’t get the chance to heat it up, it’ll still taste GREAT!!!
Lori says
One of my favorite meals is a make ahead and freeze quesadilla. It’s super easy because you can make a ton of them and then just leave in the fridge to thaw ahead and throw in the oven for 15 mins.
http://www.momsbudget.com/freezerrecipes/chickenquesadillas.html
Kelly says
Wow, you ladies must have husbands with small appetites. If I sent my husband to work with only yogurt and veggies, I’m pretty sure he’d never let me pack his lunch again! 😀
Andrea Q says
A lot of the suggestions would work well as sides and add some variety to meals.
Niki says
Amen, sister.
Abbie says
Truth.
CC says
I try making things that are high in protein like anything with eggs (which are quick to make) and/or cheese – like egg sandwiches or breakfast burritos. I always have hard boiled eggs around – they’re healthy, inexpensive and made for the ‘to-go’ lifestyle. Check out my Perfect Hard-Boiled Egg recipe here – http://tinyurl.com/4ye7rae
Another high protein and inexpensive on-the-go option is peanut butter (and not just in sandwiches) or hummus. Veggies and apples or fruit go great with peanut butter or hummus a side of cheese (cottage or otherwise).
Hope that helps!
Tonya says
My husband loves individual strombolis on the nights I work. I divide a loaf of bread dough into 5 balls, flatten, and fill with whatever sounds good…italian meat/provolone, turkey/cheddar, roast beef/horseradish sauce…you get the idea! I’ve never done veggies but I bet that would be good. I bake them and when they cool, wrap in foil and freeze until ready to eat. He reheats them in the oven but I discovered that they are quite tasty cold since they are already baked.
I make homemade Beefaroni by combining a pound of ground beef, a box of cooked macaroni, and 2 large jars of spaghetti sauce. I make it extra saucy since some will be absorbed by the pasta and it seems to have more the consistency of the canned stuff (which he likes). Freeze in individual portions.
Egg dishes also freeze well. I make a 9×13 pan of baked eggs (18 eggs, 1.25 c. milk, seasoned salt, shredded cheese and sometimes a bit of meat), which I divide into 12 portions and freeze to send for his breakfast. Or use 12 eggs and less milk and use for bagel sandwiches (he loved this one!).
Kim says
I love your egg recipe! Thanks!
Kristen says
What temp and how long do you bake the eggs for…loving this idea!!!
Tonya says
I bake them at 350 for 45+ minutes until they are nicely browned. You want them thoroughly cooked or it’s a bit messy for freezing. I just wrap each in a piece of saran wrap and when I pack my husband’s lunch the night before I take one out and put it into a container in the fridge. It’s thawed by the time he eats it the next morning. We go through them fast enough that I find the plastic wrap is sufficient for protecting them in the freezer but you could put the wrapped pieces into a larger freezer bag.
Julie says
This sounds yummy! Do you cover the eggs when you bake them?
Tonya says
No, I don’t cover them.
Kim says
Warning I am 8.5 mo. pregant so I have lots of ideas!!!
AM: I like the smoothie idea someone mention earlier. And we eat more yogurt in a month than should be consumed by people, so I always add different fruits in with it to jazz it up for our 2 year old (her favorite is frozen blueberries)! I make extra waffles and put peanut butter and bananas on them as a good to go.
I always look a the marked down bread for a “new” type of bread to try. We recently tried an Asiago cheese bread and we put mayo/ horseradish mustard with ham slices and cheese and heated it up and it was yummy. It can be done with any meat. We also like the flavored wraps, althougth they are kind of pricey (we don’t so this too often). These can be made into breakfast sandwiches as well.
PM: What about a flatbread wrap? Grill flatbread out of pizza dough and top with pizza toppings or other sandwich toppings. While you are grilling the flatbread you can put a sauce or tempenade (tapenade)on it. These can be heated (better) or served cold.
Depending what kind of heating element he has… I make chicken tenders out of pancake mix (they turn out similar to Chili’s chicken crispers) and freeze, but these are best heated with a toaster oven.
I make extra meatballs and it can be turned into pizza topping or meatball subs or spagetti! Just heat the meat (and noodles, if spagetti) in a microwave and add it to bread or dough! I also make dips (spinach dip, hummus, buffalo chicken dip or rueben dip) which can easily be heated in the microwave (and they still taste good) or cold and serve with crackers or chips.
It is a lot but I make my hubby’s lunch everday so I have had to get creative.
Kim says
OH… I almost forgot homeade corn muffin dogs… Make your favorite corn muffin mix or homeade mix and pot little sausages in it or 1/3 of a hotdog, bake and freeze then reheat. And for breakfast sausage cheese biscuits (like a large sausage cheese ball).
Shannon says
Chicken tenders out of pancake mix?? I would love the recipie? Do you precook them then just warm them? I am always on the hunt for healthier ways to make chicken nugets for my kidos!
Kathryn says
Yes, please share the recipe, Kim! That sounds delish!
P.S. I’m 9 mo pregnant 🙂 Congrats, and I hope you have an easy delivery!
hailey says
I have some recipes using peaches which are in season and super cheap right now. I have a little one and do not have time to sit and prepare, prepare, prepare but do not want to eat processed junk. check my page out and try the smoothies! I make those the night beforeand just grab and go in the am!
Emily says
You can make your own pizza pockets or bierocks. They are delicious and the variations are endless!
RachaelP says
Oh, this is great!! My husband drives a route and I *try* to have variety in his meals but it’s hard because he doesn’t have any way to heat up his meals. He loved the Southwest Burritos on this site so I’ve been making and freezing those. Thanks for all the other great ideas! He will be happy. 🙂
Living So Abundantly says
My man likes a lot of meat. I try to use a lot of coupons to keep toiletries and other areas of our grocery budget down so I can spend more on meat. When he has a big lunch with enough protein, he is filled. Breaded chicken breasts with rice and veggies is one of his favorites(I layer is with veggies on the bottom on one side, rice on the other, chicken on top). It freezes VERY well(in fact, he said the chicken is moist this way!) using my friend’s method: http://georgiascookiejar.blogspot.com/2011/06/freezer-meals-container-free-storage.html
Amy @ Finer Things says
Here are our favorite grab-n-go items. I like to have these stashed away in the freezer.
http://amysfinerthings.com/brown-bag-burritos
http://amysfinerthings.com/pizza-pockets
http://amysfinerthings.com/steak-and-chicken-wraps
Pigs in a Blanket http://amysfinerthings.com/a-well-stocked-freezer-part-2
Elisa says
This past week we have been eating lots of yogurt and granola parfaits. I have a batch of homemade granola made up and on the counter and am just keeping a tub of yogurt on hand; if we have fruit we throw that in, but it makes for a easy, healthy, filling and refreshing breakfast or snack.
Amanda says
these are all great ideas, i like the beef stew idea!
Frugal Kids says
Sometimes I make a big garden salad and divide it into smaller tupperware containers for my husband to take to work. Also you can try tuna salad or chicken salad sandwiches to get away from lunch meat sandwiches.
Meredith says
I have the same problem with my husband. He can’t really take in reheating foods and I’m always scratching my head. One of the things I do is that I reinvent the sandwich. There are tons of types of breads you can buy and make. English muffins, bagels, rolls, dinner bread, etc., that can turn into a sandwich. Next, look at your condiments. Don’t be afraid to try new things such as BBQ sauce with chicken on some dinner rolls. Viola, BBQ chicken sliders. Also, “make” condiments too such as lemon or jalapeños added to mayo. Honey, mustard, and a touch of mayo makes honey mustard dressing. Cream cheese is a good condiment too. Lastly, play with your veggies. We eat meat one time a week and occasional leftovers (we used to be vegetarians) so veggies are part of the meal. Carrots, cucumbers, sprouts, okra, cabbage, etc., can all be transformed to be part of a sandwich!
Rachael says
I agree on the bread part. I got my husband to start taking his lunch by buying the crossaints at Sam’s Club!!
sherri says
cream cheese on a sandwich beats mayo any day! Tastier and lower fat too!
Meredith says
Cream cheese is good on ANYTHING!
Sarah M says
Tagging along with all the ‘make-your-own-freezer-burritos’ .
Salads are something my husband really likes. It would be easy to prep lettuce and veggies into individual serving containers with one serving of dressing in the really small containers.
Also chicken or tuna salad made a variety of ways.
When I worked I found I like “kid” lunches, like peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter-banana-honey,
Quiche type mixtures can be baked in muffin tins and individually frozen also.
Andrea Q says
I was going to suggest salad, which is one of my husband’s favorite. He loved salad with a hard-boiled egg and grilled chicken.
AnneJisca says
A quick but filling meal would be to have some meats (like chicken pieces, ham slices, or homemade pepperoni/salami) and cheese slices in a container, with some whole wheat crackers. Have some veggie sticks on the side, and he can grab a little baggy of each and have each food group covered, yet it’s easy to eat on the go. My son and I love this as a lunch.
As someone else said, pasta salad topped with various veggies and ham is great! Like this: http://annejisca.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/whole-wheat-pasta-salad/
Burritos are great to freeze and reheat easy: fill tortillas with whatever you want: beans, meat, cheese, and/or onions. I did a whole bunch of these and froze them before my 2nd child was born. It was really nice quick meals!
Sloppy joes is a easy to have in little servings too. Microwave and put over a slice of bread, and voila!
JaNell says
I take left-overs and put them in sectioned containers. Pop them in the microwave for a few seconds, and you have a balanced, home-made meal. No preservatives.
angela says
try hard boiled eggs, cold fried chicken, taco/pizza pockets made with flattened tube style biscuits, assorted flavors of bagels and different kinds of cream cheese. After 14 years of lunches, my hubby gets a little tired of sandwiches too, so I have tried all these….Good luck!
analisa says
Maybe you could switch the sandwiches up sometimes with wraps and hold it together with a toothpick. It would be quick and as healthy as you make it. Pasta salad is a good one that you can add veggies and some kind of meat to.
Nicole says
First, let me say, you are a STRONG woman for holding down the fort without your husband during the week! I don’t know how you do it! Second, does he have access to a stove or are you wanting ideas that can be eaten cold or are microwavable?
dani says
maybe make a roast (beef or pork) or a whole chicken on the start of the week and keep that for him to heat up, or slice up for sandwiches, along with some gravy/au jus. Double stuffed potatoes freeze wonderfully and could be heated up in the microwave too. I try to make pasta or pasta salad for my husband as well.
Christy says
My husband loves leftover meatloaf slices and put on a sandwich- even prefers it cold!
Cara Ivey says
We love meatloaf sandwiches with spicy mayo! Mix mayo and Syracha (or Rooster Sauce) and ooohhh lala!!! I made this for my parents with raw onion slices and they were addicted!!! Sooo good!!!
Pam says
What about making your own healthy freezer burritos? You can fill tortillas with just about anything that you want (beef, chicken, beans, cheese, salsa, etc) and freeze them. He can grab one on the way out and heat in the microwave. A much better alternative to the processed food.
I have done this with breakfast burritos. I use whole wheat tortillas, cheese, eggs, and spicy sausage. My husband has been much better about eating breakfast!
Sabrina says
I make breakfast burritos and sandwiches for my husband for breakfast. Crystal has a great breakfast burrito recipe. For the sandwhiches: Toasted english muffins, eggs (I make cooked-yolk fried eggs) green onion, canadian bacon and pepperjack cheese. I freeze them on a baking sheet, then stick a them into a freezer bag. 1-2 minutes in the microwave is all it takes to get them thawed and warm.
Lunch: Cold soups, sandwiches (I know you said you do this already, maybe different varieties?) Try different cheeses. My husband loves grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato slices and black pepper. Goes great with tomato basil soup. My husband often skips lunch completely, so I’m not that great at grab-n-go lunches.
Dinner: Pita pockets stuffed whatever you are making for dinner that day. Pitas are great for almost anything. PB&J, tuna, taco filling, veggies and cheese. Burritos are also great (I use the brown bag burrito recipe, and stuff it with whatever I can find that sounds close to what it calls for). For something a little different, I make burritos by the dozen (or two). When I thaw them, I use the microwave. Once heated, I use my george foreman grill to make a grilled burrito. This is great for a juicy burrito, as it makes the tortilla not soggy.
Brandi says
Check the freezer foods on this site. I have done the breakfast hot pockets and stuffed them with chicken&broccoli and pizza toppings as well as the egg ones (just cut the egg mixture recipe down if you are using multiple ‘stuffings’).
Karen says
A former commented linked to Heavenly Homemakers. Search her sight for freezer meals for lots of great ideas!
Laura@HeavenlyHomemakers says
Thanks for the mention, Karen! Here’s a link to all my recipes for healthy, make-ahead meals: http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/category/make-ahead-meals
Lacy says
Laura,
I just love your recipes. I’ve reccommended your blog to all my friends (especially the ones with small children) I make your cheese crackers, graham crackers (my husband thinks they are both better than store bought) and your pizza pockets all the time. My 1 yr old just gobbles em up, and it makes me feel so much better about letting him snack when I know what is in the food I’m giving him.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us!
lyss says
I’m a regular reader of your site. Planning on trying your pizza pocket dough recipe tomorrow! And I can’t wait to buy a bar of soap so I can try your recipe for a gallon of liquid soap! I’ve learned alot from you. 🙂
Becky says
We make “taco pockets” for the freezer that are a big hit at our house. We just fold taco meat, cheese, onions & tomatoes or salsa into a tortilla, wrap & freeze. So easy!
Christy says
I like walking tacos- put the taco toppings in a single serving size bag of fritos.
shannon says
I like this….
Angie says
i’ve always had frito pies, but never thought of this! i love the idea! thanks!!
Aimee @ Chickenville says
That’s one of our favorite camping meals. We call them Taco Bags!
Diane says
My husband just takes beans/rice/salsa for lunch every day and puts them in individual containers. He makes them a week’s worth at a time.
Other good meals though, that I can make and freeze :
runzas, burritos like many have mentioned, I like taking dry oatmeal with a banana and maybe yogurt and then cooking the oatmeal and putting the yogurt and banana on top, meatballs and brown rice with bbq sauce.
Amy says
What about making homemade pizza, slicing, and wrapping individually to freeze…or even 2 or 3 slices…wrap and freeze and pull out as needed. Also, keeping easy things portioned out…slice a bunch of veggies and have them ready to go, same with fruit, buy a tub of yogurt and put into smaller portion size cups with lids (any tupperware, ziploc, etc containers), homemade popcorn in individual containers or baggies, pretzels preportioned, etc. Then, he can grab an easy meal, and a few veggies/fruit and go…or a container of yogurt, and throw in some fruit, honey, homemade granola, and go….lots of snack type foods…but to be healthier and cheaper make from scratch and portion yourself. I just recently discovered popping popcorn in a brown paper bag, and I’ve been doing that, and not adding anything to it, and putting it in the small snack size bags and throwing a bag in my purse for ds to snack on while we’re out.
Gina says
I make individual pizzas on tortillas or pitas cut around the edge to make two complete circles and then freeze and wrap them. You have complete control over the quality of the ingredients and they bake very nicely right from the freezer.
Jessica says
you could make and freeze personal sized calzones, the possibilities with those are endless(ham and cheese, pepperoni, chicken alfredo….).
cindy says
We make freezer burritos all the time – they are super easy to make, and a much better choice than the frozen ones in terms of nutrition!
We also keep 1/2 cup servings of brown rice in the freezer all the time, so they are easy to grab and pair with leftovers, burritos, or almost anything.
When we cook, we like to double the recipe if it’s a meal we really like. Then we freeze the leftovers in individual portion size that are easy to grab for lunches.
Amei says
Are these posts moderated? I just spent a good bit of time writing about using mini ramekins to make extra casserole servings (so they don’t feel like left-overs) but it doesn’t show up. Not sure if I need to wait on the moderator or if it is my browser being funky again and not passing on my posts when I submit.
Crystal says
If it’s your first comment, it goes into moderation (to avoid fly-by-night spammers). And sometimes you’ll automatically get flagged as spam if you include multiple links. Did your comment show up? I double-checked spam and it wasn’t there. I am so, so sorry if it somehow got eaten! 🙁
amei says
yes, it did finally show up. I have commented before but it isn’t often. So many folks with good advice, I rarely have anything to add that wasn’t already covered.
I’ve been having computer issues and several other forums won’t accept my comments at all (thought I had it fixed though). I wasn’t sure if it was my computer giving me fits again.
Thanks for the help and all of the good posts. Some good ideas here that I had forgotten about and a few new things to try, too.
Willy says
Your post has shown up, It’s 2-3 above this post.
Lacy says
http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/healthy-treat-for-today-homemade-pizza-pockets
I love this recipe. I’ve tried several of her recipes and they’ve all been really good. The last batch of pizza pockets I made with ham, cheddar cheese and broccli. They were super yummy. If I’m only making 1 or 2, I put them straight in the toaster oven from the freezer for 25-30 minutes and they come out just perfent.
Amei says
I bought some little ramekins @ big lots that have tupperware-style lids. I’ll fill them with stuff like shephards pie, casserole, etc., even little quiche or strata (quicke-like thing with egg poured over bread and baked). I usually make a double recipe and that works out to aobut 1 and a third in a big dish for home and the rest divided into these individual servings. Bake them all together (the mini’s will need less time), cap and store for up to a week in the fridge.
I also will make burritos and wrap them individually then use one of the new screw top bowls (by ziploc and others, the snap on type end up leaking for me) and send fresh salsa and a small baggie of chips to compliment the burrito.
I’ve noticed that with pre-prepared meals the toppings tend to melt or be absorbed into the main dish so I usually send a small packet of grated cheese (for pasta), salsa (for Mexican), sesame seeds, etc. that the hubby adds after heating so they’re fresh and add texture.
Katy says
This is just about everything that I do, too!
Jen says
i love making a big batch of freezer burritos… those are always a hit….
Cara Ivey says
We LOVE LOVE LOVE our Brown Bag Freezer Burritoes also!! I made them with turkey instead of beef, and recently made vegetarian ones with black beans and refried beans instead of the meat… Yeah, they were just as good!!!
Meredith says
My husband likes to have cottage cheese, small tomatoes, fruits, etc on hand in the fridge. He also likes yogurt. I think making burritos ahead of time and freezing them is a GREAT idea. Also, I’ve made huge pans of lasagne and then frozen the cooked portions individually. Heated up on half power in microwave works really well.
You might also try making individual rice portions and then individual portions of fixings, such as stir fry veggies with chicken in an asian sauce, or mexican beans and beef. That way he can mix and match. When I think of convenience food, I just think of lean cuisines and the like and then try to recreate them myself. Of course, the menfolk need much larger portions. 🙂
Jeannette says
I use variations of recipes like this one: http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2010/09/crock-pot-mexican-chicken.html and freeze burritos individually. they are GREAT when we don’t have time to eat. I try to throw in lentils or a whole grain rice to make it even healthier!
Megan says
Soup is a great go-to meal. Make a hearty beef stew, chicken corn soup or vegetable soup with rice and let it bubble away on a Sunday afternoon. Divvy it up into single servings, pair it with some homemade bread and you’ve got a meal!
Also, my roommate used to often cook on Sundays for her week ahead. She often made a big stir fry and then put rice and the stir fry into four individual plastic containers. All she had to do was throw it into her bag (with a cookie or two and a piece of fruit) and she had a great lunch! You can do this with any meal, you just have to divide it into single servings and you’re good to go.
I’m looking forward to reading others’ ideas as I’ll be starting a new job soon and will need some grab-n-go lunchtime meals 🙂
Melissa says
My husband loves pasta salad. You can load it with fresh veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and just about anything else you can think of! You can chop these and store them together in the fridge. We cube ham and use shredded cheese to add some protein. I suggest keeping the meat, cheese, and veggies separate from the noodles (Our favorite is spiral!) which can also be cooked ahead and stored in the fridge. Top it with some Italian (Hubby’s favorite) or Caesar (My favorite!) dressing and you have a very satisfying meal that covers every food group!
Amy says
I am so glad you posted this! I love this idea! I had been very curious about pasta salad, but scared to try. This sounds really easy!
Melissa says
My mother-in-law calls it Italian salad and we’ve tweaked it to our liking. You can add just about anything! My husband like pickles which I think is awful, but I love olives in it. Sometimes we just put a lot of different things in separate bowls and let the kids pick what they want in it. Super easy and my go-to-meal when we don’t have much time!
Tenille says
That’s a great idea! I love the idea of letting the kids put their own bowl together. I will try this soon with my family. Thanks!
Aimee @ Chickenville says
That’s so funny! We do that with a TON of things. We use a chip and dip bowl (so only one container to wash) and let the kids pick their toppings for burritto bowls, oatmeal, tacos, pasta, and more. I have some photos on my blog.
BTW, I love olives in mine too and my husband loves pickles!
Diane says
We’ve been eating pasta salad a lot lately because of the heat, it’s just so nice to eat cold food! I cooked a bunch of chicken marinaded in Italian dressing and cubed that for the meat, added shredded cheese and Parmesan cheese, Italian dsg, and fresh tomatoes. The whole family enjoyed it even for several leftover meals!
Jennifer says
We cube the cheese, so you get more of its flavor in return for the calories.
Cara Ivey says
We also LOVE pasta salad!! I also make cold Asian noodle salads!!
Whole wheat thin spaghetti or Soba noodles, thinly sliced red/orange/yellow bell pepper, cucumber, grated carrot, leftover shredded chicken, sliced scallion, grated ginger, and I make my own asian vinagrette but they sell GREAT asian vin. at the gorcery store!!
And I do freeze this one! I always make double batches and freeze half!!
Elias says
How about making extra of any of the meals you normally make and freeze? Then he can reheat them. Meatloaf, spaghetti, chicken pot pie, shepards pie, etc.
Tiana @ God Made, Home Grown says
What about homemade pizza or burritos? You can wrap just about anything in a tortilla, so the possibilities are almost endless.
I would keep plenty of fresh fruit and veggies on hand. Also, homemade baked goods like whole grain muffins, granola bars, etc.
Pasta salad, bean salad, potato salad, egg salad…you get the idea.
Is it a matter that he has to eat on the run, or that you don’t have time to prepare anything? You can try freezing single servings of meals for him. You can buy long, shallow plastic-ware containers with lids and freeze all sorts of things that way.
BTDT–I hope that helps!
Megan says
You can always make your own granola bars or burritos. They are easy and much better than processed! For burritos, just whip them together, roll in paper towels, stuff into plastic bags and freeze! Then he can take one out whenever he wants and heat it up.
Also, I like to whip up smoothies. Yogurt, frozen fruit, milk, a splash of honey, and some protein powder.
I’ve got some recipes I could share if you’d like them. Just message me on my blog 🙂
Beeb Ashcroft says
I would be interested in your recipes, too! Maybe you should blog them! 🙂
Work At Home Market says
I’d love to see your recipes, too!! 🙂
Stephanie says
Wraps, with all sorts if meat and veggies. Kind of a healthy “burrito”.
Holly says
Definitely love the wraps. I have made them with hummus, lettuce, cheese, carrots and thinly sliced turkey. They are great and good for you, full of protein to help keep him fuller longer. Also, another thing I do is drink Nutrimeal shakes from Usana. I drink these every morning for breakfast; it is a great way to start my day. I am a busy mom of three and especially on Wed. nights these are great for me. On Wed. nights my kids get out of school and they have 30 min. before Karate, then after Karate they go to AWANA. So, the Nutrimeal shakes are great for the drive from Karate and AWANA. The shakes are low glycemic so they will keep you full and not spike your blood sugar levels. You can learn more about the shakes on my website at http://www.hedman.usana.com. On those nights I usually make the kids some sort of wrap for them to eat on the way to AWANA. I have also made quiche for them to eat in the car. I hope this helps!