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My 20-year-old son lives with me and commutes to school, about 15 minutes away. I just discovered that he's been spending approx $7-10 per day grabbing lunch at school. May be inexpensive for some, but he (and I) cannot afford it, and he nearly had an overdraft when auto insurance was taken out. He gets free room and board living with me while he's in school. He has access to a microwave at school, but not a refrigerator. I gave him an insulated lunch container with ice packs several months ago, and I try to keep lunch meats and cheese, etc in stock. He never really used it, and I'm not sure he knows where it is anymore. Maybe I'll try giving him another one since he's had this financial eye-opener.
We're in need of lunch ideas which will be appealing and satisfying for a college student with a healthy appetite. Simpler lunches would be ideal for him. He can cook some, but usually doesn't bother with it. (I work 12-hour+ days, so I don't have much time left to make sure he's packing a lunch.) Some days he's there only a few hours, but some days he's there late into the evening. Also, I'm encouraging him to eat a healthy breakfast before leaving in the mornings.
Here's some ideas so far:
Main lunch - PB&J sandwiches (he's a little burned out on these), Pepperoni rolls, Cans of soup w/crackers, Thermos w/leftovers from dinner (I cook dinner frequently), Bean burritos
Snacks - Fruit, carrot/celery sticks (he actually loves celery!), Cookies/cakes if he wants something sweet, granola bars, peanut butter crackers
For beverages, he actually loves drinking water, so I can keep water bottles on hand for him. He's fine with using one water bottle per day and refilling at school.
Sounds good, WellShoneMoon. I'll try that. I think his account getting so low caught his attention. Hopefully he'll be more receptive toward bringing lunch now. Thanks!
Sometimes it's more about the social aspect. If all your friends are going to grab lunch at the fast food place across the street, it's hard to want to get your mushed PB&J out of your backpack and eat by yourself.
BTW: I am probably going to shock few of you, but I never put my lunch into refrigerator at work.
If I make my lunch on the evening before, I leave it in my fridge overnight then put it in my lunch bag in the morning. It's usually still pretty cold at lunch time.
If I prepare it in the morning, it survives 3-4 hrs in the lunch bag just fine. I never got sick because of that.
Most of the meats now have enough crud in them that they don't go bad quickly. I guess I look at things like weddings, graduations, family reunions, etc. where those little slider sandwiches sit out for a few hours. No one in my family has ever gotten sick, from any sort of food, so I don't worry about it. However, if your family has sensitive stomachs I'd maybe feel different.
I went to school back in the 70's when we didn't have ice packs. I brought lunch every day and never got sick. And I didn't even knew about P&J then.
I think in most cases we are just way too cautious. Like with expiration dates. Or never eating leftovers.
Years ago people survived without all that "info" just fine...
Good point Hedgehog Mom! Perhaps if he can rebuild his account and be careful not to overdo it, he can join them from time to time. Fortunately it's a school in a very small town (one stoplight), so there are not many enticing eateries nearby. In addition to a food court on campus with 2 places to choose from, there's a Ginos and a small local Italian restaurant.
Thermos 16 oz food jars w/ folding spoon are ideal for hot or cold items - soups, meat smoothies, cold desserts, etc.
The mouth is wide enough to drink from, too. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Thermos-S...d-Jar/16537201
Most cold cuts will endure being unrefrigerated - especially those which are "shelf stable." (See: Summer sausage)
The problem with sandwiches is the tendency for wet / oily ingredients to ruin the whole assembly. The remedy : segregate the dry bread and filling from the wet / oily filling. Assemble just before eating. Problem solved.
Another variation is to make a sandwich spread, packed in a separate container, and assembled at meal time.
Awesome thermos, jetgraphics! Those sandwich tips sound helpful too! Maybe the oily/wetness created by assembling the sandwich beforehand was affecting my son's enjoyment. Thanks!
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