Bagged Lunches?

[Jenn729]

Hi there everyone,
I'm a first time poster in the cholesterol boards, and I'm hoping to get some help and ideas. Quick rundown of our situation: My husband is 33, has high blood pressure that he takes Cartia for, and has recently been told to lower his cholesterol. He is at 215- HDL is 31. So we are trying to get the numbers where they need to be. Instead of throwing him on another med, our doc has him taking niaspan and of course, told him to eat less fat etc...
He's astonishing me!!! Coming from an old fashioned Italian family, (all dealing with high cholesterol!) he was always sneaking pizza, pasta, cheeses, pastries, you name it. Not anymore. I couldn't be prouder, he has already lost 7 lbs in 2 weeks. He asks me what he can eat and when. After 10 years of encouraging him to eat healthy with me, this is all new to me, but I LOVE IT!!! Only one problem, he is in construction, and needs a quick, easy to make & eat lunch every day. We are up at 4am, so it's got to be something fairly simple to make, (he refuses to eat something packed the night before???? ) and is fairly picky.

Anyone got any ideas for us??? He's getting bored with my whole grain pita pockets. We would so greatly appreciate any suggestions. I need to come up with ideas soon, or I know...he'll be heading for that nasty lunch truck! Thank you!!

[Connie122516]

Assuming he has no access to a microwave, get a thermos and include healthy soups, stews, chilis (you could either have them in a crockpot overnite or nuke leftovers in the a.m.).

Leftovers from the nite before often make a good salad, e.g. say you had grilled chicken, couscous, and a couple of veggies. Mix them together with salad dressing of choice. (You could do the chopping the night before, and pack the salad dressing separately). This works with almost any "meat," grain, and veggie and offers endless variety.

They're pricy, but Boars Head makes a lot of deli meats that are low in fat and low in sodium (and carry the AHA seal of approval) so you could get variety in sandwiches that way. Vary the type of meat, the type of bread, and the type of veggies you add, and it will reduce the boredom. WW Tortillas or Flat Out bread allow for sneaking in more raw veggies (they won't fall out and you can get more on the sandwich than with regular bread or pita).

Sorry I can't be more specific since I don't know what he's picky about, e.g. what specific foods he's willing to eat. But I hope this gives you some ideas.

[Jenn729]

Connie,
You are right, no microwave...and yes, I will dig out that big old soup thermos- I forgot we have that! Chili is a terrific idea. I'll just sub ground turkey for the beef. The leftovers to make a salad is what I bring for my lunch almost every day Sadly, he snubs his nose at that.
I can't thank you enough for the Boars Head suggestion. I was not aware they offered healthier lunch meats. The wraps will be a great way to hide the veggies too- we wives must get sneaky sometimes...
Please don't apologize, your suggestions and ideas will thrill my hubby. He misses his lunch meats, and I know he will enjoy having hot chili/soups for a change.
Can I bother you with another question? Or anyone else who happens to be reading this? What would be the best mayonnaise to use on a sandwich? Or am I doomed to avoidance altogether? He refuses mustard of any kind.
We truly appreciate the feedback Connie!

[janeslk]

There are some mayonnaise products out there that contain Omega 3. I think Smart Balance makes one as well as Spectrum. I have never seen any of these in my area, but want to try them if I can find them.

Jane

[Jenn729]

Thank you Jane! I'll keep my eyes open for it. We've tried the smart balance peanut butter, and it was two thumbs up!