Help! Need lunch ideas for picky DH to bring to work!

[SouthPaw]

AAARGH!

I am trying to stop DH from buying fast food every day, it's just not in the budget. But he is SO SO picky!!

I need cheap suggestions that he might possibly go for. He forgot to check if there is a microwave/fridge but I think there is, I can't see why not (his 1st day was today). Any ideas are welcome.

Here are the things he will *not* eat.

Any sandwich.
Any frozen dinner.
Any leftovers.

SO what else is out there?

[Mothering by Heart]

My DH likes to take grilled teriyaki chicken on a salad.

[Myrtle]

since it'a getting cooler, a hearty vegetable soup or chili (my family likes pb and crackers with it)

I know you said no sandwiches, but what if they were in a pita pocket instead of bread? Or wrapped in a tortilla shell? There's lots that could be done with those.

There's also frozen burritos which are hearty and not like those frozen dinners. Dh likes them a lot.

The only other cheap thing I can think of would be the Dollar Menu at McD's. :shrug

[allisonintx]

Soups and Chili's are great ideas. I love white chili made with navy beans and chicken with lots of garlic ;) You could send him with a dinner roll, too. It would feel like a real meal.

If you made it for dinner and then froze a single portion for the next week and put it in as his lunch in a thermos it wouldn't seem like leftovers (this is my trick!) Any time you make something that you can put aside a single portion and send at a later date will work like this. The deal is that it is not in their lunch the next day after eating it for dinner the night before.

[LauraK]

whenever I read these posts I am so in awe of what nice wives you all are. I have to admit I really have never made my dh's lunch, unless you count putting leftovers in a container.

your dhs are blessed to have you.

[Mothering by Heart]

Not really because I'm nice. It's because I don't want him spending his money or his health on fast food.

[SouthPaw]

:yes if he doesnt want to eat what i make, he orders pizza or goes to wendys or something :rolleyes and that counts for regular meals too :doh so i pretty much get to cater to him unless i want our food budget blown. sigh.

he also doesnt like any foods besides Mexican or American. double sigh.

luckily he has a lot of good qualities to make up for the ones that drive me batty. :P~

[allisonintx]

I'm glad there are compensations enough to brook the insult. I would be terribly offended if I cooked a meal and my dh went "Ewww, I'm not eating that...I'll go get Wendy's"

[LauraK]

What about burritos? You could make simple vegetarian ones, wrap them up and he could just reheat in the microwave. These would be cheap too :-)
Another idea I had is a baked potato with "toppings", cold ones could be separeted, other ones could be wtih potato, you could precook the potatoes and then just open up and put some cheese or what have you and then have like salsa or whatever else to go with it.

Taco salad, you could make the salad and leave the meat or beans seperate, then he could combine.

I would also ask him for ideas maybe he has some?

My dh lived alone for over 15 years before we married and some of that time was on a very limited budget so he is used to making his own lunch. Although, I do wish he ate healthier I figure I'll make a healthy dinner and that is what I can handle. He brings these $1 a piece frozen dinners and an apple and when he gets leftovers taht is a "treat" LOL. I think there are positives and negatives to getting married later in life...LOL...

:hug

[SouthPaw]

I think there are positives and negatives to getting married later in life...LOL..

:giggle :yes he only recently stopped comparing my cooking to his mom's. :doh