Trucker's Lunchbox Ideas Please!

Hey all.

The Man has changed jobs and although still driving trucks, now takes his own lunch to work everyday (yay!). He starts at 5am and finishes anywhere from 1pm onwards (usually very much onwards).

He takes two ham, lettuce and mayo sandwiches, a big bottle of cordial, and about half a dozen or so split and buttered muffins (which I do for him the night before, aren't I good!). He has some of the muffins for breakfast, and the others later. The muffins have so far been buttermilk and sultana, and 'breakfast muffins' which have grated apple, carrot and that sort of stuff in them (I made them ages ago and froze them all, he's getting these atm, because I haven't bothered to make more sultana ones, which he loves!). But I don't want him to get sick of the same muffins all the time. Or sandwiches, but he seems happy with those for now (but more ideas would be great!). And at the same time, I don't want to be sending unhealthy food out everyday either, but he is a very good eater, I don't have to hide veges in his food.

What else or what different can I make for him to take? He doesn't eat fruit (but sometimes eats tinned fruit), or nuts (has a plate, so bits of nut gets underneath and Ouch!). He takes a cold bag with him everyday, but that's about it. I would prefer to be able to make bulk amounts and be able to freeze, and some things like muffins which are easy for him to eat while on the go if necessary. I know you 'trucker's wives' are out there, what do you send your men out the door with?

I'm not a truckers wife but I make a mean sandwich. So you could get a roast chicken and mix it with some mayo, celery, apple and tinned sweetcorn. Yum.

I also had a risotto wrapped in filo pastry recipe years ago that was excellent for lunches ... but I've lost it. But MAN it was good.

Stop press: any sort of mushed up veggies - sweet potato, peas and corn maybe baked in filo pastry in little triangles are EXCELLENT. Who doesn't like little yummy pastry things?

Dh used to drive a lot a few years ago. Basically he ate food that he could eat whilst driving. So he really like cold meats, roasts, sausages etc in smaller pieces with salad, maybe something for dipping like a creamy salad dressing with some cheese squares Hard boiled eggs, the odd protein bar. Quiche cut up in small pieces worked well as well, just be creative with ingredients. Just remembered rather than cutting up, just make small ones without pastry in muffin pans, then freeze.

Mmm, some good ideas there, thank you!

The pastry triangles especially! He can eat those and drive. He does stop for a break for lunch at least, so that main part doesn't matter if it takes two hands and a bit of concentration to eat.

Ooh, apple turnovers? With sultanas.

How well does baked filo or other pastry freeze? I've never done that before. Come to think of it, don't think I've even really cooked with pastry like that before.... :redface:

pastry freezes fine - look at all the frozen pastry good you can buy in the supermarket!!

try things like sausage rolls (small) made at home. ummm, DH takes small packs of fruit (two fruits/fruit salad etc), salads, cold snags or rissoles. cheese and kabana with healthy crackers.

during winter, you can send him with a hot lunch. we make food in the slow cooker, freeze it in the disposable oven trays, then DH heats it for an hour or so in a small portable oven (it was $37 from d!ck smith)

it's harder for me to suggest stuff as DH essentially lives in his truck so has a large fridge, and can stop and actually cook using gas cookers...

Frozen pastry - :doh: Der! Of course BG, how silly of me! How :redface:!

You have lots of good suggestions, don't worry about that! Does your DH do interstates or local?

mostly interstate work Netix - he's away anything from 2 to 10 days at a stretch, but since BFP has been home a lot more cos his boss is fantastic and gets him home!

other suggestions - noodle cups - not the healthiest, but they're something he can throw in his work bag if he wants something hot occassionally. baked beans or spag if he enjoys them. cup a soup.

cold jaffles if DH enjoys them


ummmm, damn - will scope out DH's food stash when he gets home tomorrow and see what else i can come up with.

if your DH likes warm food - those ovens are a must - all you need is a lighter point to plug it in, and oven bags or those silver trays - and they work fantastically!

Hi
My work ( im on maternity leave now) involves me being either in atruck or out on site from 7 am to 4 pm , we couldnt heat up our food and only had our cooler bags to keep things cool, i found that in summer, sandwiches were ok, or cold jaffles , little sausage rolls etc as long as they didnt go to soggy in the heat of the day, although im guessing if you DH is driving , he prob has air con on on hot days . Winter nothing beats hot soup, a flask of boiling water and a cup of soup with a bread roll etc.
What the girls above have mentioned is great, although im very jealous of the little oven.

Hmmmmmmmmm wonder if i kick my passenger out i could fit one in.

tan, the little oven has been such a success the last few months, DH seen them on special last week and grabbed another so that he has a spare.

it just looks like a little lunchbox that plugs into the cigarette lighter, and has heat plates above and below the food. we put two containers full of frozen soup in one day to test it, drove 40 mins, and found that it had not only defrosted and heated the soup, it was boiling (thick vegie soup - we heated in oven bag). it was too hot to eat. we had a small amount, turned the oven off, and left it another 90 mins before we wanted any more and it was still hot enough to need to be stirred before eating to cool it down! and at $36 it's one of the best investments we've made! DH tends to put food on about an hour before he wants to eat, and it's always piping hot. this is food we've cooked at home and he takes away frozen - so it is working really well

other ideas for food - depending on DH's taste - cold lasagne/pasta bake. some people like it cold. i love it - but only if i make it and know what's in it!

soup - buy a small thermos and take one serve full - heat it to hot hot in the morning - will still be hot by lunch - perfect if you dont like cup a soup (ick!) - we make a pumpkin based vegie soup that DH takes like this for his first night away if he leaves at night

Some more good ideas!

Ha- the Man got the air cond working REALLY well in the truck the other day, and said it was so cold, it gave him a head ache, even with it turned to 'low'. Oh well, better than being too hot, as trucks generally are.

He's not much of a cold food person, he told me a while ago that 'he does not eat sandwiches that aren't toasted'. Righto then. :rolleyes: But now he takes cold sandwiches. I queried him on this, but forget what he said. Not sure it made a lot of sense even then! (OMG! My little girl is sitting on one of the big chairs at the table, head down on folded hands, probably going to sleep! If I move her now, she will go off at me! But if I leave her, she may fall.....). He *may* eat cold sausage rolls, but I doubt whether he will eat cold lasagne or pasta bake.

Anyway, I am sure that he would like hot soups. I will have to look for one of those ovens for him. Where did you find yours BG? The Man blew up his portable fridge in the truck this week as the power in the truck is 240 not 12v, so he bought an inverter and is using his other little fridge. (Oh dear... She is asleep, sitting up! Better go!)

What about cold chicken wingettes/drumettes? They could be plain or marinated.

only place i've seen them is in d!ck smith hun. it's a portable electric stove (or so the man sitting beside me says!) - it just looks like a black box with a handle.

Mmmm, cold chicken wings..... Dunno, I'd have to ask him about those... Once again, its just the 'cold' factor.

We have a d!ck smith here in town, so I will have a looky next week. Thanks! (And thank you BG's DH!)