Bentos for Hubbys

[Kyoki]

Orion's the same. >< He likes to eat and he has an incredible metabolism, so I have to pack a very large lunch. The rule of thumb for bento size? Out the window with this man. I swear he burns food as fast as it makes it into his stomach.

When I don't pack his meals, he takes a can of soup or buys at work. We started packing not for the health but the money benefits. Lunch at the food court of Target gets outrageous! And a hotdog and a bag of chips just doesn't fill his hungry tummy.
I've started keeping cans of chunky soup on hand, for when I don't feel up to making his bento. Otherwise, he takes whatever I pack him, and I get a status report when he gets home on what was good and what wasn't. The hard part for me is mixing it up- he's not picky, but anyone would get tired of the same ten things rotated every single morning for months on end.

It's even harder now, since I don't have all day and night to cook- I have to sleep eventually, and that means crashing when the baby crashes. Usually. As it is, between daytime chores and cooking at night, I don't get to bed until two or three! And that's with speed-packing tips... I cook extra but it gets eaten so fast.

Rice and chicken make a good part of his meals, along with frozen veggies and dried fruits. There's usually a sweet treat of some sort in there, too- and sauces. Recently we've been branching into tuna and tofu (in the same dish, no less) and from chicken breast to game hens and chicken thighs. I'm not sure what else I can make, though... I'm not very good at this. ^^;;

[ScullyPA]

Thanks everyone.

I purchased myself and hubby the Fit N Fresh lunch container, the one with the ice pack that splits the container into two, and then has two small containers that you put on top of the ice pack. I am fortunate enough to have a Lands End store, and they had lunch boxes on sale that fit the Fit N Fresh containers perfectly, and they were on clearance. So, for about $16 a piece, we are set.

I will do leftovers and things, but today we had a sandwich, yogurt and carrots. I gave him a little choco pudding, because we all need a little something. I essentially made three meals this morning before work, since I also pack my boys' lunches. It will take some getting used to, but I feel better that we both will have a supply of healthy food available.

Canned soup is ok once in a while, but it is so high in sodium, and that is not good for you. So, that won't happen too often.

I enjoyed all the comments! Hubby is eating breakfast and lunch now, so I made some head way with him.

[QChan]

Make him the same healthy stuff that you would eat for yourself, and keep junk food out of the house completely. You can't force us to eat healthier, but we'll think its a great idea if "we do it together."

I'm sure he'll appreciate whatever you make him

I'm so happy there are a few guys on this forum : )


My boyfriend is like yours lethargic, and a very much like kyokis husband, although, we don't live together so my feelings are he can do whatever he wants to, He eats chips and pop all the time and wonders why he's getting a bit of a gut, which he's never had in his life he's told me so it's kinda bugs him. I think he's not going to be eating chips for a while though, the other night we were hanging out with my sister and her boyfriend and Marc(My sisters boyfriend) said something like "Rene you must fart all the time with all the chips you eat." He's only had chips once since marc said that, and it was 2 weeks ago.

Sometimes you just need a blunt unbiased opinion on the situation.

[Lethargic]

hahaha thats so funny Qchan!

[QChan]

It was the most perfect moment of my day.


I was just thinking about this a little bit more. What Mr. T. said is perfect, because when I think about it, if my boyfriend tried to get me to change my eating habits I'd be a little bit put off(It's a little different for those of you that are married mind you), because if I feel that I'm being healthy enough, who is anyone to tell me I'm wrong, unless they are a nutritionist.

I read something in a magazine one time, and this guy said that his girl friend was a big healthy eater, and she never forced her food on him, they would both just cook their own meals and eat together, and she would always offer a bite of hers, and eventually he started getting into eating healthier, he said he's not all the way there because he still has his vices, but it's better than what he was.

Just an extra 2 cents.

[ScullyPA]

I just thought I would share this, it was funny....

Just got off the phone with my hubby, who said he got teased quite a bit about his lunch today, all the guys saying, awww, look at the cute containers. He asked if any of them had heard of bento, and no one had, so he told them it was the "fung shei" of lunches. He didn't care that they made fun of him. I told him his lunch just meant that I love him, and they were all just jealous.

[Pangolin]

Growing up my family had beef for dinner four or five nights a week, and chicken on Fridays. After I started college, my dad had a heart attack (he was very healthy otherwise, just high cholesterol and stress), and all of a sudden I came home for dinner and they were all eating fish - lots and lots of fish! My dad always ate pretty healthy, was never overweight, and like me, borderline hypoglycemic (hence all the beef protein). Even now my parents only eat beef once a week, most nights fish, and chicken on Fridays. They just got used to eating differently.

My mom had always cooked with butter, but when they changed the rest of the eating habits, the cooking with grease and butter went out the window. Now when we go over there for dinner, I have to REQUEST butter be put on the table for rice or corn. In the meantime though, I quit eating and cooking with lots of butter oil, and now when I eat something with lots of fat and grease it just feels like it's COATING my mouth. You get used to not having something, and you don't miss it after awhile (except maybe chocolate!).

[ScullyPA]

You get used to not having something, and you don't miss it after awhile (except maybe chocolate!).

I'm pretty sure that my husband would also include white pasta in with your chocolate, has not taken to the whole wheat pasta....

[topenga]

Rice and chicken make a good part of his meals, along with frozen veggies and dried fruits. There's usually a sweet treat of some sort in there, too- and sauces. Recently we've been branching into tuna and tofu (in the same dish, no less) and from chicken breast to game hens and chicken thighs. I'm not sure what else I can make, though... I'm not very good at this. ^^;;

You're doing fine!

I made soboro from a recipe I found on Just Bento. It's pretty much highly seasoned ground meat (I used turkey). So highly seasoned that I can't eat much of it. I made a pound of it and served small portions of it over white rice. Well, I got tired of it like that (two lunches worth and I was done. I get tired of food quickly) and last night I took the rest of the meat, a bag of frozen broccoli florets, and a boil-in-bag pouch of brown rice and mixed it all up and heated it all through. I loved it. So did the boyfriend, who doesn't like anything "adventurous".

How about mini meatloafs? You could substitute ground turkey or mix in tofu if you're worried about fats and what not. Or shepherd's pie?

[madhouse]

dh's bento consists of a Lock n Lock box

I have another square container that fits within that box, and it usually holds a salad, then I fill the rest with what we had for dinner that night and some extra snacks, and what not. He loves the grape tomatos, grapes in general and hard boiled egg or protein bar. He can get those down with out a mess from his office to the hangar. He is always on the go and he must eat a proper lunch. fast food doesnt cut it. He also has a can of mixed nuts too, for that protein boost mid afternoon. If his blood sugar drops with out eating well and bombarded with questions and stress at work he gets unbelievably impatient and quite crabby, then by the time he gets home he is totally drained. its in every ones best interest that he eats well.