Help with figuring out what my husband can eat

aprilrunswithmolly

My husband is a town car driver for a living, and he is tentaively interested in losing weight. The biggest problem area we're running into is how to feed him when on the road. Typically, what he does now is stop and get fast food whenever he's hungy - not the healthiest, and not the cheapest. But, since he doesn't have a home base or a set break time, I'm not sure what to do. He also never eats until he's starving, which I don't think is the best for him either.

I've thought about packing him a bag of snacks that he can just grab when he's hungry, but other than nuts I don't know what will work for sitting in the car all day with no refrigeration and is quick to eat.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

BigT555

get a little cooler and throw some ice packs, sandwiches, fruit or whatever else in it. i used to work construction in the hot sun and the cooler would often still be cold by the time i got home

evileen99

Agree with the cooler and ice packs. He could also eat protein bars as something more substantial.

JoRocka

your....


wait.

NVM.

not what I thought this was about.























meal plan- invest in a lunch box and left overs.

Hornsby

He should be able to find lower cal options at fast food places as well.

oChristyo

My husband just got on board with MFP too. He drives all day because he's a home care physical therapist. I pack him lunch and very healthy snacks in a very large cooler that he keeps on the front seat. Salads for lunch lots of fresh fruit and veggies and plenty to drink. No excuses.

carinthea

Thermos flasks aren't only good for keeping things hot. They come in a range of sizes and for various purposes and you can put stuff in them that needs to stay cold too. True, fast food outlets sell healthier options, but they are still in a fast food place...what about stuff from a grocery store? I get pre-packaged fresh salads complete with a fork!

Holly_Roman_Empire

He should be able to find lower cal options at fast food places as well.

I was thinking this. I can get 10 chicken nuggets from Wendy's for less than $3, and it's around 400 or so calories.

Chevy_Quest

This is a different take. It is great that he wants to get fitter and lose weight. I travel a lot for work and drive a lot.


My wife said : "What can I do to help you eat better on the road"?

I replied: "Thanks, for the help honey.. but this has to come from me... it is my responsibility.. I got myself this fat and I am responsible for my improvement"

I have learned through MFP to count calories, experiment with coolers etc.

What works for me:

1. String Cheese
2. Apples / grapes
3. Rice Cakes
4. A Jar of natural peanut butter I keep in the cooler with a knife nearby
5. Protein bars - Keep in cooler

Knowing what "healthy" options are available at all the fast food places I frequent.

spara0038

My fiance is on the road a lot for his job and used to do the whole fast food thing too- until it started getting ridiculously expensive.

He carries around with him a cooler bag with ice packs and about 3 sandwiches, bananas, oranges, apples, greek yogurt, protein shake, last night's leftovers, etc. He typically packs more than I'd eat in a day, but he has a very physical job so for him calories are really not a thing.

auddii

I agree that ice packs and a lunch bag will make a difference. He can bring sandwiches, fruit, veggies, yogurt (he'd have to pull over if he's using a spoon), beef jerky, hummus and pita, pretzels, all sorts of stuff.

aprilrunswithmolly

Thanks everyone! For some reason, he's really resistant to the idea of a cooler - most likely because I'm not sure if it's "work approved". I know that he can get healthier options at the fast food places, but it really starts to add up, and he's having to stop by when he's too hungry and would likely order a bajillion things.

lilRicki

I fully admit I pack my fiance's lunch, or else he just won't eat. I pre-make a ton of wraps and freeze them so he just has to grab 2 on his way out the door, nuts, fruit, granola bars, green iced tea, dehydrated fruit, flax chips, costco has these dried snap peas that actually taste pretty good, trail mix, leftovers.

bugaha1

I use two frozen bottle of water in my small cooler i carry on my bike, then i drink them as they melt.

stealthq

He should definitely educate himself on the nutritional info at the fast food places he likes. That will help tremendously. You won't need to worry if you miss packing lunch and snacks one day, or if he forgets to pick them up on the way out the door. There'll always be a plan B.

There are coolers that will plug into the cigarette lighter and guarantee his food is staying cold all day (personally, my coolers only keep things refrigerator cold for an hour or so). If he sits with the car off for a while, add ice packs to compensate. Then the only issue is space, and ease of eating in the car.

cebreisch

You can use coolers with ice packs, or there are coolers that come with a car charger for anything that needs to be refrigerated.
Things to put in there: Yogurt, light string cheese, hard boiled eggs, maybe a side salad, anything that could be reheated in a convenient store or gas station microwave (provided he's brave enough).

There are things that you can get "a la fast food" that aren't terribly bad, but then there's the salt factor to remember too.

Anyway, I love Snyders mini pretzels. No high fructose corn syrup! I split them up into single serving Ziploc bags and I have a snack box that I keep those in, along with protein bars from www.healthsmartfoods.com (there are coupon codes on www.retailmenot.com).

My daughters LOVE taking the snack bags of pretzels and using the "Jif to Go" cups for a snack.

Another thing you could do would be to get one of those pencil boxes that "latches" closed - put in there plastic-ware, napkins, salt/pepper shakers or packets. Even coffee filters can make a make-shift pad/plate/napkin to be able to place his snack on.

Also - baby wipes or wet-ones.

I save the plastic grocery bags and use them as trash bags in my car.

Agusita19

I agree with the cooler and ice packs. My husband works in a rock quarry so we freeze 3 bottles of water with lemon in them as ice packs. In the summer when its hot it keeps the snacks cool and is a really refreshing drink for him as they melt. I pack him 1 meal and 2 snacks. I try to make the food combos with carbs and protein so that he stays satisfied and feeling full until his next meal. He eats every 3 hours or so. On sundays I make a few things and portion them out into ziplock bags for the week. Then he can grab what he feels like eating in the morning. I make some grilled chicken breasts, salmon or tuna salad, hard boiled eggs, bags with cheese and turkey pepperoni, homemade fruit salad, cut up veggies with dip, tzatziki or hummus with crackers, trail mix, little containers of yogurt with granola, whole fruit like bananas, oranges and apples, some homemade muffins or cookies that you can healthify yourself, left overs if he has access to a microwave. It generally takes me about 2 hours to do the prep but its awesome to not have to think about lunches all week. He isnt a salad lover but I makes up 3 or 4 in containers for myself for my lunches. The other advantage to this is that some nights when you dont feel like making dinner (happens over here weekly lol ) there is good healthy food to eat for a quick dinner on the go instead of takeout. Best of luck!

Valtishia

get a little cooler and throw some ice packs, sandwiches, fruit or whatever else in it. i used to work construction in the hot sun and the cooler would often still be cold by the time i got home

I agree with this. My dad used to be a truck driver and it worked well for him.

Chevy_Quest

Great stuff in this post.

My opinion (and it is only my opinion) is that he is going to have to hit "rock bottom" and realize that he has to do something about his weight and fitness. As much as you care about him, you really can't do it for him.

He has to "own" it

---

I speak from my own experience... My wife gave me some real "tough love" ... it stung at first, but then I looked in the mirror and said:

"It is up to me! "

HeidiCooksSupper

Healthy foods that have successfully survived a good deal of un-refrigerated book bag abuse and car eating for me include
- light string cheese
-snack-sized bags of baby carrots
-small baggies of grapes
-pears, apples, etc.
-nuts & raisins

I also had good success with one of those tiny car fridges that you plug into the cigarette lighter and with coolers using refreezable ice packs.

acpgee

You don't need a cooler for most fruit such as apples, tangerines, banans, pears, grapes, peaches and cherries. For savory snacks try beef jerky, pretzels, whole grain crackers. I regularly take hard boiled eggs to lunch and don't bother to use the refrigerator in the office. Anything you would pack for a picnic lunch would probably last a day without a cooler.