Need ideas for lunch/cooler packed

lissypriss
lissypriss Posts: 157 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Thursday I will be heading to Six Flags with my family, and rather than spend $60 for a pizza and 4 drinks, we are packing a lunch. I just don't want to eat a soggy sandwich, and really want to keep it healthy. Any ideas??

Replies

  • Losing2Live1989
    Losing2Live1989 Posts: 423 Member
    Bump...this would be great to know some ideas that I way when we go out on the boat fishing I could pack healthy lunches!
  • Nurse_krissy
    Nurse_krissy Posts: 102 Member
    There are some REALLY good quinoa salad recipes that are super yummy served cold or room temp. That's one idea since it provides your grains and protein. Pack PB&J for the kids! ;)
  • papergirl22
    papergirl22 Posts: 21 Member
    We take cut up veges and pre grilled chicken breasts everywhere. Great cold, pack easily.
  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
    Veggies, fruit, yogurt, make your own trail mix (healthy), nuts, protein bars, dry cereal (healthy, low sugar), sugar free jello cups, sugar free pudding cups, low cal high fiber bread, PB2 powdered peanut butter (just need to add water).

    All are easy to keep cold so they don't get hot or spoil.
  • lissypriss
    lissypriss Posts: 157 Member
    Thank you! It's hard to get things together on the fly to pack that are healthy. Too many temptations at a theme park to indulge, not to mention--very expensive!
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    When we were at Disney World in August:noway: we packed lunches and snacks every day - just don't put tomato on sandwiches - a hamburger bun with deli meat, cheese, lettuce, etc worked well...
    Also trail mix or almonds, small 100 cal bags of chips or cookies...Protein bars, granola bars, beef jerky, babybell cheese or string cheese and oranges, bananas, apples...

    Oh, and the best thing was a lunchbox with cut up watermelon - kept cold by the one tiny icepack and frozen water bottle in everybodys bag.... And the bags were not big - me and the girls each had a small messenger bag/backpack, and hubby carried a small cooler backpack with juice, energade etc.....

    I think we bought a mickey ice cream once in the week we were there - just because we wanted one... The frozen water bottles worked well too - just add water from the water fountains as the ice melts....
    have fun!
  • tlinval
    tlinval Posts: 175 Member
    How about something like: cheeses, salami, crackers, deli ham or cold chicken...you could make like cracker sandwiches. Add in some hard boiled eggs, homemade trail mix, fruit, veggies and dip, cookies...that sort of thing! Have fun!
  • macx2mommy
    macx2mommy Posts: 170 Member
    We did this when we went to Disneyland, and we weren’t even in a place with a good kitchen. I pack lunches for the kids everywhere I got. You didn’t mention the ages. We bring food almost every where go because it’s healthier, my kids are young and when they want to eat, it has to be now and it’s cheaper too.

    Drinks – Water or Juice (for the kids) freeze them so they are the ice packs for the cooler
    Cheese strings or baby bels, or cheese slices
    Cut up veggies
    Fruit – Oranges travel well, but anything in a zip lock container
    Make or a sandwich filling ideas – Don’t assemble the sandwiches until we are ready to eat
    - deli meats
    - grilled chicken
    - put peanut butter in a little container, or even a Ziploc, and pipe it out.
    - pouches of tuna, and bring the mayo separate and mix it together with some of my cut up veggies
    Whole Wraps or buns (but they get a little squishy, or healthier crackers
    Turkey pepperoni
    Yogurt
    Beef jerky
    Trail mix
    Pasta Salads, made with non creamy dressings instead of mayo, unless you get the mayo from the park
    Hard boiled eggs
    Roasted Seaweed
    Sushi Rolls
  • FeelingFroggy13
    FeelingFroggy13 Posts: 66 Member
    I eat like this usually two to three times a week since I work with a friend of mine on the road. She shoes and trims horses, so we are often out in the middle of the woods, no fast food or convenience store in sight! Here's my 'go-to' lunch items (not all at one time!):

    Raw veggies - carrots, cucumber, sweet bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, etc
    2 tblsp Hummus - to dip the veggies in

    Apple (I always pack an apple)

    Broiled Chicken Tenderloin - cut into cubes, eaten cold

    Low fat string cheese or Babybel cheese round

    Clif Bar or Luna Bar

    Some kind of 'watery' fruit - grapes, watermelon, etc (it gets really hot chasing down horses!)

    Sometimes I pack items to make a sandwich or wrap...I always pack them seperately so they don't get soggy

    100 calorie packs of nuts

    Beef Jerky

    Hard Boiled Egg

    Jicama - Man I love this stuff! It's like a cross between an apple and potato. When cut up in cubes and iced down, it's a great way to quench your thirst.

    Of course, tons of water. I also freeze my water so that it keeps things cool, it gets super hot in the truck.
  • Miriam_E
    Miriam_E Posts: 1
    Though not super healthy, still quick and simple:
    Hot dogs- wrapped in Aluminum Foil with bun, or just put in baggies and assembled later.
    I'm not sure if you've heard of Walking Tacos. Simple and easy! Doritos, taco Meat, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese! As long as you don't mind your taco meat cold.
    Cold fried chicken is always great! Though I'm not so sure about how well it would do in an amusement park with being on roller coasters and all.
    Sandwiches are always an option. Chicken salad, egg salad.
    Individual bags of chips make it so much easier to dish out chips!
    String cheese
    Crackers with that squirty cheese
    Maybe some apples with peanut butter
  • kelseyhere
    kelseyhere Posts: 1,123 Member
    Make a tuna salad or chicken salad and bring a bunch of sliced cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. Each member of the family can use the tomatoes and cucumbers to serve themselves the salad. You can also bring crackers too, that might be a little more kid friendly.

    I always pack a lunch and agree with you - I hate soggy sandwiches, so I package the meat separate, and bring something to serve on. I think it's fine to use mayo too, just make sure you have an ice pack.

    Frozen water bottles make great ice packs.

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