Help with lunch ideas, please. :)?

sha h

My husband and I both work on an ambulance. We both work a 24 hour shift and a 48 hour shift every single week. We spend between $800-$900 a month on lunch alone, and this is all drive through... Some weeks we may get some time at the station, but it's a very regular thing that we will be away from the station for 24 hours straight and sometimes even longer, so we can't really depend on putting bagged lunches in the fridge. We do however get to work together, on the same ambulance, so we can pack a full lunch together and just share it... The only real thing I can think of to help us save some $$, is peanut butter sandwiches. We both love them, but eating nothing but PB sandwiches for 48 hours straight gets a little old... I just really need some ideas that we can pack for lunch that would be okay without refrigeration for sometimes up to 40 hours. I don't mind to cook stuff before we go onto shift and "portion it out' for the shift, I just don't know what would last. I was thinking maybe some rice, and macaroni, but I'm not sure this stuff would be okay that long in a vehicle. Any input would be absolutely awesome! Thanks. :)

Answer
Oh boy....$800-900 /mo. on lunch alone...hmmm not good. I think my financial adviser would have a heart attack if he read that. Then, I'd be off the hook! haha Let's just shudder and think about it ...before we get to solving the problem...that is over $10,000 a year...just on lunches. Ok, you guys work hard for the money and you deserve better. That money has got to go into savings as an emergency fun or towards a long vacation. :) As much as I love, PB&J sandwiches...and I do...no one can eat those 24/7. So, here's a few ideas that come to mind. You might not be able to make your lunch everyday but if you can do a few things to start...you'll be heading in the right direction in no time. Even if you cut the "drive through" stops to just 3 times a week...that's a start.

So, let's start with "tools of the trade". These items are great for transporting/storing food. Some things might work better than others just use them by trial and error. I recognize you don't want to carry alot of stuff with you but a small cooler packed with just about everything you need can go a long way. I was a driver for an International Express Mail Delivery service. I had to make do alot until I wised up...put some energy into it and got it all set up.

-(reusable) Frozen water bottles (Just use regular small water bottles, freeze them and use them as your ice in a small cooler). As they melt, they are great for a quick after meal hand wash or just drink the water. Buy a six pack and put them all in the freezer to keep on hand. Just grab and go.
-Igloo ice chest (small) These are great and fairly compact.
-Reusable bamboo forks, knives & spoons
-2 durable cloth napkins
-Soft "compacting" ice chests-These are new on the markets and are designed to fold up when you are finished.
-"Thermos" (brand) product lines of hot & cold food/beverage storage.
Examples:
http://www.thermos.com/products/vacuum-insulated-24-oz-stainless-king-food-jar.aspx
http://www.thermos.com/products/element-5-lunch-lugger-cooler.aspx

Entrees:

-Tuna/Chicken Salad Stuffed Bellpeppers/Tomatoes:
Make your favorite tuna or chicken salad and stuff them in whole red bell pepper/tomato cups. (top is cut off & deseeded). Keep the little bell pepper/tomato "lids". Then, wrap the entire item in plastic wrap. No need for a bowl...the food is part of the storage system. Serve with celery/carrot sticks, crackers/crostini.

-Muffaletta Sandwich-This New Orleans "staple" can be made ahead of time with an entire wheel of bread (big or small), wrapped in plastic wrap tightly (so it compacts) and then at meal time it can be cut into wedges. Rather than type the recipe out (and there are many variations of it...so just find a favorite) here's a link. This sandwich is an entire meal. It can be high in calories so it's up to you how often you make it. But you can pick and choose other healthier ingredients if you want.

http://www.nolacuisine.com/2005/07/17/muffuletta-sandwich-recipe/

-Turkey Chili in a Bread Bowl-Again, this uses the food as part of the food serving/storage. So, you bring along your new Thermos of Turkey chili. Then, when meal time comes around you pull out small wheels of bread (or large dinner rolls) that have been prepped (top cut off, insides removed). Just fill the bread bowls with your warm chili. Bring along a baggie of shredded cheese and chopped onions. Note: Bread bowls & large (prebaked) potatoes work great with hearty stews, thick soups and even tuna/chicken salads. Lots of options here to work with.

Ok, that's it off the top of my head. Good luck to you and take care.

Can you bring food or water into the Disney and Universal Parks?

Star Dust

Answer
I've never had any problems bringing in water, cookies, trail mix, etc. They do search larger bags but it's not like a shakedown; they're mostly concerned with weapons or six-packs of Budweiser. :) The official policy for both parks:

"Guests are allowed to bring food items-such as snacks or foods that do not require heating-into any Walt Disney World Theme Park."

Universal---
"Acceptable items:
* Bottled water
* Small snacks that do not require heating
* Any food required for medical purposes and medicallyâindicated nutritional supplements
* Any food required for special dietary needs
* Baby food/baby formula
* Soft-sided insulated bags no larger than 8.5" wide x 6" high x 6" deep

Prohibited items:
* Picnic lunches
* Food that requires heating or refrigeration
* Alcohol and glass containers
* Hard-sided coolers
* Soft-sided coolers larger than 8.5" wide x 6" high x 6" deep
* Coolers, suitcases, and bags with wheels"

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