Do you make lunch?
Does anybody make lunch?
I've always thought of lunch as just sort of a substantial snack which is legal - because everybody knows you're supposed to eat lunch. You just grab something on hand that you've been wanting to eat, and call it lunch. Slice of almond cake? Lunch! Last night's left over bbq meat? Lunch! Heck, even a handful of Fritos can be called lunch - if you eat it with a handful of carrots to balance it out.
Going out to lunch is awesome. I love lunch out. But lunch at home is pretty much a non event for me.
Now that The Brain is working-from-home about 3 or so times a week, lunch is beginning to annoy me on a whole new level. Because he actually wants something lunchish for it.
He doesn't really expect me to make him something, per se, he just wants to know whether or not there's a plan. And 99.999999% of the time, there IS NO PLAN. And sometimes it annoys the crap out of me to have to say that out loud. Because that implies that there possibly should have been a plan, and I should have been the one to make it.
Also since I started Weight Watchers, they think I should have a plan for lunch, too.
(And yes I have already connected the whole need for Weight Watchers thing with the whole Fritos-for-lunch thing. Thanks for your concern.)
Does anyone actually plan lunch? Should people plan lunch?
I do plan dinner. That's good enough, right?
Lunch should never be planned. Lunch is on-the-fly.
50 comments:
Lunch is always on the fly. Sort of. It usually consists of left-over and/or mac&cheese, chicken nuggets, or sandwiches. Because I have small children.
On the off-chance that I have lunch alone (hasn't happened in almost 8 years), then it's whatever is available.
So...my point? I agree with you.
Uh. Really? People plan lunch? Lunch is always just what I end up eating after wandering around my kitchen for five minutes saying "we've got nothing to eat!" I usually end up just making cookies and eating the cookie dough. Weightwatchers doesn't seem to like that lunch though.
Lunch should not have a plan unless it's to go out to lunch with friends.
In my opinion, as long as you have cans of soup, peanut butter and jelly or chicken nuggets in the freezer, there is no need for a lunch "plan"
Lunch for me is leftovers. I HATE making lunch for the kids. Hate, hate, hate!
AMEN.
PB&J and Mac n Cheese are the extent of my planning.
ditto to everything.
Shouldn't lunch just be planned for you? Or shouldn't dinner just have a lot of leftovers that are delicious? Husbands who eat lunch at work are spoiled.
I plan lunch. The night before, I assemble everything I need for lunch. Because in the morning, I am stupid, and if lunch isn't ready to go, I might not get to eat that day.
It seems that The Brain is still hung up on the "have a plan for lunch so I can take it with me" habit.
My advice is for him to get lunch together every night before he goes to sleep, whether he works at home or not. That way, he is in charge of the plan.
That, or peruse the fridge around 11:30 for some mac and cheese to heat up.
I'm right there with you. Lunch is such a non-event in my mind, that I typically don't plan it. I just make sure I have enough bread on hand for sandwiches, and random cans of things like chili, or (gasp) even canned soup. My best bet is always leftovers for lunch, but it's not always guaranteed.
Hubby works close enough that he almost always comes home for lunch. And he always wonders what he can eat. It's almost always the same thing. But he doesn't like the same thing I always have on hand. And he whines, a little. And then I say, "HEY! Tell me what you want for lunch, and I'll make sure I buy the fixings for it." And then he admits he has no idea what he wants for lunch. Only that it isn't what we always have available.
Sigh.
Heck, I usually would prefer something fancy for lunch to the same ol' meat-and-cheese sandwiches, or can of chili with crackers, but at least I'm willing to deal with my lazy approach and eat what I have.
I think you ought to tell Brian that there is no plan and there will be no plan for lunch for him. Then, you should plan lunch for yourself b/c of the weight watchers thing. But, that's just my opinion. I don't eat the way the rest of my family does (no wheat) so I have my dinner at lunch so I'm not making two dinners at the same time. The benefit is that by having good food at lunch, I have energy to make dinner. Again, that's just me . . .(I have lunch at dinner)
Lunch is totally overrated. I rarely eat it, let alone plan for it. My poor children.
I just love that you're annoyed by the unstated implication that there should be a plan made by you.
Lunch food around here is always almost unpalatable toddler/pre-school food, so I always get by on that handful-of-whatever plan myself. In my fantasy world, there will come a day where out-to-lunch is the norm.
I rarely have a plan, and, unless it involves paying someone else to make me lunch, I want no part of a lunch plan.
Hey, and at least you added the carrots. I'm all about whatever is tasty for lunch.
I'm pretty sure it's one or the other; plan lunch or dinner but you can't have both.
Amen Sister! Sean is sometimes around for lunch, and when he gives me that "I'm hungry" look, I offer Mac-n-cheese, and that seems to fix the problem! Maybe you ought to stock up on Mac, and when the Brain asks smack down a box of Mac (with a killer smile of course), and see what happens-- I think problem solved!
I wish I didn't have to eat lunch! I don't know why but there aren't too many great things on the home lunch menu!
About once a month I get all organized and plan out meals for the week - lunch included. Mostly because I don't like to eat mac n cheese more than about once a month. Plus, we're trying to pack lunches for J so he won't spend $ on fast food that needs to be spent elsewhere! Our favorites: BLT's, paninis (just a lunchmeat and cheese sandwich with a little italian dressing squished and grilled) or raggedy-ann salads (hard boiled egg for the head, 1/2 canned peach for the body and carrot and celery sticks for limbs. Add some grated cheese for hair, raisins for eyes and you have a pretty fun lunch!)
I NEVER plan lunch.
Now that Allan is home for lunch every day it is so different. Most of the time it's just leftovers from dinner the night before.
Good luck with the WW's.
Totally agree...and the days hubby is home around lunchtime, he takes me out. I am OK with that!
I only read 4 blogs and yours is one of them. You are hilarious.
Re the lunch thing. I wish I could be you. Lunch around here is MANDATORY. My husband works at home and he wants lunch EVERY DAY.
If I have to be away, I have to make him luunch before I go out. If I'm out, I have to come home and fix him lunch then go back out again. I told him I married him for better or for worse, but not for lunch. (It didn't work). So good luck with your "lunch is on the fly" thing. Luv you.
(read MY blog at: Jeri10-2009blogs.blogspot.com )
I do not plan lunch. I stand at the fridge and figure it out at the last second. Sometimes I just hand each child a turkey dog and call it good. Other times they have grilled chicken and veggies and bread. Then I'm very proud. So I'm rarely proud.
If I don't plan, or atleast sort of plan, then I end up having like 3 "lunches" which also means that I really need to join weight watchers as well.
I don't plan lunch either. Milky Ways and Diet Mt Dew work pretty good. I hate weekends when everyone is home and they expect ME to fix something. Hey, I didn't take these people to raise! Oh,wait, yes, I guess I did. Well, they're big enough now to fend for themselves. Especially the big guy!
I do luch (out) with my friends about twice a month. I do lunch (take out) by myself about the same. I do lunch (out/take out) with the kids about once/twice a week...so yeah, "home lunch" is a big meh to me :)
My hubs is working from home a couple of days a week. So glad to hear the lunch issue is not just me! Drives me nuts. There is no plan, and I don't want to create one, thank you very much.
Lunch=leftovers, unless there are enough leftovers for dinner. Then leftovers=dinner. Lunch can be sandwiches, whatever.
:~D
I plan got lunch the night before when I stick the leftovers in the fridge. Don't like the leftovers? Not my fault, grab a burrito out of the freezer.
Ugh. I sometimes hate lunch; except for eating out, like you said ;-) Planning lunches for work is even worse. I hate it!
Seriously. Sometimes eating is such a burden.
Oh, I totally agree!! And I also think that Fast Sundays, unless I've planned ahead and put something in the crock pot, should be a fix-your-own meal deal. We always plan our fast to be over about half an hour after church lets out. We get home and my husband kind of assumes there will be a hot delicious meal on the table by the time he's done changing clothes. Uh, these things don't happen by magic, you know! :)
Lunch plan goes like this "Either this week I can have the usual set every day, or I can have leftovers from whatever dinner in the fridge still seems edible." The usual set consists of a weekly sandwich, weekly dairy, weekly fruit, and weekly crunchy something. Yup, same lunch potentially 7 days a week (or until I grocery shop next) if I don't opt for the leftovers. Overall, it makes it an unplanned event because the plan is pretty static.
Lunch is on the fly in our house. If you want a lunch packed, you are on your own to make it in our household. But I try to have "on the fly" stuff in the house to make sandwiches or bring a frozen meal to work to heat up.
I feel your pain just having him around! My husband was laid off (this was like almost 18 years ago) but was out of work for 9, yes count them, 9 loooooooooong months. I almost went insane. I had 8 young children and I was doing day care and every single day he would heap a plate of left overs, retire to the living room recliner to eat and enjoy a book while I hustled lunch making lunch for (it seemed like) 85 kids and crammed 1/2 a pbj in my mouth. Later I would be trying to get dinner ready and I'm looking for the baggie of ham cubes I cut up to put in the scalloped potatoes - no ham cubes. Where are the Ham Cubes!!! Oh. He made a sandwhich out of them. GRRRRR. Who does that? No matter what I planned for DINNER (not lunch) he would root it out and we would have bizzare dinners missing key ingredients. I did get a sharpie and started writing NO!! on anything I didn't want him to eat. You'd think I could have lost some weight. Nah.
Absolutely lunch is on the fly. Planned lunches, pffff. When I am not making anything for dinner I just tell hubby ( as it is just the 2 of us now) root hog or die. That means....it's on the fly. FYI - I am from Canada, did you know we call lunch, dinner...and dinner is super. Bet you wanted to know that.
At home, lunch is what I can pull out of the cupboard. And 99% of the time, I don't eat what the kids eat. Today? Saltines with peanut butter and oranges...
So, there ya go.
When hubby is home, I might make a grilled cheese... maybe.
Lunch ideas:
Grilled cheese
Tuna Sandwich (with pimentos)
Tuna Sandwich (with chopped green onions and sliced celery - add a slice of cheese to either)
Peanut butter and honey sandwich
Ham and cheese sandwich
Deviled egg sandwich
Sliced beef and creamed horseradish on French roll sandwich
Fried hamburger patty (with cheese) in between two slices of bread (with mustard and mayo)
a hot dog & chips
Progresso clam chowder soup (add a can of drained chopped clams)
a bowl of chili (topped with sour cream, chopped onions, ketchup, shredded cheese or whatever)
Ceasar salad
as a last resort...Oreos and MILK!
(or a quart of his favorite ice cream)
Jeri10-2009blogs.blogspot.com
Good gravy, I'm already planning one meal a day now I'm supposed to be planning two? Next thing you know you'll want me to plan breakfast as well.
Honestly I think eating multiple times a day is a crock! Why can't we be like snakes or lions or something, I'm pretty sure I could handle a really big meal about once a week.
I have a cookbook that also has a year's worth of planned menus, and sometimes it's funny to see what the "lunch" plan is. "Peanut butter and bacon sandwiches" has popped up a few times. I wonder how many WW points you'd need for that little snack.
When you're single, anything out of the fridge will do. And WW? Hey...3.2 pounds last week. They want you to plan meals. I just can't. It's not even in my realm of possibilities. I wish otherwise though.
I am sooo with you on this!!
I never plan lunch. I have stuff for people to make their own sack lunches, the kiddos usually want PBJs or Macaroni and Cheese. I don't do lunch food. (except when it is out!) and I have leftovers. I consider it a service to the family, my eating the stuff that isn't enough for a whole meal again. :D
Tell him the lunch plan is FFY. Fend For Yourself.
I have a toddler at home. Lunch is PB&J and whatever fruit is handy. Every day. I have to plan dinner, lunch is too much. It's boring but I don't have to think about it.
I don't plan lunch either. I hate making lunch! I just make the kids whatever and I usually eat something completely different myself. My husband likes lunch to be much more formal--planned, as it were. And he's not hip to people eating all different things. Everyone must eat the same thing because it's a FAMILY MEAL. (Family = he's home) I only believe in using that energy for planning and coordination when you're talking about dinner. Lunch should absolutely be on the fly.
My husband comes home for lunch every day. He recently told me he doesn't like sandwiches. I asked him what he DID want to eat, because I'm a nice wife like that, then started to laugh hysterically at his suggestions. I am not a restaurant. Eat your damn sandwich.
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my GOSH!!! You could not have explained my sentiments with any more clarity. My husband has a job that usually lands him at home for lunch on Fridays. I should probably be a cute wife and make something nice for such occasions, but I don't, (refer to dictionary and you will clearly see that my name doesn't appear under "cute" OR "nice") and he wants to know "what there is", and I HATE answering that!
I actually do plan lunch. I am kinda a health freak though. I buy avocados and tomatoes as a staple and make sandwiches for Ted packed with good stuff. I usually make enough dinner so that I can take leftovers to work. Lunch is a huuuuge deal to me.
It's like you read my mind -- VERY funny!! :)
I never plan for lunch. My toddler eats top ramen or mac n cheese basically every day. My big thing is I don't like cold food for lunch (like sandwiches). I like hot food, so I eat leftovers, or things like frozen burritos, taquitos, etc. Anything I can nuke in less than two minutes will usually qualify for lunch. I have rarely been known to eat a box of triscuits with a can of diet coke for lunch, but that is a rare treat!
Lunch is not planned at my house either!!
tonight we had hot fudge brownies. know what that means for my lunch tomorrow? that's right, brownies. see? i planned :)
(however, i do not plan on sharing that with the kiddos!!)
Yes...lunch is on the run, as is breakfast here. Yesterday, while trying to get out the door to church, I grabbed the box of Mini_Wheats and a carton of OJ. Rushed kids, box, and carton of OJ in the suburban and we're good to go. Right?!
Lunch?
Refer to breakfast routine!
Oh, and the whole hubby thing home is more annoying. That means when I actually do make lunch, he wants "a bite!" Ack!
I seriously hate lunch at home. I take my lunch to work to save money. I don't like it because I never know what I'm in the mood for beforehand, but I still have to pack SOMETHING. It ends up being a frozen meal I can zap. On weekends, I hate trying to figure out what lunch is going to be. It's always better to go out.
EVERY meal is an event for me...I love to eat! ;)
I have the same plan for lunch every single day: I plan to open the cupboard, take out a SlimFast meal bar, pour a glass of skim milk, sit down, and enjoy. Yesterday I was out of SlimFast bars, and my plan went down the toilet...it was traumatic.
Hubby Man knows I don't prepare lunch. If he's at home and it's lunch time, he fends for himself, muahaha! >:)
#50, w00t!
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