A Need for Packed Lunches

I am in the lucky position in that two days of the week I meet friends for a sit down lunch - usually on a meal deal somewhere at our local pub two meals for under a £10 - or for a hot drink and a piece of cake also well under £10.  My friends and I take it in turn to pay and it is a good opportunity for us to play catch up.  However for a couple of days a week I usually wonder around town and usually skip lunch but I am determined to put this right as I want to try and get a bit fitter than I am.  I walk everywhere but some days I really struggle with pain in my joints and stiffness and I also have an Achilles tendon problem. I just get one side right and then the other side goes AWOL.  Today was the first day that I walked to work in over a fortnight and boy did I know it.  My legs have been rested for the past fortnight (when I went to the Doctor she told me to rest my leg more) so off the Achilles tendon goes again.  If I don't walk I put weight on  which I can ill afford due to the joint problem and I am still bigger than I should be at the moment  then  it all becomes a viscous circle.  But that is going to be tackled I shall mention it when I go and see the Consultant on Thursday.

Anyway I digress OH works on a site out of town where they do provide food but at a price.  After having sarnies for high tea yesterday I had some bread buns and salad and ham left over so I packed OH the buns up for his pack up and did myself a couple of sarnies today (I had wholemeal bread) and I really enjoyed them.  However yesterday I paid out for packaged ham (our Coop does not have a deli counter as it is only small) and they did not have any joints to cook either .  However I have popped in this evening and obtained an un-smoked gammon joint for £4.  That is busy bubbling away with some onion, dried thyme, fresh bay leaf, and some pepper and once cold I will slice it up on my meat slicer ready for pack up for the OH and myself during the week.  I also have the addition of some useful stock so will also make some soup.  OH has access to a microwave at work and so do iI.

 I have also bought some chicken legs and am cooking those also at the moment.  They can be served as is or stripped down and served shredded with some salad leaves either as a salad in its own right or in a sarnie or maybe with a satay sauce.  So for just under £10 OH will have pack up each day either in the form of sandwiches or as a salad for six days this week with me for three days so not too bad.  We can also have some tinned fruit or fresh fruit to pad things out and have much healthier lunches.  Could also add rice or couscous as well so I am going to enjoy exploring my options.  Much better we will get to eat decent food with no additives and hopefully will not be so hungry and pig out on our evening meals.  I will do the final calculations later on at the end of the week.  I really need to get myself more organised than I am at the moment, but I will get there.  I have lots of ideas.  Watch this space.

Catch up soon.

Pattypan

xx