Ideas for meals that don't require refrigeration

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amother

Turquoise

Tue, Jan 08 2019, 12:25 pm

Looking for ideas for meals that can safely sit out of the fridge for up to 12 hours without refrigeration. DH was unfortunately injured and during recovery cannot transport things (ex food from the fridge to table). I was able to work from home for a bit to care for him but must return to the office FT in the coming days. Full-time means at least 8 hrs out, but some days up to ten or twelve hours.

I wanted to get a cooler to leave on the table but DH refuses, saying sandwiches are just fine. My binah yeseira tells me that he's saying it'll fine now, but when I'm held up at the office he'll be hangry and upset that I couldn't get home quickly enough to get him dinner. I don't want that added pressure of having to rush rush rush on top of everything else going on.

What are some meal ideas that I could put on the table and leave all day without risk of food illness? We're in a warm climate. Bonus points if they're easy to prep.

I've seen some ideas online that confuse me, like rice (can't rice develop bacteria?) or chumus. Would homemade chumus stay good all day or are they relying on the sodium in store-bought types to keep it from spoiling? Any other ideas?

ra_mom

Tue, Jan 08 2019, 12:31 pm

You can freeze sandwiches if you know he won't be eating them for 6 hours they will thaw gradually.
Rice and beans or lentils won't go bad if they sit 12 hours before eating. Same for hummus and tehina.
Whole hard eggs in their shells should be ok.
Pasta salad made without mayo is fine.

amother

Turquoise

Tue, Jan 08 2019, 12:38 pm

Thanks ra_mom! Any ideas for sandwiches?

mom!

Tue, Jan 08 2019, 12:48 pm

Any veggies should be fine, salads, roasted cut up ect
wraps with a spread
potato blintz
luckshen kugel

Raisin

Tue, Jan 08 2019, 12:51 pm

can you leave a sandwich toaster on the table that he can warm sandwiches in?

Hard cheese should be fine. Peanut butter or other nut butters. Things like tomatoes will go soggy in the bread so maybe just leave a plate of cut up veggies. you can also make a bowl of salad and leave dressing on side in a bottle. What about tuna pouches and mayo sachets that he can make his own tuna salad with?

What about leaving a slow cooker on the table with meat stew, chicken etc? Can he serve himself from that?

Raisin

Tue, Jan 08 2019, 12:52 pm

just get a small sized lunch bag with gel coolers that you can put food inside.

amother

Turquoise

Tue, Jan 08 2019, 1:03 pm

Thanks raisin! The slow cooker would be a good idea but the way our kitchen outlets are set up, moving it on the kitchen table could be unsafe. Ditto to a toaster idea.

Gel packet sounds good too but for some reason, DH is anti spending money to buy anything to keep food cool outside of the fridge (like gel packets). He thinks bread and a few nuts will be okay, but I'm unconvinced which is why I'm trying to figure out meal plans that will actually be proper meals but will still fit into his guideline of staying good on the table without any cooling/heating appliances.

amother

Turquoise

Tue, Jan 08 2019, 1:06 pm

To the posters who wrote hummus- do you think homemade will stay as well as store bought, even without the preservatives?

amother

Gray

Tue, Jan 08 2019, 1:28 pm

Honestly, those freezer things cost a $1.

Just tell him its not for him, its for you. Surely you're worth one extra dollar to make people's lives easier. He's being cranky... I vote to smile and do it anyway.

Raisin

Tue, Jan 08 2019, 1:40 pm

Say you found some at the bottom of the freezer. They are really cheap. Or freeze water bottles. He can drink the ice cold water as it defrosts.

What about an extension lead for the crockpot?

1untamedgirl

Tue, Jan 08 2019, 2:12 pm

Energy bars, chick peas (or other beans) in the can, bananas, apples, almond or peanut butter and rice cakes, muffins, cereal with small individual sized/single serve milk that doesn't need refrigeration (could be soy or almond milk), jerky, dried fruits, nut, trail mix, raisins, avocado and pretzels or crackers, tuna/salmon pouches, cut up veggies, single serve apple sauce or pudding, etc. Walk up and down the grocery store and see what items they have that can be used without refrigeration.

amother

Amber

Tue, Jan 08 2019, 2:41 pm

Meal mart meals that heat themselves.

French toast - I had a roomate who made it in the morning, but would eat it like a cookie during the day. It kept very well.

mha3484

Tue, Jan 08 2019, 2:44 pm

I once lent someone a mini fridge when their spouse had surgery so that he could keep snacks in his room. Can you ask in your neighborhood if someone can let you borrow one?

ra_mom

Tue, Jan 08 2019, 2:45 pm

amother wrote:

Thanks ra_mom! Any ideas for sandwiches?

Turkey, pastrami, tuna, cheese... All freeze well in sandwiches.

amother wrote:

To the posters who wrote hummus- do you think homemade will stay as well as store bought, even without the preservatives?

Homemade is fine.

There are shelf stable cappuccino drinks available. If you don't need cholov yisroel there are box drinks of milk too. You can leave cereal or granola and bowls.

Dried salami and beef jerky don't go bad.

Kind bars, granola bars, energy bars, whole fruit that he can peel or bite into. Cut veggies are fine.

If he wants to make his own tuna, pop top cans and individual packets of mayo don't need refrigeration.

You can bake protein muffins or any baked goods or pancakes using protein powder.

Peanut butter anx jelly are both shelf stable too and can go well with rice cakes.

Falafel balls should be fine for that amount of time.

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