Probably stupid question about packed lunches

[RubaiyatOfAnyone]

Okay, i know i’m probably just being dim here but...
I have to make pack lunches for dd every day. Ham (nitrate free for those about to say ham shouldn’t be given to children) says on the packet it should be used within 3 or 2 days of opening (depends on brand). This means i always end up throwing loads away. Is there any alternative? I don’t want just do cheese sandwiches everyday, as i’m sure she’d get sick of it. What does everybody else do?

Should have added - i’m veggie, so can’t use up the excess ham, and i’ve been told that children shouldn’t have very much quorn so try and minimise that to a couple of evening meals a week, so can’t use the ham substitutes in lunches.

The ham will be fine for all five days if she wants ham every day.

If you are vegetarian - why are you feeding your DD meat?

I eat ham that's open long after the recommended time. As long as it smells okay and isn't dried out it'll be fine to use

If you are vegetarian - why are you feeding your DD meat? Because she very sensibly isn't pushing her lifestyle choice onto her child.

Ham will be fine for 5 days in a fridge. Its only goes off when it goes hard at the edges.

Just freeze the ham in indiduval sliced and take one out when you need iyt

I make a week of sandwiches and put them in the fridge. They stay ok 🙂

It’ll honestly be fine for longer than three days. I have one kid that has ham every day and one kid that refuses .

Alternatively, use a bit more in the sandwich so you’re using it up quicker!

I’ve definitely missed something along the lines here - what’s the ham/nitrate issue all about, if anyone can help (genuine question)? We don’t have it very often here but feeling a bit dim that I’ve not been aware. Sorry for the derail.

Ooh, i had no idea you could freeze it! That will be a game changer.

I have to confess that not having eaten meat for 20 years i’m paranoid about “getting it wrong” and poisoning someone, hence the sticking religiously to the packet instructions. If you are all saying you’ve eaten it beyond that and lived to tell the tale, i might loosen up a bit.

Re feeding dd meat - it is up to her. She knows what meat is, and at the moment is happy to eat it, so i get it for her. We eat vegetarian at home, and i wouldn’t be surprised if she changes her mind in a few years, but for now it is what it is.

@LookImAHooman there was a thread recently that mentioned ham sandwiches and there was wall to wall pearl clutching at giving children preserved meat because it is not recommended. The conclusion seemed to be that it was the preservatives that made it bad, not anything in the meat itself, so nitrate-free solved the problem. I believe it also says something about outdoor-reared on the packet, so a bit better livestock conditions hopefully too.

Ham will be fine in the fridge for the week, absolutely fine. If you cook a gammon it lasts that long so ham is no different.

Ruabaiyat Thanks, I see. I’ll look out for nitrate-free when we do next buy some, then. Can’t hurt.

Though we tend to buy the ‘naice’ stuff purely as it is of course more processed so hopefully it’ll have been the same.

I always put the packet of ham into a ziplock bag (squeeze the air out) once opened. This stops it drying out and tasting 'fridgey'!

If you are vegetarian - why are you feeding your DD meat?

That must win oddest question this year award.

Why do you think?

As an American I often had peanut butter and jelly (jam) sandwiches in my lunchbox. They were good. I think I'll have one right now! :)

Tinned tuna, with mayo generally.

Cream cheese.
Egg mayo

Sainsbury’s do very small snack pack ham. They may be better.

Grate an egg, mix with mayonnaise and cress.
Grated cheese with mayonnaise and spring onion.
Tuna mayonnaise. A small tin does two sandwiches.

Could you buy one or two slices of ham from the butcher/deli counter and just make ham sandwiches one or two days.

I’ve been worried about ham dates, probably unecessarily. Often I boil up a corned beef and slice it thinly for school sandwiches, I know that lasts far longer in the fridge. It’s barely even a ‘recipe’ to simmer it with an onion, some cloves. Then leave it to cool in the water. Don’t know if a vegetarian could manage that, but it’s safer and cheaper too. Cut it as thin as you can with a serrated knife.

I don't eat meat but Dp has meat on his sandwich for work.

He actually recently changed to ham specifically because it tends to last better from Monday until Friday rather than a few of the other meats which while still safe to eat had started to go a bit odd texture wise.

He probably wouldn't push it much more than the Friday. We buy just enough to cover what he needs (he has decided on the exact amount he likes in his sandwich now) so it always gets used with no leftovers.

Cooled meats last for ages in the fridge.

I'd say do the smell test but I think that ham already smells like farts as soon as you open the packet lol.

If you wanted to mix it up a bit you could always do something like coronation chicken, tuna mayo, Hummus and olives, turkey and salad etc.

If she wants ham every day though then that packet will last just fine.

*cooked meats ffs