Cooler Food Ideas

[Sunshineminnie]

Well, we are officially going to hit a crazy couple of months at our house. My son is starting his middle school basketball season, he plays twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays. My daughter is playing in high school, she'll play on Tuesdays and Fridays. We will be in the gym four nights a week! Yikes!

This will be our first time with four nights a week and I am desperate to find some alternatives for our dinners. Concession stand food gets costly, gets redundant and usually is junk.

Fast food same as above and some of the towns we play in don't have any restaurants.

So typically I pack a cooler with wraps (meat and cheese), some fruit and something like a granola bar. I gotta tell you, it's getting old. I've noticed that the kids aren't always eating it anymore. I just can't imagine eating this way 4 nights a week for the next two months! HELP PLEASE!

What I am looking for is creative things to throw in the cooler for after the games. Any ideas are welcome! What I am looking for is, easy to eat in the car, economical, on the light side, and appetizing.

If anyone out there has any ideas, we'd love to hear them! My family and I will be forever grateful!

 

[prncess674]

I would look at
-salads with nice lean protein on top such as diced chicken, turkey and hard boiled eggs.
-Pasta salads
-Hummus on pita bread
-soup in a thermos
-Hot dogs in a thermos (to keep warm) then bring the fixins separate
-We love cold pizza

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

The hot dog in the thermos idea got me thinking.........

You can buy "electric 12 volt coolers" that not only cool, but can keep things warm as well.

You could pre-cook something and put it straight in the "warm" cooler.

Now this is not something that should sit around for 10 hours, but when combined with other foods, it might seem a little more substantial than always having cold food.

Pizza slices, spaghetti, lasagna (from frozen), pre-toasted bread, are all things that come to mind that are simple and tasty when warm.

 

[Carina]

Home meade hearty soups, chili or stews kept warm in a thermos - with buns ect - we serve these in cups not bowls to decrease the odds of spilling

Chicken Ceasar wraps.

We too have done hot dogs weiners in a thermos (common lunch or dinner when we go skiiing)

My kids get very sandwiched out, they also get tired of cold food - so to me the trick would be 'warm' food.

Also how long is the ride home, if these are all after the game ideas - why not have dinner ready in a crock pot when you get home?

GL

 

[DisGeebs]

Chili or soup in thermoses. You could have corn bread and still have cheese and sour cream.
you could have salads with left over cooked chicken or steaks. ... try a salad with steak and strawberries... very yummy.
meatball subs... something a little different than cold cuts.

 

[Sunshineminnie]

Thanks for all of the ideas already! They have started my brain thinking more outside of the box.

Although I love the ideas, I am trying to avoid soups and things. Very often the games end after nine. The kids will be more than likely eating on the way home. I think that salads and chili type foods would work, but probably not soups.

Love the idea of cornbread and such.

Carina - usually the rides are around 45min to an hour. Sometimes we don't get home until after 10. Then showers and bed. Wow, I'm getting tired just thinking about all of this! Hopefully the middle school games won't go as late. I can't remember when my DD played what time we would get home. Hopefully we'll have some home games that we can be home early enough to eat at home.

 

[Sunshineminnie]

Does anyone have a good recommendation for a food warmer cooler? Or a thermos that you've really liked? (preferably one that could go into the dishwasher?)

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

I entered electric cooler at amazon.com and a whole bunch showed up. Only some of the models also warm things. They are not cheap, but if it keeps the family happy for a couple of months, it may be worth it. It will still be cheaper than concession food! Good luck!

 

[britfish]

We are going to be in the same boat two nights a week with DD's gymnastic practice. Last session it was one night a week so we would do fast food or sanwiches however DD is not a big sandwich eater so she wouldn't end up eating much at all. I'm going to keep an eye on this for some ideas!

 

[kiddisney]

hi - just got over that time frame (daughter was volleyball/bball/softball & son came two years later with football/bball/track and i had a baby in tow) - we did a lot of crock-pot & on double game days - soups and stews are warm after the game - and on alternate nights we would have yogurts & cheese/crackers celery/carrots in the gym (no snack stand in gym)

 

[OceanAnnie]

Do you have a hot/cold bag? I love ours. I have a few.

Taquitos are really good. You can get them pre-made or make them yourself. They are beef and cheese or chicken and cheese wrapped in tortillas. Zap them in the microwave, wrap them in foil and put them in a hot bag. Portable and tasty.

You could probably do the same thing with sloppy joes and BBQ too.

Oh, I've seen pancakes wrapped around sausage too. I think I'd have to have some syrup, but it's a neat idea.

That made me think of quiche. That's really portable easy to prepare too. Lots of things you can do with it, add different meats and veggies.

 

[GAGirlInVA]

I'd mix up the types of sandwiches.

Also, some times we have "self serve" lunches. Yogurts, hard boiled eggs, carrot sticks, olives, cucumber sticks, peanut butter and crackers, etc.

I'd probably do a different theme on different days, so that they got variety.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Cold tuna salad with pasta.

 

[pezheadmeg]

I'm not a sports mom, but I work evenings for weeks at a time. Sandwiches for dinner get old after the first week.

My recent stint has been a lot of cold pasta. I'm turning more to ravioli and tortellni. I use both as a pasta salad base to get more protein in. Plus most marinated chicken can be eaten at room temperature.

I've on more than one ocassion made a quesadilla before going into work to eat cold later on. Just have to remove the ice pack an hour or so ahead of time.

 

[HeatherC]

I feel your pain! We have three kids playing on five basketball teams so it is the same story.

What I do is a lot of crockpot stuff that we eat beforehand.

Also...cold fried chicken the kids love. Also cold grilled meats with some fresh bread and cheese are favorites. Couscous salad is another one I do in tupperware containers.

Fruit salad is another option.

I also stock up on fiber plus and atkins bars along with some peanut crackers. Also some homemade snack granola...use cereal, raisins, nuts, mini chocolate chips, etc.

Hope this gives you some ideas!

 

[englishteacha]

Do you have to be there for both the JV and Varsity games? Here (rural area) the JV team usually plays first (or the younger team if it's 7th/8th grade), then the Varsity team. The team and their families don't usually have to attend the other team's game. So if your son plays JV, he probably only has to attend the JV game, and then, if you are attending, you can take him home. Just something to check with the coaches about. Your entire family structure shouldn't have to change 4 days a week just because your two kids play b-ball!

In regards to food, stuff you can keep warm in a Thermos sounds like what I'd do. Chili, hot dogs and beans, even pasta with sauce will stay warm in a Thermos. Oh, mac and cheese, too (but I don't like mac and cheese, so it didn't immediately come to mind.)

 

[Sunshineminnie]

Do you have to be there for both the JV and Varsity games? Here (rural area) the JV team usually plays first (or the younger team if it's 7th/8th grade), then the Varsity team. The team and their families don't usually have to attend the other team's game. So if your son plays JV, he probably only has to attend the JV game, and then, if you are attending, you can take him home. Just something to check with the coaches about. Your entire family structure shouldn't have to change 4 days a week just because your two kids play b-ball!

In regards to food, stuff you can keep warm in a Thermos sounds like what I'd do. Chili, hot dogs and beans, even pasta with sauce will stay warm in a Thermos. Oh, mac and cheese, too (but I don't like mac and cheese, so it didn't immediately come to mind.)

Yep, the kids are allowed 6 quarters a night, so both kids play on both teams!:good vibes It sure is going to be a crazy couple of months. Thanks for the ideas!

 

[nilseks]

Love all the ideas! I hope people keep them coming. My oldest plays travel baseball (as in, travel and often stay in hotels) and the season is coming up so I need ways to keep things CHEAP as we travel! Always looking for new things to put in the cooler.

 

[Ms. Heimlich]

You can use a regular "cooler" as a warmer. Just heat up bricks wrapped in foil in the oven for about 30-45 min at ~400 or so.

Put the foil-bricks in the bottom of the cooler, cover with a dish towel and stack food containers in it. Then cover the whole thing in another dish towel.

It will stay warm for HOURS.

- a fellow sports mom AKA Ms. H

p.s. I know this sounds WEIRD but I got sick SICK SiCk of eating out/cold food while my DD was playing sports. I HAD to come up with something or go crazy.

 

[Sunshineminnie]

You can use a regular "cooler" as a warmer. Just heat up bricks wrapped in foil in the oven for about 30-45 min at ~400 or so.

Put the foil-bricks in the bottom of the cooler, cover with a dish towel and stack food containers in it. Then cover the whole thing in another dish towel.

It will stay warm for HOURS.

- a fellow sports mom AKA Ms. H

p.s. I know this sounds WEIRD but I got sick SICK SiCk of eating out/cold food while my DD was playing sports. I HAD to come up with something or go crazy.

Wow, never heard of that before! I'll have to give it a try! Thanks!