On-the-Go dinners

[disneymagicgirl]

We are out of control with our eating out. Besides costing a fortune it is not heathy.
With spring sports about to start up I need a plan. What are your favorite go-to meals to take on the go? We leave as soon as the bus gets home and return btwn 7-8pm each night. My kids are still elem so that is way too late to be just cooking dinner. Please give me some ideas to keep out of the chick fil a drive thru!

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Following along....I'm in the same boat and would love some new ideas!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Following along....I'm in the same boat and would love some new ideas!

I'm guessing there are alot of us dealing with this. Hopefully someone will come along who doesn't regularly resort to chick fil a and little Caesars.

 

[jen73]

I will prepack plastic containers with whatever we are having for dinner and heat it up in the microwave before we head out to our after school activities.

Pastas travel pretty well, I do baked ziti, I've done chicken parmesan but will cut up the chicken and use more "fork-able" pasta instead of spaghetti noodles.

I also do stir fried veggies with beef or chicken
caesar salad with grilled chicken
macaroni and cheese
calzones are easy to eat (crescent dough filled with pepperoni, cheese, italian sausage or ham, salami, provolone
I've done mashed potatoes with either pot roast or meatloaf on top.

I've put together containers of fruit salad too or cut up cheeses and deli meat and given them a baggie of crackers

Like I said, I just heat them all up before I head to pick up the kids. I keep a small cooler in the car and just put it in there.

 

[davper]

Here is a possible solution for you https://onceamonthmeals.com/

Be warned, this is a pay site, but...
They give you a months worth of recipes that you can make ahead of time and store in your freezer. They give you a shopping list to buy all the ingredients. Somefood gets cooked in advance and you heat in the oven and some is prepped raw that just gets dumped into a frying pan and cooked up in 20 or 30 minutes. You spend a day pre-making all these meals and then zero time prepping when you get home.

I had the subscription for 3 months trying to get my wife to do it. She was having no part of spending all day making food.

 

[TwoMisfits]

We are out of control with our eating out. Besides costing a fortune it is not heathy.
With spring sports about to start up I need a plan. What are your favorite go-to meals to take on the go? We leave as soon as the bus gets home and return btwn 7-8pm each night. My kids are still elem so that is way too late to be just cooking dinner. Please give me some ideas to keep out of the chick fil a drive thru!

Are you looking for kid-friendly foods that are ready as you walk in your house or are you looking for ones you can eat at the game?

 

[Meglen]

Put less stress on dinner. It no longer needs to be a sit down family event. Just pack some sandwiches and chips or lunchables. Maybe pack something different for lunches if that's what they have at school. I'm a huge fan of breakfast for dinner. Cereal in the box bring some bowls and small milks and fruit. Bam dinner.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Are you looking for kid-friendly foods that are ready as you walk in your house or are you looking for ones you can eat at the game?

Eat on the go...in the car for the kid playing and at the field/ice rink for those of us watching.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Put less stress on dinner. It no longer needs to be a sit down family event. Just pack some sandwiches and chips or lunchables. Maybe pack something different for lunches if that's what they have at school. I'm a huge fan of breakfast for dinner. Cereal in the box bring some bowls and small milks and fruit. Bam dinner.

Cereal and fruit on the go is a great idea when the hubs is out of town. Thanks!

 

[Hikergirl]

When my kids were younger and all in activities we would pack a picnic dinner. Sandwiches, grilled chicken and salad or just veggies, cold pizza (homemade). I've even cooked hot dogs and put them in a thermos and brought a bag of buns to eat at the field.
It got repetitive but it was just a couple months so we survived LOL

 

[disneymagicgirl]

When my kids were younger and all in activities we would pack a picnic dinner. Sandwiches, grilled chicken and salad or just veggies, cold pizza (homemade). I've even cooked hot dogs and put them in a thermos and brought a bag of buns to eat at the field.
It got repetitive but it was just a couple months so we survived LOL

Great ideas, thank you!

 

[bababear_50]

Think summer picnic,,,,,
also google cold dinner meals

a couple of my ideas
:Homemade mini subs
:Ham and macaroni salad with cut up veggies/dip
OR 15 minute Cheese Ham Rice Broccoli
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/15-minute-cheesy-rice-ham-broccoli-50814.aspx
:Cold chicken/wraps/sauce
: Quiche/salad ,,,,but I love quiche and will eat it cold
: Cheesy Mini Meat Loaves / Mini croissants/fresh fruit/veggies
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/cheesy-mini-meatloaves-salsa-113737.aspx

Hugs Mel

 

[TwoMisfits]

If it's Chick-fil-a you're always stopping for, grill up some thin cut chicken breast at the beginning of the week (seasoned just with salt and pepper)...buy a bag of nice hamburger rolls and a bottle of ranch, BBQ, or Honey Mustard (or ketchup - whatever they put on the chicken sandwiches) - assemble onsite (so no sogging out). To go with the chicken sandwiches, make your own Chick-fil-a fruit salad before you go - chopped apples (just dip in some of the canned mandarin orange juice), canned manadarin oranges, grapes, and strawberries - separate each person's or just bring a big tupperware. Voila - Chick-Fil-A probably a whole lot cheaper.

If your kids will do other foods, I'd make a version of Rachel Ray's hot and cold sesame noodles...I'd make cold chicken satay skewers with peanut sauce (and bring some apple slices to dip in that sauce, too, since I'd make it much more peanut than thai)...I'd make chicken salad sandwiches...I'd make fish, fruit, and kid sushi...I'd make a hummus dip tray (with pita, baby carrots, cucumber)...I'd make yogurt, fresh fruit, granola, and nut parfaits...I'd make cold fried chicken tenders with coleslaw and watermelon...I'd make pasta salad 100 ways (but especially the way my kids would eat - pepperoni, mozzarella, tomatoes, roasted peppers, etc)...I'd make Panzanella or Caprese Salad...I'd make a million soup and sandwiches (like Cold Mango Soup with Kiwi/Strawberry Floaters and a Nutella/Strawberry Sandwich)...

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Wow, great ideas! I knew my budget board peeps would come to the rescue!!
I’m adding all these to a list so I can rotate them out until we get through spring sports!

 

[usnuzuloose]

Do you go home before sporting events start? If so you can always throw a meal in the crockpot and put in containers for on the go.

 

[Southernmiss]

We cook on weekends to be ready for the week. Package the food in grabbable one serving portions and pop in the microwave.

I called these mom's happy meals.

Cook 2 meals on off nights mid week. Tonight dh cooked spaghetti and grilled steak. Add a salad or bread and,we're reafy for practice tomorrow night.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Do you go home before sporting events start? If so you can always throw a meal in the crockpot and put in containers for on the go.

Yes I am a sahm so I can def do this. I just need to get organized andmplan it ahead.

 

[wendow]

I am a SAHM who runs every evening M-TR also! We never eat out. I won't say it's easy but we take meals on the road or to our events.

I use my crockpot a lot and have been known to pack individual dinners of whatever is in the crockpot. Some kids were eating beans, sausage and rice on the way to church tonight Besides the normal dinner ideas, I've done sandwiches, burgers (love my George Foreman!), hot dogs, homemade pizza, breakfast burritos, bean burritos, egg salad, chicken nuggets...It's not always super healthy but it's better than eating out!...My kids are big eaters at dinner so cereal would not fly with them but I'd be fine with it. My kids usually end up needing a snack once we get home at 7, 8 or 9pm but that is fine. Make a piece of toast with peanut or almond butter, belly is filled, off to bed you go

ETA: I do meal plan. I have to. Otherwise, I simply could not make this work.

 

[barkley]

stuffed hot sandwiches-get 12" soft French bread loaves (unsliced), cut each into 2 6" sections. hollow each out (save the 'guts' for breadcrumbs) and fill with pasta sauce and mini meatballs (I get the bags of frozen premade). these can also be filled with other favorites-bbq beef/chicken/pork, or items that can be spooned out-like thick stews or chili. it's kind of a spin on the bread bowl concept.

smothered baked potatos-prebake potatos, put them into individual containers and top w/chili, chicken & gravy or whatever other warm toppings you enjoy.

my son wouldn't eat meatloaf to save his life but he would eat meatballs so I made meatloaf but tweeked the recipie to include Italian seasonings. I took the 'meatball loaf' and instead of putting catsup on the bread used marinara. fast, easy, filling sandwich to eat on the go.

shake and bake your brains out!!!! watch for a good sale on drumsticks and stock up-then do up a big batch to eat on the go.

I will make one suggestion for 'eating out' but it's because I don't think the price can be beaten if a family likes multiple toppings on a pizza (all that stuff adds up quickly when purchased individually)-papa murphy's $10 Tuesdays. those large pizzas can feed several people, and if Tuesday isn't one of your nights running around you can always purchase one and bake it later in the week (they do fine sitting in the fridge till baked).

 

[unrequited23]

When we are crunched for time, I do snack plates--cheese cubes, nuts, berries/cut up fruit, baby carrots and some sort of carb-crackers, pretzels, goldfish.