WAG Dinner Trouble

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j5flip

Gymnast
As a gymnast, we spend half our lives in the gym. And with a 40 minute drive each way, I find myself not eating very well because I grab what is quickest. So does anyone out there have any advice? What do you eat for lunch? What do you normally eat after practice? Or parents, what do you give your kids? And as far as snacks go, I'm looking for some new ideas. I'm tired of always having the same thing! Thanks for the help!
 
We have to head to the gym straight from school and don't get home until after my kids are supposed to be in bed. As a result I pack their after school snack, during practice snack and dinner. Things I pack include: greek yogurt, fruit, raw veggies (bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots are our norms), fruits (oranges, apples, berries), "wraps" (use a tortilla, then fill it with various things - turkey pepperoni, sliced cheese, sandwich meat, peanut butter, etc), sandwiches, soup in a thermos, cold pizza, crackers and cheese, pretzels with peanut butter, protein granola bars, etc. Between 3 kids and the two snacks and dinner, I often have all of this packed for a single day!
 
I pack sushi sometimes for my daughter to have 'car dinner' on her way home from training. It's the perfect gym finger food meal - some protein, some carbohydrate, some vegies, and yummy if you like that sort of thing.
 
I have practice from 3:30-8:30 for 3 nights out of the week. (The other days are shorter practices.) So on those days my mom comes to the gym at 6 and brings me dinner to make it through the last 2 1/2 hours of practice. My coach lets us have a "dinner break". She usually makes something with vegetables and meat or healthy like that. Sometimes pasta but my coach is encouraging less carbs and more protein. But it's always a meal--not just a snack.
 
My daughter loves "meat sticks" from Whole Foods-I can't remember the brand but they are all natural or organic like beef jerky. She also likes hard boiled eggs, granola bars, pretzels, Cliff Kids fruit ropes, carrot sticks, apples, etc. For lunch she normally eats a ham sandwich or sunbutter sandwich along with crackers, mini muffins, and a fruit or veggie. After practice she will often eat dry cereal in the car such as Cheerios or other cereal from Whole Foods.

Dinners - so many options. Spaghetti, chicken dishes, meat dishes, always served w/ a steamed veggie or salad. Another favorite is breakfast--scrambled eggs, pancakes, fruit, and organic sausage links.
 
I've been using my crackpot more for dinners. Google "frozen crockpot meals" and you'll find recipes you can make ahead of time, freeze in a gallon bag, and then throw in the crockpot in the AM and cook on low all day. There's lots of recipes, but the best ones tend to be the "classic" crockpot recipes such as soups, stews, chilli, pulled pork or chicken, etc. When I don't force myself to be disciplined about meal planning, grocery shopping, etc. we start to fall into a pizza delivery/prepared grocery store meal pattern which is not good for our bodies or our bank account. And meals in the crockpot are hot meals for everyone, even if everyone eats at a different time.
 
I make my own Pizza. On Tuesdays we take another little girl to gym so she comes over and has tea with us. We get in at 3.45 and leave at 4.30 so its a rush.

I make the Pizzas at the weekend - just a simple bread dough, tomato sauce and whatever they like on top and pop them in the freezer. This morning I popped the frozen pizzas in the fridge before work and when I get home from school they go straight in the oven.

I also do a lot of pasta, Carbonara, bolognaise, plain tomato sauce with chorizo or meatballs, chicken, rice, anything I can prepare before hand and takes either less than 20 mins to cook from fridge to table or can just be heated up.
 
I do two dinners for my little girl, one before and one after. Each of these is a real healthy meal that I prep in advance and bring for her to eat in the car. Her favorite lately for after is BLT sandwiches. Because we are vegetarian, it's veggie bacon in there so is not actually bad for you in terms of saturated fat. I realize that not all parents can do this because of work schedules. I like the crock pot idea. If you crock it the night before, you can put it in a good-quality metal thermos in the morning and it will still be warm by afternoon.
 
We do an after school snack with protein, fruit, veg, milk, and carbs ... so I guess that would be a full meal, lol. Tends to be pizza rolls (if cheese pizza rolls, then also a hard boiled egg or poached chicken breast), tangerine or banana or grapes or frozen strawberries, baby carrots and ranch, and a glass of milk. We have about 45 minutes from when they get here til we leave. If it is less, then we take it in the car (my brother hates this, but I want them to have food). Then, they get a 7 minute munchie break at the gym: grapes and a granola bar or stila bites or trail mix (have to be careful though because of nut allergies in the gym- the one girl with allergies last time YG brought in trail mix "Does that have nuts in it?!? I do NOT want to go to the hospital AGAIN!!!" Of course, I make the trail mix with ingredients from the Amish Store and there are no nuts in it at all. Sometimes, I throw the stila bites into the trail mix.)
On the way home, it is a PB&J (which is left in the car during practice) more fruit- usually grapes or a banana, and cucumber slices or more baby carrots.
If we are being very bad, its McD and cookies or cereal bars.
 
Dd has to go straight to gym from school and doesn't get home until 8:30 or 7:30(depending on day). I feed her a large snack/small meal in the car on the way to gym, and on most days I use the crockpot to make sure there is a dinner ready whenever people get home (my husband, gymmie, dancing daughter and I all arrive home at different points in the evening).
 
My mom buys packets of pasta from trader hoes that you can stick in the microwave for 2 min and there done and that's what I normally eat for dinner, lunch just depends on what's in the house, but normally lunch is just a bunch of snacks through out The day at gym we have cubby things and you can keep a box with food in it or you can just put food in your gym bag like granola bars or apple sause
 

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