Parents So how do you handle dinners with late practices?

[tarheel618]

Last year we practiced from 4:30-7:30 and got home about 8:15. The girls go directly to the gym right afterschool so they don't get to come home first but do go to my husband's work for about 40 minutes before practice (he picks them up after school and drops them off at practice). During this time, the girls work on homework etc.

Last year, I would pack snacks/dinner for the girls to eat before practice and then they would eat again/snack when they got home.

I need some ideas on what others do for snacks/early dinners. I felt like I kept doing the same things over again and quite honestly it became such an extra job to pack dinner every day as well as their school lunch.

So how does this work for you?

 

[Ali'sMom]

I'm interested in this too.
Last year, DD went tues/thur 3:50-6:50, so it wasn't bad.
She's about to start 5:10-8:10 4 weeknights...
Out of school at 4:00, she'll go to my mom's until 5:00 (hopefully work on homework! too) and have something to eat, then eat again when she gets home at 8:20.

I'd love some quick, easy, somewhat healthy things she can eat right before going to the gym. All recommendations accepted

 

[lovemygymnast]

I need some ideas too! DD was done last year at 6:15, so that was awesome! This year it's 8:15. I'm really sad she won't be with us for meals those nights.

 

[LJL07]

Me too! And how do you manage cooking meals with these schedules??

 

[gwenmom]

Crock pot meals are great.

 

[lovemygymnast]

Since I have 3 in constant activities, the crockpot is definitely my helper!! But with her being at gym those nights, and being super picky, I just can't think of many things that's healthy and good.

 

[cbifoja]

I just accept the suckiness of the situation and we eat a lot of "whatever is quick and easy" during the week: spaghetti, tacos, breakfast, and unfortunately fast food.

I can't even do crockpots because seriously, how many 14 hour crock pot recipes are there? LOL

 

[tarheel618]

Yeah I use the crockpot a lot, as well as freeze ahead dinners but I'm looking for ideas for dinner ideas that the girls can eat before practice other than sandwitches and soups.

 

[gymbeam]

I have photos of a bunch of the lunches I pack for school. (I'll share the link at the end of this post.) You may find some inspiration looking through them.

On my current to-do list is batch cooking some freezer meals in individual servings. I've pinned some recipes using muffin tins for this such as: mini meat loafs, mini lasagnas & mini quiches. I've also pinned some recipes for different types of meatballs. For example, one used stuffing and turkey and cranberry sauce baked into a bite-sized ball, one had spinach and bacon, etc.

Freezing in little individual portions would be perfect for just throwing in a lunch box and thawing by dinner time. Most seem like they would even be good at room temp so wouldn't require heating necessarily.

Here's that link http://s74.photobucket.com/user/onemommytoanother/library/Lunch Box Photos

 

[tarheel618]

Great gymbeam, I will check it out.

What is the container you are using?

 

[Max]

We call it crockpot surprise in our house I throw frozen meat in there this way you can cook it longer, broth from the pantry, spices, cans of whatever from the pantry. Mix with rice or noodles when the girls get home they love it. The left overs make mini pot pies the next nights with store bought pie dough.

 

[COz]

Gymbeam: My goodness that's disturbingly organised and impressive!

I've been getting Lebanese flat bread (not sure what it's called elsewhere), the round flat bread used for wraps and I've found some that had about a 6" diameter. I pop this in the microwave, flat, with some mozarella cheese on top and cooked shredded or minced chicken on top of that. 30 seconds in the microwave then I roll it up whilst it's warm. Let it cool and it stays in a wrap shape. Easier to eat in the car than sandwiches for little hands. I freeze them too.

 

[Max]

I should be clear this is my crockpot not their lunch box hee hee

 

[gymbeam]

its a ziploc brand divided container. i love it because it doesn't leak- not even between the individual sections.
Here's a link to a box of six on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HXCNQMW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[gymbeam]

Gymbeam: My goodness that's disturbingly organised and impressive!

I've been getting Lebanese flat bread (not sure what it's called elsewhere), the round flat bread used for wraps and I've found some that had about a 6" diameter. I pop this in the microwave, flat, with some mozarella cheese on top and cooked shredded or minced chicken on top of that. 30 seconds in the microwave then I roll it up whilst it's warm. Let it cool and it stays in a wrap shape. Easier to eat in the car than sandwiches for little hands. I freeze them too.

LOL! I make up for it by having other areas of my life disturbingly unorganized!

 

[UpsideDown]

DD is at practice until 8:30. I usually just heat up the meal the family ate at our normal dinner time using the toaster oven or stove top. Other days I make her eggs or something quick.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

A lot of crockpot meals here too. My biggest pet peeve is finding a crockpot recipe that looks yummy and then have it say "add this or that 20 min before serving"... Well if I was THERE 20min before serving that would work, lol! We need it ready when we walk in the door. I have taken to preparing a meal and then refrigerate it, having everyone heat up the "leftovers" as they arrive home.
I always feed the kids a small meal in the car on the way to dance/gym because we go straight from school and are gone until 7:30 at the earliest, 9:30 at the latest. On the really late days I bring something microwaveable for my gymmie and she eats at the dance studio after gym, my older DD packs several little quick snacks as she has but a minute or two between classes and then she eats something either in the car heading home or as soon as we walk in the door. My poor husband gets the short end of the stick... We really only sit down together for meals in the weekends, and during comp season....we are usually gone for weekends

 

[Iwannabemargo]

mine eats lots of pasta, her fav at the mo is pasta with tomato, chorizo and basil, taakes 20 mins start to table and most of that is cooking the pasta. When she is at gym all day she takes pies to eat in her break, and cooked chicken - she loves chicken

 

[my4buffaloes]

We did a snack before, a snack during and a dinner after. When I drove the carpool I packed a big bucket of individual snacks for the girls to choose from. Pretzels, animal crackers, fruit leather, granola bars, etc. I also threw in whatever fruit I had on hand as well as a cooler with yogurt and string cheese. It ended up varying every week based on what was on sale or what I bought at the store that week. So it didn't get boring and the girls liked to be able to pick out whatever they wanted that day. Plus it was easy to store and transport. And they really liked it when the snack bucket was still in the car on the way home because they were hungry!!! Basically devoured whatever was left at that point. LOL

 

[mobeans]

My kids get out of school at 2:20 so I pick them up on gym days and we eat dinner at 3! I know it sounds early but they would be either eating a HUGE snack and a very very late dinner (8:30 and that is their bedtime) or a lite early dinner and a snack for the car ride home.

If I had to pack dinner I would be putting all natural/organic chicken nuggets, hot dog, leftovers (my kids love pasta w chicken, spaghetti, soup, etc). I'd aim for a protein, carb, and a fruit or vegetable.