This soccer schedule is crazy. I am at the field every night of the week plus saturday mornings! Between games and practice I have alot of evenings that I am at soccer from 5-8 PM... I leave house by 4:30 and not home until atleast 8:30 (which is actually my girls bedtime) my kids don't get home from school until 4 so when do we eat??? At the soccer field (in shifts) of course.
I don't like eating out every night (or every other as this week is leading to) but don't plan well for food on the go so any ideas would be great. I am looking for at least 2 meals a week to eat at the field (even in the car) that 3 kids will love- still nutritious and tasty. Any and all ideas welcomed and appreciated! Pile me up cuz I have 6 more weeks of soccer (then starts baseball/teeball) so I need them for like 3 months!
Thanks moms you r the best!
Thanks for all the suggestions - you really got the juices flowing and I think I have pretty much every evening meal planned for at least a month. Some are simple picnic of sandwiches and all the fixins and others are actually meals. Many I already make and just didn't think I could bring them with us to the game/practice!
My kids like pita pizzas. Split the pita as if you were making a sandwich, the add 2-3 Tbs of pizza sauce, veggies or meats of choice, and finish with cheese. Bake it on a foil lined pan (or pizza stone) for a crisper pita, or microwave for a few seconds, to heat through and melt the cheese. Can be eaten hot or cold.
My son also likes to take peanut butter and apple sandwiches for school lunch.
Good luck!
Here's a recipe to help you out. Have a wonderful day!:-)
Southwest Roll-ups (makes 16 roll-ups)
2 cans refried beans
1/2 cup salsa
2-4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
16 tortillas
Mix together beans, salsa, and chicken. Spread 1/8 of mixture onto one tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and turn ends under. Stick in a freezer bag or in a 9×13 baking pan and freeze. When ready to bake, thaw and bake in a pre-heated 350 degrees oven for 20-30 minutes until heated through. Sprinkle with more shredded Cheddar cheese, if desired. Serve with salsa. (Can be individually wrapped in foil to make them more portable)
Don't forget the simple things like boiled eggs, nuts, string cheese, etc. Think about protein and fruits and vegetables. Veggies and dip, turkey wrapped around a piece of string cheese and/or lettuce and a wrap, if you choose.
These things are NECESSARY for good energy and performance, too. Make sure there's plenty of WATER, too, vs. high fructose corn syrup drinks and/or sodas. NOT at all healthy and NOT good for performance.
What about a pasta salad as one option? Add chopped up veggies meat and cheeses. Then your favorite salad dressing. I use house italian. And everyone loves it! Of course theres the good old sandwich :) Or tortilla roll ups. Fruit salad, chicken or ham salad with bread. Premake pizzas to take in the car too. Fruit cups are a good side dish too.
Make sack suppers (like a brown bag lunch). You can eat in the car or at the park. We have 5 children, 4 of whom play baseball/teeball and soccer. I sooo know what you mean.
We make runza wraps (using tortillas to wrap them instead of making the dough), burritos (similar to taco bell, but healthier), soft tacos, pizza pockets, wraps, subs/sandwiches, corn dogs (I prefer homemade when I can to make them lower in fat), chicken nuggets or strips (we skip the dipping sauce). Sides are fresh veggies and fruit (we try to mix it up depending on what's on sale, but we do use a lot of baby carrots and apples). I hope this helps a little. I soooo know where you are coming from!
Sandwiches, carrot sticks, apples. Even cheese and crackers. Or a boiled egg.
if you have time to cook, there is no reason you can't just make a "regular" meal, earlier. We do this all the time, and did growing up too, cuz i get real tired of sandwiches. When the food is made, just pack it in plate-portions. There are some tupperware type containers that are like plates with lids. then just wrap them in towels or something to keep them warm. Each person can have a plate when they are ready to eat. The meals could be planned as if you were eating at home this way.
I am a soccer mom as well and my crockpot is my best helper for family meals on busy nights, but the secret to loving the crockpot is crockpot liners. You can get them at most grocery stores. Use them and you'll never scrub a crockpot again. I use the crockpot to make and take chili, taco or burrito meat and/or beans, soup, sloppy joes, beef stew, hot dogs, pre-cooked burgers, fried rice or noodles to keep them warm, beanie weenies, and my kids favorite, steak hoagies in pizza sauce. You can pack a small cooler with all of the accessories and some drinks and you are a mobile picnic. Good luck and enjoy!
Here's our favorite - a banana wrap: whole wheat tortilla shell, spread peanut butter on it, slice up a 1/2 banana on it, drizzle with a tiny bit of honey. Easy, can be made ahead of time & healthy!
Keep fresh fruits & veggies washed and/or cut up so they can be easily packed & eaten.
Snacks like chips, crackers & cheese, granola bars, dried fruits...keep a variety so you get good nutrition & enjoy eating on the field every evening. =)
Sandwiches are always a good "picnic" type of thing, sliced fresh veggies and fruits usually do well in coolers too. A good idea would be for you to take a peek at your local deli, look at what they offer and see what you can duplicate at home. Enjoy!
crock pot meals are great. There are even adaptors so you can plug your crock pot in to the car. A great cook book is fix it and forget it.
