what do you feed your kids on activity nights?

Kapalua

The boy starts t-ball tonight...at 5:30...and since I suck at planning ahead I just realized what a cluster dinner time will be! 

shouldbworkin

If we have an early activity, I usually pack a dinner (like a sandwich) and have them eat it in the car on the way home.  If it's later, they have a sandwich before we leave and a snack before bed.  It's not gourmet, but I don't think I need to serve a hot meal every night to be a good mom.  KWIM?  They certainly don't care and seem to prefer a sandwich for dinner some nights.

StarryNight39

Welcome to my Wednesday! We usually hit BK on the way home - 5:45 since it is the only allergy friendly place for her. During the winter I did a lot of crockpot things, but that doesn't help. 

DandelionMom

Grilled cheese and canned tomato soup.

jlw2505

Depends on the time the activity starts - my fall back, no time to sit and eat meal is sandwiches we can eat in the car and some fruit.  There is a Panera right near swim class so we do that when we have time actually sit down and eat before class.

joseysbride

Chicken quesadillas are my go-to meal on crazy nights because I almost always have cubed up cooked chicken in the freezer.  C can eat it with rice cheese, and R loves them.  It's something they'll both eat and it's quick to make.  And then I always keep ziploc bags of veggies in the fridge, so I just pull those out to go with it.  I can have it ready in under 15 minutes.

docmay25

If we have time to eat at home before the activity then it is simple stuff like...grilled cheese, turkey sandwiches, peanut butter sanwichs or bagels with cream cheese.  then something easy to with it like fruit, yogurt, cheese etc.

If it is a time that we can't manage eating at home, I will pack things in their lunchboxes to eat in teh car.  Usually peanut butter sandwich is easiest in the car. then fruit, crackers, cheese stick...something easy to go with it and their sports bottle of water.

#6

I have meant to post this so many times!!

Now that my kids are older and  are all in activities...multiples ones at that, I am finding that some nights there is no time for dinner.  Yesterday the girls had dance pictures at 5pm and then we thought cheerleading sign ups at 6.  Granted we live in town and both of these are like 2 mins from our house but still right at dinner time.  We got to the place where sign ups were and as I was trying to open the door read the sign that said 4/27.  Dh had a friend text him and he gave us the wrong date.  Oh well.  So we went out since we had already told the kids and I didnt have anything planned to make.  

Im premade a meatloaf this morning that I will pop in the oven while I take the girls to sign ups.  Dh and L will stay home.  On Thursdays the girls have dance and L starts baseball some time soon.  I have no idea what night yet.  Luckily the girls dance ends in May.  Im not sure when Cheering starts/ends. I assume its during the school year and will start in the fall.  Its through the school for their football/basketball teams.  

Im going to start premaking things that can cook in about 30mins.  We also do Hotdogs on those nights because they are quick.  That and tocos.  I will fry the hamburger early and have everything pre cut and ready to go.  All I have to do is warm the meat back up and dinner is ready.  

Then there is always soup and sandwich nights.  LOVE those.  We also do subs which I pre make.    

Looking for some ideas though.  Its too $$ to go out.  It was $40 for pizza last night.  Not sure why it was so much.  Ugh.  But then its almost $30 everytime we go out to McDonalds or something similar.  We wont be doing that for a while.  Family of 5 out to eat is not cheap.   

buler23

swimming at 5:30 - it is a pasta night at our house. 

CleoKitty

Ds has started baseball and the practices are all over the place: different days of the week, different times, even different locations! There's pretty much no consistency. 

We've been doing lots of simple cold stuff that I can pack up in a small cooler and take with us: sandwiches, carrots, celery and other veggies, hummus, cheese, crackers, various fresh fruit, yogurt, pepperoni or summer sausage, olives, almonds, cold fried or grilled chicken, cold noodle dishes or pasta salad, etc. It's basically a picnic several nights a week!

shopgirl78

i wohm ft--it's generally our weekly fast food night however this past monday (dance night), i got off at 3pm and made homemade mac n cheese.  last monday we had leftover lasgna : )

shouldbworkin

Lucky*Ducky:

Looking for some ideas though.  Its too $$ to go out.  It was $40 for pizza last night.  Not sure why it was so much.  Ugh.  But then its almost $30 everytime we go out to McDonalds or something similar.  We wont be doing that for a while.  Family of 5 out to eat is not cheap.   

If you're going to pick something up anyway, you could just get a rotisserie chicken or take and bake pizza to bring home (you can pick these up on the weekend and make on activity nights too).  We have Little Ceasars here that makes $5 pizzas too, so that you don't have to cook.  I always have salad on hand, I make a big one 1-2x a week and store it in tupperware with a paper towel on top.  I also always have rice or pasta to make as a side (you can freeze both, btw) and frozen veggies.  HTH

#6

Sadly in our tiny town we have 1 pizza place (we dont count Pizza Hut because they are known to have employees doing drugs while at work, the food is nasty (probably because of the druggie employees, and they are really slow/rude)  McDonalds, Wendys, Dairy Queen, and a chinese place.  We mainly went ahead and went out because we hadnt in a while.  It is cheaper when we have them deliver because we all eat pizza.  Last night dh had a calzone and a salad and I had a Stromboli.   Even then its never been almost $40 before.    We may order pizza and have it delivered next time we really want hot fresh pizza.  No going in and ordering off the menu.  At least until I have a job again. 

I think for nights we want pizza we will be doing frozen.  They still bake pretty quick.  I do like the rotisserie chicken idea though.  Dh hates them but will get over it or I can get a bag of fried chicken as well.  I LOVE those bags of Steam and Mash potatoes in the freezer section.  They arent as good as non frozen potatoes but they are great for last minute dinners.  

 

shouldbworkin

Lucky*Ducky:

 I do like the rotisserie chicken idea though.  Dh hates them but will get over it or I can get a bag of fried chicken as well.  

They are great chopped up and mixed in with pasta, white chicken chili and burritos too.  ;-)

peekaboo716

joseysbride:

Chicken quesadillas are my go-to meal on crazy nights because I almost always have cubed up cooked chicken in the freezer.  C can eat it with rice cheese, and R loves them.  It's something they'll both eat and it's quick to make.  And then I always keep ziploc bags of veggies in the fridge, so I just pull those out to go with it.  I can have it ready in under 15 minutes.

That's our go-to meal too. Either that or breakfast for dinner.

wildfloweragain

tim horton's

BubblyToes

McDs