Parents So how do you handle dinners with late practices?

[jessmomto2]

My little doesn't have long practices but I have night classes and two kids in activities so we are on the go during dinner time a lot. We use goodbyn bento boxes for lunches and dinners. My kids eat a lot of sandwiches which luckily they don't mind. Other thing I do on those days we are in the car for dinner are salads, pizza, pizza made similar to cinnamon rolls in shape with them rolled and baked in a round pan. I do veggie burgers, lentil sloppy joes, mini pancakes, burritos as well. We are vegetarian so it's difficult to eat out at all so I just have to cook the night before. We also do a veggie and fruit with the main course.

 

[gymbeam]

jessmom, can you tell me more about the pizza spiral recipe? thanks!

 

[MaryA]

You know, this may not be the answer you're looking for but we just wing it. Sometimes those of us who are home eat together and DD eats when she gets home. Sometimes each person just eats something when he/she is hungry. Sometimes we wait and eat with her. Sometimes one of us will cook, and sometimes we just scrounge leftovers. I love using the crockpot but sometimes I am not capable of doing the advanced planning that requires. We rarely get fast-food because we carpool home from the gym, so stopping would require feeding everyone in the car, but we do order pizza on occasion. We go through stages where we manage to cook healthy, balanced meals on most nights and other stages where most of our meals come from the freezer section of Trader Joe's. And I know it's not the best thing, but dinner is usually in front of the TV. We've all had a long, busy day. The groceries or the school project or whatever is all over the dining room table and we are all happy in front of the TV. Just thought I'd speak up for all of us under-achievers out there!

 

[htimcj]

We almost always eat together but just eat late. 8:30-8:45. To help get it on the table faster DH pick DD up from gym and I go home and start dinner so that it is ready when they get back. We do crockpots and freeze dinners that I have made a lot of the time. She also has a snack ( almost full meal) before gym and a smoothy for break. Seems to work pretty well.

 

[htimcj]

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

I love the idea of single serving meals!

 

[OwlGalLiz]

Thanks for asking this question, and for all the ideas. DS is going to a STEM school with a half hour commute, so breakfast will be on the go. Naturally, gymnastics is a half hour commute from home in the other direction with practice ending 730 ish (boys get some "get the wiggles out" time). They do get a dinner break during practice. By the time we get home it is bedtime. So this gives me some great ideas!

 

[Committed]

Last year, we all just ate together at 8:00pm when everyone was home. However....... I ended up gaining 5 lbs because of it. Not only was I snacking like crazy at 3:30, but I would just sit on my booty after dinner because it was almost bed time!

This year, Im going to have to send dinner with DD to eat at "snack time" and then maybe finish on the car ride home. We'll do family dinners the other nights of the week.

 

[Pea'sMom]

We've been dealing with this for a while. Pea practices until 9! We always eat dinner on gym nights (four out of five school nights) at 4:30. We don't do after school snacks so they are more inclined to eat the actual meal. I know this option won't work for everyone, but I teach, so I'm home in enough time to whip something up. Pea will pack heathy snacks for the ride home and DS will usually have a yogurt and fruit later.
@gymbeam those look like what I use for the kids lunches, both mine do better with variety of things to eat. Never thought to pack snacks in it, that might be a good option!

 

[jessmomto2]

http://simpleasthatblog.com/2013/03/pizza-buns-a-simple-school-lunch-solution.html Here is the recipe for the pizza rolls gymbeam I buy dough from a local bread shop and just have to add the toppings and cook it's such a fast and easy thing to make and my kids love them.

 

[JMACAZ]

Great thread! My DD is out of school at 3p, we will hang out and start homework and then head to gym at 4p. She is done at 8p. I will give her a protein packed snack at 330p, she can eat some carbs at practice and then dinner will either be in the car on the way home if she still has homework. If not I will reheat what we ate. One night a week older DD has practice at one gym at 4 and younger DD starts at 5p at another gym. There will be fast food and I am not going to feel guilty about it. ....

 

[motigymnasticsmom]

During school dd eats about every two hours. Teachers are pretty tolerant, and she can have snack in the classroom. She eats something when she come home on the bus. Her favorite after school food is stuffed parantha. It's a wheat bread, rolled, put whatever vegetable or meat, seal it up, and cook it on a flat pan. She has a snack during gym and then maybe eats whatever we've made for the evening. She gets home 9:30!

 

[Seeker]

I love the idea of single serving meals!

I do this and freeze ahead for DD....she's a little girl, but has a huge appetite. I'm sure you can all relate.

 

[JessSyd]

Gymbeam thank you for sharing your lunchboxes! I will definitely use them for inspiration.

Sushi in the car on the way home is big here, as are bento boxes of freshly cooked edamame, carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes and shredded BBQ chicken. Again in the car. And every now and then when the day has been super busy and I am less organised, we do the drive of shame through a Maccas drive through. And don't the kids love those nights (sigh).

 

[LinnieC]

We have only done one year so far... and it was a 'winging it' survival mode mentality here! We hit fast food many nights (tried to pick the more healthy options- grilled nuggets from Chicfila, grilled chicken wraps from Wendys..), or I would bring something to warm up in the microwave at the gym and she would eat it on the way home. Her practices were 4-8 and I am sure they will be during the same time frame this upcoming season. I teach at the same school my daughter attends, so I will keep her 'snack bag' in my fridge and she will eat a protein/energy type snack before heading to practice straight from school. Trying to eat her snack and get her homework done in the car on the way to practice was sometimes challenging (especially with her chatty sister sitting next to her). Hoping to have a better, more organized routine this year but I am strongly doubtful... LOL

 

[OzZee]

Variation on the pizza dough rolls is using puff pastry. I don't cut them into pieces until after cooked though.

You can pretty much roll anything up in some dough or puff pastry and present it as a whole new meal the next day.

My kids eat dinner after activities. With a good snack after school. I cook during the day/when they are at gym etc and food all goes on plates ready to be microwaved whenever someone gets in for the evening. Usually at least 2 of us eat together. I sit with the kids for their meals.

 

[momto8in10]

We live aways from the gym, so I don't go home, usually. I have 7 other kids to feed, and my husband, bless him, doesn't really cook much. I make dinner before I leave, either crockpot or something casserole-y that he just has to toss in the oven. On Fridays we do breakfast for dinner, and he handles that meal.
Three gets off the bus and straight into the car for practice. She has a snack on the way, and I bring dinner with us for her to eat on the way home. Either leftovers that I can microwave (we have one at the gym) , or I have a mini crockpot that contains her dinner. If it can be something that we are having for dinner, great, otherwise, it is usually leftovers from the night before...when she also didn't eat with us.

 

[happychaos]

When my DD has late practices she has to fend for herself. She is welcome to heat up whatever everyone else ate for dinner, fix a sandwich, heat a lean cuisine, make a salad, or whatever. Thankfully she is a very healthy eater, and will chow through whatever fruit or vegetables are available. My other kiddos would need more direction

The driving to and from gym are a big sacrifice for our family. This may sound harsh, but I'm just not willing to spend another 20 minutes in the kitchen at 9:30 at night when I need to be tucking my other kids into bed. Especially when I have just spent nearly an hour in the car picking her up, not too terribly long after I spent an hour in the car dropping her off.

Before practice she also gets her own snack. I usually have available things like granola, greek yogurt, cheese, all-natural lunchmeat, protein cereal, PB&J, fruit, and hummus and pita. Sometimes she comes grocery shopping with me and will pick out other things she would like to eat. Although it was unintentional, I love how independent DD has become in the kitchen!

 

[seoulmama]

@Gym Beam where did you find those s & p shakers?! My dd would love them!

 

[3LittleGymmies]

We travel far to the gym and leave right after school, barely making it there in time for practice. They do not have a snack or dinner break at gym. My older gymnast eats a snack like a protein bar and fruit or a greek yogurt and crackers. Sometimes I pack her a sandwich or turkey slices and string cheese. She does not like to practice on a full stomach and she does homework on the way there. I pack her dinner for the way home. Her new gym does not have a microwave for parents to use and I have not found a thermos that actually stays hot that long, so I have had to be really creative. Pasta salad with meat/cheese chunks, chicken salad, egg salad, sandwiches, meat/cheese/crackers, bagel w/ cream cheese, greek yogurt with fruit and granola... then I just add a bunch of other stuff on the side like veggies/ranch/PB, fruit, cheese, pretzels, nuts, turkey slices, hard boiled eggs, pepperoni, etc. We now have another one on team, too... so it looks like I have my work cut out for me once school starts again. Waiting until they get home to eat isn't really an option.

 

[2G1B]

3 nights per week my kids have late practices. I pack dinner, variations of what I pack for school lunches and they have to eat in the car.