Work and Kids Sports

lilteddy78

Hello Everyone....

I have a delima and I'm not sure how to fix it so I could use some help. I work from 7-4 every day. I work in a town that's between 30min to an hour away depending on traffic. My daughter plays travel softball and has practice right now M,T, & Th. Monday we drive an hour away from home for pitching practice. That day I'm out of the house from 6:15an until close to 9pm. Tuesday it's 6:15am until 8:30ish and same for Thursday. I don't know how to plan for meals on those days for dinner. Food during the day is easy enough as I have my own refrigerator at work. But dinners, I don't know what to do. I don't want to always be eating out but eating at home just isn't feasible. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!!

LeslieB042812

Can't you pack food for dinner, too? You could keep it in the fridge and then put it in a cooler pack to take with you. Sandwiches, lunch meats, cheeses, fruit, salad......there are lots of portable foods that don't require cooking. Good luck!

thecoker

I understand completely! It IS really difficult to plan regular meals when you commute to work, let lone around busy ball schedules as well! How about making/creating wraps and having them already with you in your fridge to take and then the family could even eat them in the vehicle on the way? Just something light enough to give her energy for her practice/games, but not enough to 'weigh' her down or make her sick because she ate. Then I agree with the items mentioned above... if your fridge at work is big enough to hold some of this. Or if you have ice packs you could switch out. If I figure something else out, I will let you know as I don't like to cook on rushed days... and they all seem to be rushed days!

generallyme2

Try crockpot meals that will be ready when you come home from work and eat before you leave. To me that seems early to eat, but it's better than nothing.

Have a few 'meal plans' in mind if you need to do a fast food or restaurant meal one night a week. I know what I order at at leat 3-5 places just in case.

Agree with packing in advance if you can and you can even get those thermos' that keep your food warm if you wanted to do soup or something (I know it's hot right now but that'll change).

Another option is to just bring a small snack for you and your family and then have a 'real meal' at home later on. Really, 8-9pm isn't that late as long as you keep the meal light.

Packerjohn

generallyme2 wrote: »

Try crockpot meals that will be ready when you come home from work and eat before you leave. To me that seems early to eat, but it's better than nothing.

Have a few 'meal plans' in mind if you need to do a fast food or restaurant meal one night a week. I know what I order at at leat 3-5 places just in case.

Agree with packing in advance if you can and you can even get those thermos' that keep your food warm if you wanted to do soup or something (I know it's hot right now but that'll change).

Another option is to just bring a small snack for you and your family and then have a 'real meal' at home later on. Really, 8-9pm isn't that late as long as you keep the meal light.

Each to his own. But the OP has to be at work at 7 AM with an hour commute. Probably has to be up by 6 at least.

Think most people in that situation would want their evening meal earlier.

lilteddy78

I have a small little refrigerator that holds a couple salads for me for my lunches. So meals aren't so easy if they are bigger. I get up at 5 to get myself ready and kids ready then I leave the house by 6:15 to drop them off to daycare and don't return home until after 8 so crockpot meals don't work. My kids go to bed at 8 on nights when we don't have any sort of practice and 9 on days we do. I try to be in bed by 10 or 11 depending on what I do at night some nights even 9. It doesn't give me much time for anything. I know this means I will have to eat out but I don't like that option.

brendak76

I feel your pain. I don't have that exact schedule but one son trains 24 hours a week at gymnastics and the other son has just as crazy of a schedule going into high school. Half of my time is working the other half is carpooling/driving.

My advice: do batch cooking on the weekends. Big batches of rice, chicken, pasta, whatever you normally eat. Pack in individual portions. Do you have a microwave at work? Heat up a few things before you pick up your kids. Keep plastic silverware and napkins in the car and water bottles. We invested in some great thermoses where you can take out the insert and microwave it then put it in the stainless steel container. You can pack dinners in that then microwave on the way out the door.

Simple sandwiches are a good option too. Add fruit and raw veggies which you can pack over the weekend. No one said dinner has to be a hot meal

Good luck. Like I said I feel your pain!

rugbyphreak

Some restaurants have better menus than others. If you really don't have the time to cook and the space to keep food, that's going to be the best option. If you can make room in your fridge, store bought fruit salads, pasta salads, cheese, and sandwiches are a quick option for you and the kiddos. You could even do egg salad or chicken salad, keep the proteins in the fridge at work and then serve it on the go with crackers, cucumbers, carrots, celery, or rye crisps.

slaite1

I used to go to work and the straight to school all with long commutes. Leave at 6am home at 11pm 3x a week. I totally feel your pain.

I would always have a solid breakfast at home (or in the office) and bring lunch. I tried to bring a hot lunch as sandwiches and cold food ALL DAY can get really old. Lots of snacks (hand fruit and string cheese are your friend!)

I would usually pack a sandwich or a huge salad for nighttime-and extra snacks bc it was such a long day. Sometimes I stopped at McDonald's and got a burger and a parfait. Gave me that hot food I desired without killing my diet. I usually had another mini-meal when I got home. It also helped if I stopped for a hot coffee as my treat-and then happily ate my cold sandwich. Just try to have easy things that you like around-and if you need to eat out just be sensible.

Queenmunchy

Do you need meal ideas for yourself for dinner or for the entire family on the go?

callsitlikeiseeit

do crock pot or soup and sandwiches those nights.

that said, theres no reason you cant eat out several times a week (budget allowing, of course) and still lose weight. we eat out ALL the time and ive lost 60 pounds since january. you just have to make it work, and in my case - i work out nearly every day so I have more calories to play with.

angelexperiment

Just make agead dinners for those days. Take in a cooler or something. Plan no cook things like tuna salad etc or a smoothie you could make ahead. Eat snack foods like cheese or fruit or eat cottage cheese with something added in like salsa very filling.

lilteddy78

The meals need to be for everyone, if it was just me it would make things a little easier. I'm a single mom and that makes things a bit more difficult. A few years ago I lost 90lbs. Eating at McD was big in our household back then so I know I can eat things like that I just have to make the right choices. But with losing that weight I was working less hours and closer to home. I was also able to run 3 miles every other night which I can't do anymore.