New soccer mom... Need help!

[YepBrook]

I am officially a soccer mom as of last week. I'm excited that Ben is interested in a sport, and more than happy to go out for his weekly practices (at 6:45 pm)... even though i have to drag my 4 year old along and keep her out of trouble while we watch. LOL. Anyways, I need help with dinner on the nights when he has practice. Eating out is not an option. We already eat out Wednesday nights when the kids go to Awana at 6:15 pm. It's not in the budget for twice a week.

I need ideas.... What do you do for dinner on game nights?

I was thinking maybe a crockpot meal? But i would have to serve dinner so early to have time to clean up dishes and get us out the door on time. Do you have any quick, easy dinners for busy nights? Or maybe someone who packs dinners (like snacks and sandwiches) and takes them to the field?

Thanks so much for any help.

[Darcy Baldwin]

When we were still in TKD, we did simple meals. If he doesn't have an issue with a real meal before practice, I'd eat a light meal before, leave the dishes, come home to clean them and snack them if they're still hungry. That's how we did it.

[k23m]

I was going to suggest crockpot, and just cleanup after!

One quick meal that we have been eating often lately is that fresh packaged pasta. I always have some in the freezer. Toss it straight into boiling water, then in a few minutes just pour in some sauce. Add some toast and cut veggies and done. Just one pot to cleanup too.

[Misty Cato]

Brook, I tote dinner to the soccer field once a week. I try to do a large meal the day before so there are leftovers. I heat the leftovers just before we leave and put them in hot/cold type cooler. My daughter will eat at the field and my son's is still warm enough once he is done to eat it on the way to our next thing. If I don't have leftovers, I do my own 'Hot Pocket' style sandwiches (Pillsbury crescent roll dough filled with meat and cheese) and fruit or veggie sticks.

[Jengerbread88]

We've done crock pot meals, freezer meals, leftovers... a big one we do is simple meals like hot dogs before a game or practice night. They're easy to just boil up and toss on a bun on the way out the door if need be. Chicken strips and pre-packaged foods are easy for us, too... (corn dogs, etc).

We've also done earlier meals or meals that can be ready at any given moment, like chili (we open 3 cans of beans, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of corn, drain them, add some water and chili seasoning, simmer until hot-- it can be ready within 20 minutes). Easy and quick-- great for nights where there is improv and soccer back to back, so he can eat before practice at 3:30, then everyone else can just turn the stove back on and heat it up for a normally timed dinner around 5. The rest can be re-heated again if he needs an after-practice meal.

[LeeAndra]

I am not a soccer mom, but if I were you, I would make that night a sandwich (and chips + fruit) night and feed him pre-game. I would bring a sandwich for your daughter to the game (mostly to keep her entertained and busy for a few minutes!), and then if your son is hungry, he can always have a second sandwich when he gets home.

[SeattleSheri]

Usually tacos or leftovers. We have practice twice a week (one for each kid), so we are pretty used to just putting something together (soccer, swimming, baseball, etc ...) ... it never ends! We just do a snack before practice and then dinner a little later than normal. It's not significantly different from other nights for us.

[Lyd]

I do crockpot a lot for nights like that. And, yeah, cleanup just has to wait until later on in the night.

[mariewilcox]

As a long-time sports mom I am best friends with my crock pot and also have learned to adjust meal times - we often eat as early as 5 and as late as 8 depending on the day. If she has an out-of-town game that gets us home after 8 then I pack a small cooler with homemade subs and snacks.

The crock pot gets used the most for nights when supper has to come after a game or practice. Since I work from home it's easy to make a quick meal on nights when she doesn't have to be anywhere until after 6 and clean up is later - sometimes not even until the next day (except for putting the leftovers away obviously).

[sczos911]

Crockpot meals or frozen pizza or sandwiches.
Now that daylight is less, we do a snack before and a later dinner. It ends up being a touch later of a night (homework, showers, reading) but we adapt.

[dana]

on our gymnastics days (5:30 - 7:30 and a 30 min drive) we do super early (4:30 PM) dinner before (i just throw dishes in sink and clean up afterwards - i have it ready to go before kids are even home from school, so all the prep dishes/pots/pans are cleaned up early, it's just plates) - and then they eat fruit and maybe cheese and crackers in the car on the way home as a snack. so really - i just switch up the dinner and snack time.

we get home at 8 pm on these 2 nights - which is their bed time - so eating once we get home is not an option.

[kim517]

I'm also a fan of crockpots and leftovers for nights when kids have activities (we're in the middle of soccer right now too). But also for some reason this soccer season one of my kids asked for "breakfast for dinner" and it's become our soccer game night tradition. Pancakes, eggs and fruit. They think I'm the GREATEST mom and it only takes me 15 minutes to pull together. We end up eating a snack after the game too, but breakfast for dinner has saved our soccer game nights

[Milmomma]

As a soccer mom we have practice twice a week(5:15-8pm), plus game day(Saturdays). This season our games have been at 8am so we have to leave the house by 7am.
I also have a dancer so we have dance class one night a week as well. We can't afford to eat out all the time either. So, I do quick meals those nights. Pasta like tortellini, or ravioli is a favorite. I've also done corn dogs/chicken nuggets, sandwiches, or even a bowl of cereal if I absolutely have to. Ballet is earlier so we do a snack before and dinner after. We usually have 1 hour from the time we get home from school till we have to leave for practice. He has to do his homework, change, and eat before hand. Its a mad dash we've become accustom to. My daughter has to go straight from school to dance or doesn't make it on time, so she changes in the car.

[jk703]

We do breakfast for dinner... (the Special K sandwiches are big hits for my boys) and lots of fruit.

We also do rolled up FF hot dogs or ham cooked in crescent rolls. This way both of these can travel in the car if need be.

Sandwiches or a packed dinner of cheese, crackers and lunch meat. We also do Roll Ups - a 1/2 of a cheese stick with lunch meat rolled up around it... applesauce, and fruit. Chips for after the practice or game... or a chocolately Cliff Bar for kids.

Cold pasta salad with turkey pepperoni is usually easy to make at the beginning of the week, and the boys like the cheese, turkey pepperoni... one loves the olives, one not so much, lol!

Frozen Pizza night... or Frozen Chicken sandwiches by Tyson.


Love the ideas ladies!

[dgreenshield]

Pulled pork in the crock pot, baked potatoes in the crock pot as well to go with them. We get 2 meals from the pork. I will also to chicken tacos and use the meat to make enchiladas for one night the following week.
Ravioli bake prepared on Sunday evening...cook ground beef with a can of tomato soup, can of diced tomatoes, chopped onion, garlic, basil and oregano to taste. boil ravioli and gently combine in a pan top with cheese.
french dip sandwiches are quick and easy as well as pizza bags with the dough and all the toppings ready to go when we get home from practice.

[YepBrook]

Oh, thank you thank you thank you!!! These are all such great ideas!

I don't know why but I was just so STUMPED. I think because I have mostly done away with convienience-type foods & quick meals, so I'm having to go back to that which is *mentally* difficult. My first instinct was to do leftovers, but practice is Monday nights and I never have leftovers in the fridge on Mondays (because we eat out or over at the grandparent's house on Sunday nights). I think I'm leaning towards sandwiches/fruit/chips before soccer. Especially since I can have it ready to go earlier in the day and DD can eat hers at the field during the game. It will keep her occupied... can't remember who suggested that but a little lightbulb went off in my head... it's perfect! It's just a matter of me doing a hot lunch on practice days so we're not having sandwiches for both meals. I'm also going to add a frozen pizza to my shopping list, so I can have one on hand just in case. The hot pocket style sandwiches are a great idea too! Maybe I could make a batch and have them wrapped separately in the freezer to just pull out and heat up on game nights.

Thanks so much for helping me!

[kim21673]

Last year when both boys played soccer AND baseball....and had practices back to back...we packed a lunch for them and they ate it while the other practiced. (Derek and I stayed home)

This fall, we had one in soccer and one in baseball...We usually just have a quick, easy meal...pizza, breakfast for dinner...