Sports Moms and Dads....this is for you! Spring is here and it's time for Little League, soccer, lacrosse, flag football and golf! I have two boys, 9 and 13, that both play travel baseball and Little League and my oldest is going to start umpiring this season. If you are like my family, you are running to practices and lessons and games almost as soon as the kids get home from school. Dinners are HARD! The memes are no joke, we either eat dinner at 4:30 or 10pm! If I have it together enough, I try to add something to crock pot in the morning so we are able to eat before we leave. (that's a big IF).
It is so easy to lose creativity and just grab something on the go or stop at one of the food trucks at the ballfield. Don't get me wrong, we have definitely had our share of those nights. However, it gets expensive and don't always provide the healthiest options. I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to meal prepping and easy, one step meals but can probably count on both hands the number of meals I have actually prepared from that list. Not everything transports well or is easy to eat either in the car or sitting in the stands. I have found a few that are favorites of my family and often make repeat appearances.
One of our favs for these kind of nights are taco bowls. They are easy to eat on the go and because most of the toppings don't need to be cooked, they are easy to assemble quickly and they taste good even if they get cold. Everyone adds their own toppings (think black beans, corn, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, tortilla chips). We have eaten them with ground chicken, ground beef, and shredded chicken that is all cooked in a crock pot beforehand. This is probably the easiest meal to make and is relatively healthy. Because it is so customizable, I don't typically get complaints. If you prep the meat in the crockpot ahead of time, this is quick to eat at home or pack in a thermos or Tupperware to eat in the car or in the stands. Big win!
My sons are also huge fans of taking stew in a Thermos to the field. I throw all the ingredients in a crockpot in the morning. Just before we leave, I cook up some egg noodles and add everything to the Thermos. My youngest things everything tastes better served out of a Thermos, so he will often request this meal. I feel like it's a better option for cold nights or fall nights, but the boys will eat it anytime. Plus, it has a bunch of veggies in it, so extra bonus there!
Check out the Macaroni Kids Dover-Milford-Smyrna Facebook page to share some of your ideas for quick weeknight meals!
