How to Feed the Family on Nights Filled with Kids’ Sports | Family Economics

By Tiffany

Getting dinner for an on-the-go family during baseball, soccer or swim season can be a real challenge. It’s hard to cook when you’re not at home. Often, games and practices are planned during the prime dinner hour. What’s a parent to do? Here are a few ideas that might help.

If family members need to eat at different times, you’ll need a plan. The slow cooker can come in handy for that. Fix something that holds up well and can be dished out for just one or two people at a time. Taco filling made with either shredded chicken or beef makes a good dinner. Round it out with chips and salsa and fresh cut veggies. Sloppy Joes are another kid-friendly meal.

Another option is to bake a casserole and let family members re-heat individual servings in the microwave. You can steam vegetables ahead of time and re-heat when needed. If you have teens or older kids fixing dinner for themselves, be sure to leave a note with the menu for the evening and how to warm or serve it. For some kids, if you don’t make it easy and obvious, they may just go for a bowl of cereal instead.

During soccer season, I often pack dinner for our family. Pasta salad with grilled chicken (recipe below), is a favorite. It tastes so much better than fast food and it’s healthier too. If you have a soup thermos, you can bring servings of a casserole along. If you pack meals or snacks often, you will want to invest in a small cooler. Soft-sided coolers even come designed as backpacks, making them very convenient for families on the go. You’ll save much more than the cost of the cooler by not eating out.

Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken
For the salad:
Ingredients
• Bow tie pasta – 1 lb.
• Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, shredded – about 1 cup
• Broccoli – 1 bunch, chopped
• Red pepper – 1, chopped
• Grape or cherry tomatoes
• Grilled Chicken

Directions
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Chop the veggies. Add the chopped broccoli to the pasta water about 2 minutes before the pasta finishes cooking. This is enough time to make the broccoli a bit more tender, but still crisp. Drain the pasta and broccoli and run it under cool water to stop the cooking process. Put it in a big bowl with the other veggies.

For the dressing:
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup white or red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• Black pepper
• Fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, chives, tarragon etc. or use dried

Directions
Whisk all the ingredients together, or put them in a container with a tight fitting lid and give it a good shake. Stir the dressing into the salad. Top with cheese.