5 Portable Meals for the Overwhelmed Family

Hey Busy Mama –
you’re running around like a chicken with your head cut off getting all your kids to their dance lessons, tutor sessions, and game nights. So, I am doing a series of hacks/tips/tricks for YOU to get through this season of your life. I might have to change these up as my own 3 toddlers grow up, but for NOW – these are the ones that have worked for me.
We are going to start out with 5 Weeknight ON-THE-GO DINNERS! Portable Meals for you and your busy family!
These days, dinner is usually a drive-thru or concession stand. Am I right? Hey – I’m not here to judge because I am THE SAME! So, I’ve been doing my own research to try to find a solution to the continuous take-out, and I thought I would share it with you!

Cold Sandwiches or Wraps

This one was obvious, but I had to include it. My kids currently favor a good PB&J, but you could easily just do turkey or ham sandwiches instead. Super easy and can be done at the last minute pretty easily too!

Taco in a Bag

I love this idea! It’s a win all the way around my family (even my toddlers). The only thing that I would change in the recipe that you can click right below here is that I would pre-combine all the cold toppings that each of my kids prefers and put them in a sandwich bag with each of their names on them. That way, I could just dump it right on top of the chips and meat super quick and easy in the moment (and no mess either!). RECIPE HERE

Gluten-Free Crunchwrap Supreme

This one is a copycat recipe from a takeout favorite (at least in my family). And, it’s so so easy to make ahead and just wrap up in some foil. Then, when it’s time to eat it, it’s super easy to eat because it’s handheld. So, that’s why it made the list! RECIPE HERE

Chicken Taquitos

Another wrap-in-tin-foil-till-you’re-ready-to-eat-it creation, these Creamy Chicken Taquitos are already tried and tested by my family. They quickly became a favorite…right up there with spaghetti lol. Just a quick note, you can feel free to make these with just beans and cheese too (which is what I do for 1 of my children), or you can NOT bake them and just wrap them in foil and have burritos on the go! And, finally, you can flip the script and do quesadillas instead! All the same ingredients and all easy to eat on-the-go! This is so versatile and I love it. RECIPE HERE

Chicken Salad

Last but not least…I literally crave chicken salad. I just love the combo of the savory and sweet. But, in the context of this blog post, it is so versatile and portable, so it was actually my first idea. You can serve it with crackers, on a sandwich, or with nothing. AND, if this particular Chicken Salad recipe isn’t your jam, it’s super easy to google another one (but, I love this one, personally lol!) – RECIPE HERE

So, there you have it! My top 5 weeknight on-the-go dinners instead of stopping and grabbing some fast food on the way. So, whether I’m on the way to a game practice, or a gymnastics meet, or a session with a beautiful family, I can try to get back on budget and get my kiddos eating some real food again. And let’s face it, I can get sick of burgers and fries just as much as the next Mama.

Let me know what you think, what you try, and what your results are! I can’t wait to modify this list as time goes on based on what ya’ll say!

Oh and don’t forget to check out my next post in this Series of Tips & Tricks for Busy Mamas- Car Activities for Children!