Toddler Dinners on the Go

Maybe this would have been more helpful BEFORE the holidays but that is what got me thinking. We had a lot of dinners on the go, in different people’s houses and just out. This was because of visiting family, leaving our house for selling and just general being about town.

When the holidays come around, the idea of meals at normal time are kinda gone. We have lunches at 1 or 2 and late dinners. With a little one that naps at 1 and a bedtime of 7:30ish, we can’t really wait. I have to get creative. I really like to have balanced meal. Protein, veggie, fruit and grain. I can keep some things on me. Whole grain crackers, dried fruit, applesauce pouches but then the others are what gets me. We end up picking something up while we are out. Along with this, I am wanting to stop getting fast food so much in the new year and keep healthy things in the wings. So I need to start coming up with healthier lunch options that are super fast. So when we are at the park until 12, I can shove lunch in him before 1pm nap. Currently, here are some of my fast options:

  • PB&J sandwiches – this kid is like his daddy and not a huge sandwich fan. PB & J works 85% of the time. No grilled cheese, no pimento cheese, no bologna and cheese without a lot of bribing. This is where the turkey rollups come into play.
  • Whole grain pasta – I try and make this a few times of week and have extras in the fridge.  He doesn’t mind hot or cold so I run with it. Today I had some leftover grilled chicken from dinner and threw it all together pretty fast.
  • Hot dogs – Yup not the most healthy but we only do fat free turkey.  Also PSA: always cut toddler’s hot dogs length ways to prevent choking.
  • Yogurt – This is usually a side but a great protein too.  We do greek vanilla.
  • Leftovers – If I am lucky, we have little bits of leftover from the week. A tiny serving of rice.  4 pieces of sweet and sour tempura chicken. A serving of broccoli. I pop these on a plate and heat for a few seconds and WHAM. Moral of the story here: Save EVERYTHING. Get a set of tupperware with small containers.  I have tiny servings all over our fridge…and it usually comes in handy.

So what do you do in a hurry for lunches, dinner at a weird time or just dinner on the go? Share!  I need more options!

So here was a holiday week in toddler dinners including traveling to my mom’s for Christmas:







Toddler Dinners is my weekly series of posts to explore the world of feeding munchkins. Each Monday I will post our previous week’s meals and a rating on how they went as well as discuss numerous issues we all face. Find out more here. Also be sure to follow me along throughout the week with your creations on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #toddlerdinners.

3 thoughts on “Toddler Dinners on the Go

  • June 6, 2012 at 6:32 pm
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    I have to admit I am pretty anal about the way Hailey eats. I don’t like to rely on there being healthy food most places that we go (this includes family visits!). One thing that is great is frozen peas & carrots (or whatever fruit or veggie you want). I pack it in a small container before we go, and it’s thawed by the time to eat it. I also usually pack a small almond butter and jelly sandwich for emergencies. Either she or I can eat it in a pinch. I am not a fan of packaged foods, so it’s hard to pack snacks, but those two items have been really helpful for me in the past.

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