Basketball (or soccer) season has us on the road many weekends. Sometimes we eat out with the team, but if possible, we prefer to pack our food to take along.
Saturday was going to be a huge day – leave the house by 7:20 am, drive all the way to Iowa (about three hours), then either play or watch basketball games all day long before driving three hours back late at night. A look at the schedule told us that eating out wasn’t really a possibility, and while concessions were available, we really prefer our athletes to eat something more substantial. So on Thursday I asked the boys for input on meals to pack.
I’m sly so I decided to try and sneak salads onto the menu. I figured the boys would say things like, “Nah” or “That’s not going to fill me enough to play games.” But hey, it never hurts to ask, right?
Me: A couple times last year, Dad and I packed chef salads to eat at lunch. They were amazing. I could make some good chicken to put in… {braces self for teenage salad rejection}
Elias (14): Hmm. Sounds good.
Justus (15): Great idea. It’s good food but not too heavy so we won’t get a side ache when we play after we eat.
Wow. Well I didn’t see any of that coming. Salads it is.
I asked their input on breakfast and dinner options too since we’d need to pack all three meals for the road. We made a plan, I offered to make them special coffees, and we checked our homemade Gatorade supply. Friday rolled around nice and busy. I got started on the chicken for the salads (chicken breasts cooked in a skillet with a honey-mustard-barbecue concoction). I made some granola bites. But I was coming down with a sinus infection, so my energy started to wane very quickly.
Around 4 in the afternoon, I called out for all hands on deck. I can’t tell you how thankful I am for my family. There was a lot of work to be done. I started handing out orders and between the five of us, we knocked out everything we would need for Saturday plus our dinner Friday night (Homemade Pizza).
That picture doesn’t show our completed food stash as we were still in the process of making burritos and sandwiches and salads when I snapped it. Everyone built their own chef salad according to their preferences. Everyone made their own sandwiches for dinner after the games. Justus and Elias tag-teamed making a huge breakfast burrito for each of us. I made coffees and gatorade. Matt sliced peppers and helped with pizza prep.
Basically we were stepping all over each other because while we have a pretty big kitchen, five people (four of them with adult-sized bodies) all working at the same time filled every last bit of counter space and had us running into each other from time to time. When it was all said and done, I was so relieved and thankful. If I had to do that all myself?? Just, no.
Food we packed for the road:
- Breakfast Burritos
- Chef Salads
- Sandwiches
- Homemade Applesauce Cups
- Peach/Pear cups
- Carrots
- Sliced Sweet Peppers
- Apples
- Clementines
- Blueberry Muffins
- Granola Bites (I’m working on this recipe for you)
- A Jar of Homemade Ranch for the Salads
- A Jar of Pineapple Fluff for Mom
- Coffee Mocha (it pays to save bottles to reuse for fun drinks!)
- Homemade Gatorade
- Chips
- Peanuts and Cashews
Friday night, I started feeling pretty crummy, slept terribly that night, and decided I better stay home Saturday while Matt took the boys to play. SAD!!!! Missing their games is a big bummer for me. Sure, they play hundreds of games in their life. Sure, I’ll see plenty more. But shucks I hate missing. :( Malachi stayed home with me, we ate the food we’d made for ourselves the day before, and Matt was great to text me updates on the games throughout the day.
One of my friends sent me this with a “Miss You Today!” text. That’s Justus and his great friend Jacob all dressed up before the varsity games.
I rested, took a bath in salt and essential oils, watched netflix, played a couple games with Malachi, and went to bed early. I’m on the mend today!
Do you use store-bought bread for your on-the-road sandwiches? My family thinks it mandatory that we actually buy bread for this purpose. I prefer homemade, but I am in the minority on this one ;)
No travel food ideas from me—except the fantastic ones I’m learning from you!! Now our family won’t have to feel yukky while on the road and afterward. We all say thank you SO much.
Also glad to hear you’re feeling better!
I admire your diligence to prepare so much food on a busy day! It’s also great that everyone pitched in; that makes ALL the difference!
We regularly (as in about twice a year), do about a nine hour trip from our home in Massachusetts to Ontario, Canada (where my parents still live). Although we often allow for one small meal bought on the road, it is can be a “killer” financially, as the through-way prices are generally high. And I agree that you don’t feel well if you consume the junk food. We’re finding that although once in awhile it’s a nice treat, we don’t enjoy it as much as we used to because of how it makes us feel.
So often we pack a lunch, or even just a “snack-lunch”, since we don’t need as much to eat when we’re stuck sitting in a car all day. The snacks often include easy to eat finger food including crackers and cheese and carrot sticks. It often depends how long we’ll be gone (if I have more veggies or other foods that I can’t leave at home because they’ll spoil, for instance), and how much time we end up with to prepare the food (ever have those trips where no matter what you do, you just can’t quite get out of the house?).
Of course, we usually do allow for coffee stops (a near necessity on long trips!), and usually at least a treat along the way, such as ice-cream in warm weather, or perhaps even a donut or danish.
I had never thought about packing salad for a meal on the road, but I love that idea! Mitch and I are doing weight watchers right now (down 12 pounds in 2 weeks!). What I love the most about weight watchers is that fresh fruits and veggies are 0 points, so we are eating a lot more of them. I can notice a difference in how my body feels. This past weekend I splurged on more carbs and less produce and I have felt like I have a rock in my stomach. Fortunately today we restocked on fresh produce. Yea! :)