Hi all. You all are such experts that I have to put this question out here.

I am a teacher (not many days left ) But summer school will start also. I am usually not home until after 7 because I go and work out and then I have a seven year old that had ballet, gymnastics etc...(she has a recital coming up and we are ALL stressed , maybe I will post some pics) Are there any quick dinner meals that I can pack in the morning to take with me? I know that eating late can cause more weight gain and I am not trying to go down that road. Thanks in advance guys

It would be easy to say "make a sandwich" but trying to limit starches in the evening makes that hard...

I've gotten a lot of milage off the turkey meatloaf I made last week while Liz and the kids were out of town. Sure, it's got two slices worth of lite bread crumbs in it, but when you spread that out over a few days, the starch content is really minimal. It packs well and reheats quickly.. And frankly, it's pretty good cold too... plenty of finger veggies like carrot and celery sticks make things easier too..

I've been toying with the idea of doing OP "Hamburger Helper" meals as well.. How hard could it be to boil up some penne or rotini pasta, brown some turkey or lean beef and then add my own blend of spices to make a sauce along with low sodium diced tomatoes? I'd have to have a way to heat it up as eating that kind of meal cold kinda turns me off, but heck, it can't be that hard, right?

I'm the queen of doing "Hambuger Helper" type meals. They are actually very easy, and as long as you're aware of the size of portions that you are using, very easy to make OP. Basic formula is meat (ground chicken or beef), starch (rice or pasta) and vegies.

JD - when I am on the run, I find that the LA Slim Downs (or Slim Fast shakes) work great on an occasional basis, although I could not do them routinely as I do much better with actual food to eat as opposed to drinking my meals. For the meals that you are looking to take are you looking for things that can easily be eaten "on the run", or would you have time to sit down and eat them - do they have to be cold or can they be reheated?

What exchanges do you normally save for dinner? Are you literally eating in the car, or will you eat during recitals, etc..

I like peanut butter on celery if I need to get in a veg. I just put the 3tbsp of PB in a little cup with a lid, celery in a baggie, then you can eat it anywhere.

If you've saved your starch, wraps are easy enough.

Today I heated some chicken fingers in the microwave and then wrapped them up for lunch. They were cold by then, but I didn't mind...ate them with carrots and celery.

If you have access to a microwave, some of the frozen options will work, LC dinners, veggie burritos etc...

I do cold chicken and turkey almost daily when I'm working the long shifts that I know means hauling lunch with work to me. Joys of 5 am starts is that I can do my full day and be home by 1 which is when I eat lunch.

This week I'm on 10 hours shifts 3 days (and it's not even x-mas ) I grilled up 3 days worth of turkey burgers with dinner last night. I then slice the respective amout of turkey into chicken figer size pieces and munch on those with pepper slices for lunch. I make the burgers with the right seasoning I can eat them cold without a problem.

During x-mas season, I'm easily working 6 12 hour days a week. That's when breakfast, lunch, and dinner come to work with me. For those meals I try not to bring things that need to be heated up. (The employee lounge with the mircorwave is on the floor that I coordinate--I need to escape it for at least 20 minutes is possible ) Breakfast then is peanut butter on a grahm cracker or nuts with cereal. Lunch and Dinner is hardboiled eggs or turkey with veggies that can be munched. If I'm lucky and able to escape when there might be sunlight, it's a lean cuisine when I get home.

okay...sorry for the confusion. I do have time to sit down and eat the meal, I just don't get home until much later in the evening. For instance today I left for work at 6:45 AM left school at 4:00 PM to make weigh in at 4:30...did some grocery shopping then went to gym at 5:30-6:30, which puts me home at about 7. I could have eaten dinner at 5 right before gym (don't know if that is best). I just hate to come home before the gym because I will just stay here and not go!!!!!!!! So I am not actually eating "on the go", but just not at home. I can eat cold or hot dinners...as long as I get full!!!