This post is in partnership with Sandwich Bros. All thoughts and opinions are my own. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
Get Your Cleats On!
This is me. Yelling this about 3 nights a week. Spring sports have begun and we’ve got practice, baby. Both of my kids’ practices begin at 6pm, so you’re either serving dinner at 4:30 to give them time to digest and get the cleats on, or you’re feeding them after you get home around 8:30pm. Whether you go early or late, you better make it quick. What’s a soccer mom to do?
After about 4 years of this I think I’ve finally figured out how to manage dinner on practice nights. Here are my handy little tips so you don’t lose your mind up in here trying to juggle it all.
3 Tips for Managing Meals on Practice Nights
Plan for Leftovers
Menu planning is such a lifesaver during sports seasons. While other times of year it’s doable to wing it and run to the store at the last minute, ain’t nobody got time for that when you have to be on the field at 6pm. So plan ahead, and on the nights BEFORE practice night, make a meal you know is going to leave you with leftovers.
Do a slow cooker meal, a big batch of soup, chili, whatever you make that you know you’re going to have leftover, make that, and then heat it up quickly before or after practice.
Serve a Snacky Meal
This is just what we call it, ‘snacky meal,’ and the kids love it. I just put out a big ole cutting board and pile it with a variety of finger foods. You have to have some protein to give them some endurance, and then some other healthy options too.
Here’s what usually goes on my ‘snacky meal’ plate:
- Smoked salmon
- Sliced cheese
- Fruit of any kind (my kids like berries a lot!)
- Olives
- Baby carrots
You can literally have that on the table in 5 minutes flat and my kids devour it.
Sandwich Bros. For The Win!
This is my favorite for a quickie meal on the go. I just want to tell you, I partnered with Sandwich Bros. a couple of months ago to try their products and share them with you, and I’m literally addicted. I just bought 2 more boxes at the store this week. They fit the bill for so many quick meal or hearty snack needs, and they are perfect for practice nights.
Sandwich Bros. has varieties that are perfect for a quick meal: Angus Cheeseburgers, Chicken Melts (my favorite!), Gyro Sliders, and Italian Sausage Melts. (They have breakfast sandwiches too!) These delicious sandwiches are the perfect punch of protein to give your kids the energy they need to make it through practice. At only about 160 calories each, they won’t weigh kids down and make them feel sluggish, and they are literally ready in under one minute!
With their handy pocket sandwich design, they’re super easy to grab and go. Eat them in the car if you need to! And if you have an extra couple of minutes, stuff in a bit of lettuce and tomato and a side of veggies or fruit and you have the perfect pre-practice meal.
A little note if you’re resistant to going the frozen-food route (because I get it, there are plenty of not-so-healthy items in the freezer case): These sandwiches are made from REAL ingredients. The Chicken Melt is 100% white chicken breast, topped with real American cheese. They’re only 160 calories and pack in 11 grams of protein. This is food you can feel good about feeding your family AND it fits the bill for those nights when you have no time to cook a big sit down dinner.
It’s soccer night in my house for both kids, so this what you’ll find on my table tonight!
Learn More
Check out the Sandwich Bros. website to see all of the varieties they have available, which stores near you carry them, and get some great recipe and serving ideas. They have some great tips for eating well when you’re pressed for time, too. Also be sure to follow on social media. They offer lots of great contests and coupons: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.
Giveaway
The generous folks at Sandwich Bros. are sponsoring an AWESOME giveaway for my readers! One winner will receive this great prize to help calm the crazy on practice nights Here’s what’s included in the $110+ prize:
- 10 FREE Sandwich Bros. product coupons ($60)
- Sandwich Bros. lunch bag ($12)
- Sandwich Bros. hat ($12)
- Sandwich Bros. Tshirt ($10)
- Embrava Best Sports Water Bottle ($20)
This giveaway is open to US residents ages 18+ only and will end at 11:59pm ET on April 24, 2017. Good luck!
I think both my son and I would like the Chicken Melt sandwich.
I’d love to try the Italian Sausage Melts.
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I would like to try the Angus Cheeseburgers
Would like to try the chicken melt sandwich.
First I would try their Angus Cheese Burgers. They have a nice selection of items.
I would like to try all the whole wheat and whole grain varieties. I searched on their website and found they are in Indiana at my local kroger so great!
I would really like to try the Italian Sausage Melt. This would be a good one to dip in Marinara Sauce for a snack or dinner.
I want to try the Gyro Sliders. Perfect quick lunch for my family.
I’d like to try the Gyro Sliders.
I’d love to try the Italian Sausage Melts.
Thank you!
I would love to try the Italian sausage melts (already love the cheeseburger and chicken melt varieties)!
I want to try the Chicken Melts
I would love to try the chicken melt it looks so good!
I would like to try the Italian Sausage Melts.
I’d like to try the Chicken Melts.
Love to try the Italian Sausage Melts
We would really love to try the chicken melts. They look really good and like one that my daughter would really love. Especially after seeing your picture with the pickles added on…yummy.
I would like to try the Angus Cheeseburgers
I’d like to try the Gyro Sliders. They all look good though.
The pizza burgers would be a sure hit.
The angus cheeseburgers look good, so I would like to try those.
I would like to try the Italian Sausage Melts.
I would like to try the Chicken Melt.
We’d like the chicken melt!
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I want to try the Gyro Sliders.
I want to try the Italian Sausage Melt
I’d most like to try Sausage & Cheese.
I have not tried the Chicken melts yet but I would love to! I’d add a touch of spicy mustard.
I would love to try the gyro sliders!!
I’d love to try the Angus Cheeseburgers the most 🙂
The one i would love to try the most is Gyro sliders
I have tried these and like the breakfast sandwiches.
They all look delicious! I want to try the Sausage & Cheese first.
I would like to try the Gyro Sliders
I have tried some of them but the Italian sausage one is new to me.
I have never tried Sandwich Bros. products before, but I would like to try their Gyro Sliders
I would like to try the Gyro Sliders.
I would love to try the chicken melts. They look delicious.
I want to try the Angus cheeseburger. We like the sausage breakfast sandwiches.
I have tried them all and the chicken melts are my fave.
The Angus Cheeseburgers would be well enjoyed by all my family members.
I would most like to try the Gyro Slider.
I would love to try the chicken melts
I would like to try the Italian Sausage Melts.
I am most interested in the Chicken Melts.
They would make a good snack to take fishing with the boys !
I would like the chicken melts and I think my kids would also.
The Angus Cheeseburgers look good!
The chicken melt looks so good, thank you very much!
Chicken melt, all the way, Dipped in ranch!
The Italian Sausage Melt looks delicious!
Gyro Sliders are the ones that caught my taste buds first.
I would love to try the chicken melt sandwich the most.
I’d like to try the angus cheeseburgers.
I want to try the pizza burgers.
I would like to try Italian Sausage Melts.
I would love to try the gyro sliders. These look really good.
I would love to try the pizza burgers!
I’d try the angus cheeseburger
The Italian sausage melts would be a hit!!
Thank you for the giveaway.
I would like to try the Italian Sausage Melt.
I really want to try the Angus Cheeseburgers!
I would really want to try the chicken melt
The pizza burger sounds good
The Angus Cheeseburgers look delicious
I would like to try the Angus Cheeseburgers.
I would like to try the gyro sliders.
I would like to try the chicken melt.
I’d like to try the Gyro Sliders. Sounds interesting.
I’d like to try th chicken melt
I would most like to try the Angus Cheeseburgers.
The Italian sausage melts look like a nice quick breakfast sandwich. Add an egg too.
I would like to try the chicken melt.
I would like to try the Angus Cheeseburgers. Sounds great.
I would like to try the Gyro Sliders
I want to scarf the Italian Sausage Melts…drool
I would like to try the chicken melts.
I want to try the pizza burgers!!
We would love the Chicken Melt or the Angus Cheeseburger!
I would love to try the Gyro Sliders. These look really good
I would like to try the chicken melt sandwich.
I’d like to try the Angus Cheeseburger.
i would like to try the chicken melt sandwich, it sounds really good.
I want to try the Chicken Melts. They look so good.
I most want to try the Chicken Melts
The angus cheeseburger looks really tasty.
The pizza burgers!
I want to try the Chicken Melt!!
I would like to try making the 100% chicken melt for a family meal when we have late nights away at sport activities.
The chicken melt looks really good!
I would love to try the Chicken Melts Flatbread Pocket Sandwiches
Thank You for the chance!
WOULD LOVE TO TRY THE GYRO SLIDERS…..YUMMY!!!!
I would love to try tbe chicken melt or tbe gyros sandwich.
try the Angus Cheeseburgers
The chicken melts
I would like to try the Italian sausage melts.
The chicken melts look delicious. I’d like to try them.
The Italian Sausage Melts
I want to try out the angus cheeseburger first!
I haven’t tried the gyro yet, so that’s the one I’d most like to try.
I’d like to try the Gyro Sliders first. Thanks.
Gyro Sliders would be my choice.
I would love to try the Angus Cheeseburgers.
I would most like to try the Chicken Melt.
I would like to try the Gyro Sliders.
I would most like to try the Angus Cheeseburgers
I would love to try the italian-sausage-melts
Love to try the Angus cheese burger
I would love to try the angus cheeseburgers!!
I would like to try the Chicken Melts.
I like the Italian Sausage Melts
I like those delicious Italian Sausage Melts the most of all of the fine treats over at Sandwich Bros. of Wisconsin.
l would like to try the Pizza Burgers
I most want to try the Italian Sausage Melts.
I would try the chicken melts.
We would love to try the chicken melt first! We’re a softball family so almost every night of the week we are at the ball field til dark!
I would like to try the gyro slider