Eating out on the weekends

[Anonymous]

We find ourselves eating out for lunch and dinner every Saturday and Sunday (and dinner on Friday). I really want to cut down on this but one of the problems is that we are usually out and about all day on the weekends. Would love to hear what you eat on the activity packed weekends. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I hear you! I try to pack lunches but give in to eating a usually kind of early and definitely kid friendly dinner out. I also try to carry snacks and juices with us. I can't say that I have great ideas for food - sandwiches, carrots, fruit, cheese sticks, yogurt tubes, cereal bars, etc. Dinner out is usually pizza or Mexican. I feel like I'm doing the best I can - giving my family great days out and cutting my expenses as best as I can given our lifestyle. Whenever I remember that I didn't eat out much when I was a kid, I have to remind myself that we also never did much in terms of weekend activities and that makes me feel better.

[Anonymous]

OP here--thanks. I think I'm going to keep the weekend lunches out b/c we are constantly on the go but I'm going to make more of an effort to eat weekend dinners at home and just make it something light.

[Anonymous]

We're in the same boat. One thing we do that helps a little is to travel with pretty hefty snacks that allow us to push meals back a bit until we get home. We almost always take in the car some combination of crackers and cheese, grapes, blueberries, granola bars, milk, juice, etc.. It doesn't replace a meal but it let's us be a lot more flexible in terms of timing so we can wait until we get home for meals more often.

[Anonymous]

We usually do big breakfast, pack a lunch and snacks and go out to dinner. Dinner is usually early and nothing fancy - pizza, chinese take out, chipotle, etc. I definitely don't feel like cooking after spending the whole day out and about. I'd rather eat a homemade sandwich for lunch than cook dinner.

[Anonymous]

We pack sandwiches if we're going to be out for lunch. How about having friends over for dinner on the weekends so you can still socialize? Grilling and whatnot.