Let’s face it. While sit down dinners are ideal, no one wants to be in the kitchen planning and preparing dinners on busy weeknights. If you’re a parent, by the end of the day, your mind is probably fixed on hurrying up and throwing the kids to bed so they can get enough rest for school the next day. Not on cooking and sitting down for a family dinner. And if you’re not a parent, you probably would much rather have a lazy dinner during your busy season to give yourself a break after a long day (without always resorting to buying fast food or takeout).

On-the-go meals are excellent lifesavers when you simply don’t have the time and energy to prepare a meal after a long day. That’s why today I’m sharing a round-up of healthy dinner on the go recipes that you would love to help make your life a lot easier.

14 Dinner On The Go Recipes

Before we dive into the recipe ideas, let’s first start by talking about what I mean by on the go meals or what makes a good grab and go meal. 

What Are Grab And Go Meals

On the go meals are convenient and simple meals that can be served while in transport. Think of meals that require no reheating or are okay to eat at room temperature. Examples of grab and go meals include sandwiches, wraps, salads, and more. These and all of the recipes I share with you below are also quick meals that can be made in under 30 minutes.

What Are Healthy Dinner On The Go Ideas To Try

Rotisserie Chicken Chopped Salad

When you’re looking for a quick meal, let rotisserie chicken be your best friend! A lot of my favorite recipes I’ll be sharing with you use this quick meal hack. Rotisserie chicken cuts your cooking time down by A LOT. Just spend your prep time mostly around the accompanying veggies and other ingredients for an easy meal for the road.

Ingredients

4 oz Rotisserie chicken – 200 calories

• ½ Bell pepper, orange, large – 25 calories
• ½ Bell pepper, red, medium – 19 calories
• ½ Cucumber, medium – 21 calories
• ¼ cup Cheese, crumbled, blue cheese – 119 calories
• ½ Avocado, small – 117 calories
• 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar – 14 calories
• ¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
• ¼ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories

Instructions

1. Chop vegetables, rotisserie chicken, and avocado into small pieces.
2. Mix together in a large bowl with blue cheese, balsamic vinegar, and salt & pepper.
3. No dairy? Use more avocado or chicken.

Rotisserie Chicken Dipping Plate

Ingredients

• 4 oz Rotisserie chicken – 200 calories
• 4 Tbsp Tzatziki sauce – 70 calories
• 1 cup Carrots, baby – 45 calories
• 1 Cucumber, medium – 42 calories

1 Serving of crackers, whole grain, 110 calories per serving – 110 calories

Instructions

1. Arrange all foods on a plate.
2. Dip veggies, crackers, and chicken in tzatziki.
3. No dairy? Use guac.

Tzatziki Chicken Salad Pita

Sandwiches and wraps are an excellent choice for on the go meals.

Ingredients

• 6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190calories
• 6 Tbsp Tzatziki sauce – 105 calories
• ½ Cucumber, medium – 21 calories
• 1 Bell pepper, yellow, large – 50 calories
• 2 Tbsp Pickled Onions – 16 calories
• ⅛ tsp Garlic salt – 0 calories
• ½ Pita bread – 100 calories

Instructions

1. To make chicken: Dice chicken. Spray a pan with an oil spray, cook chicken through on the stovetop. Top with more garlic salt when you’re done.
2. Dice veggies.
3. Add all ingredients besides pita to a bowl, mix together. Fill into pita. 
4. Note: you can use rotisserie chicken if easier. 
5. No dairy? Use hummus or guac.

Apple & Cheese Turkey Wraps Box

Another hack you can do for dinners that need to be grab and go is to prepare bento boxes! Packed dinners come in handy for long days. If you know in advance a certain day will be slammed, spend some prep time putting together an easy dinner in advance packaged in a grab go box.

Ingredients

• 4 oz Deli slices, turkey – 120 calories
• 1½ oz Cheese, sliced, cheddar, full fat/ regular – 165calories
• 1 Apple, small – 77 calories
• ⅛ cup Nuts – 100 calories
• 1 Bell pepper, green, medium – 27 calories

Instructions

1. Slice apple and cheese into strips.
2. Make turkey wraps as shown in the picture – use toothpicks if necessary. Have any extra apple slices on the side.
3. Slice bell pepper and have on the side with nuts.
4. No nuts? Use seeds. Roasted & salted nuts/ seeds are fine.
5. No cheese? Use peanut sauce in the wraps, or dip bell peppers in a vinaigrette.
6. Note: When choosing deli meat, look for organic and “no nitrates” if possible.

BLT Box

Ingredients

• 6 Uncured bacon, slice – 264 calories
• 3 Lettuce leaves for lettuce wraps – 6 calories
• 1 Tomato, medium – 22 calories
• ¼ cup Nuts – 200 calories
• ½ cup Blueberries, fresh – 35 calories
• ½ cup Strawberries, fresh – 25 calories

Instructions

1. Fry bacon on stove top by cooking on low heat & turning every few minutes. Alternatively, you can cook bacon in the microwave or in the oven (~20 minutes at 400 degrees) if you prefer.
2. Slice tomato and layer in lettuce wraps with bacon.
3. Serve nuts and berries on the side.
4. No bacon? Use turkey bacon or the vegetarian option.
5. No nuts? Feel free to use any other nut/seed you prefer (roasted & salted are fine!)

BLT Pasta Salad

Mason jars are another perfect dinner option for days when you’re on the move. Prep these the night before and grab them for the days when you need them most.

Ingredients

• 3 Uncured bacon, slice – 132 calories
• ½ cup Pasta, cooked – 100 calories
• 1 cup Tomatoes, grape – 32 calories
• 2 cups Leafy greens, arugula, raw – 10 calories
• ½ Avocado, small – 117 calories
• 1 Tbsp Red wine vinegar (Tbsp) – 3 calories
• ¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories

Instructions

1. Cook pasta as instructed on package.
2. Slice bacon into small pieces. Cook in a pan on stovetop ~8 minutes on lowest heat.
3. Add vinager and seasoning to mason jar.
4. Add arugula, pasta, tomatoes (sliced), avocado (cubed), and bacon.
5. Store in fridge and shake to distribute dressing before eating.
6. Alternatively: you can just add all ingredients in a bowl.
7. No bacon? Use turkey bacon or the vegetarian option. No gluten? Use a gluten free pasta.

Peanut Slaw Arugula Bowl with Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 cup Carrots, shredded or julienned – 45 calories
• 2 cups Leafy greens, arugula, raw – 10 calories
• 2 Tbsp Peanuts (Tbsp) – 102 calories
• 2 Tbsp Peanut sauce – 80 calories
• 4 oz Rotisserie chicken – 200 calories

Instructions

1. In a bowl mix together all ingredients 
2. Enjoy!
3. No nuts? Use a vinaigrette instead of the peanut sauce, and diced avocado instead of the peanuts. 

Chicken Thighs with Peppers & Onions

When you need a meal on the go, or looking for lazy sunday dinner ideas, aluminum foil dinners for the win! This easy to make dinner is great for busy weeknights or long days when you’ll want to eat in the car ride because there’s not much time to sit down at the table (think late sports activities).

Ingredients

• 6 oz Chicken thigh, boneless, skinless, raw – 190calories
• 1 Bell pepper, red, medium – 37 calories
• ½ Onion, yellow, large – 28 calories
• 2 Tbsp Pesto (Tbsp) – 120 calories
• ¼ tsp Basil, dried – 0 calories
• ¼ tsp Oregano – 0 calories
• ¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
• ¼ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories
• 4 slice Lemon, slice – 0 calories

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Slice pepper and onion.
3. In a bowl, add in chicken thigh and pepper & onion. Top with seasonings & mix with pesto.
4. Add mixture into piece of tin foil & fold tin foil around food.
5. Top with lemon slices.
6. Bake for 30 minutes.
7. No chicken? Use salmon.

Garlic Salmon and Broccoli

Here’s another quick and easy meal you can bake in aluminum foil for on the go.

Ingredients

• 4 oz Salmon fillet, raw – 200 calories
• 2 cups Broccoli – 48 calories
• 1 tsp Sesame seeds (tsp) – 13 calories
• ⅛ tsp Garlic salt – 0 calories
• 2 tsp Garlic, minced (tsp) – 0 calories
• 2 slice Lemon, slice – 0 calories

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil. 
3. In a bowl, mix raw broccoli with minced garlic.
4. Add salmon and broccoli to baking sheet. Top with garlic salt.
5. Bake salmon & broccoli for 20 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily. 
6. Squeeze lemon on top of broccoli & salmon once cooked.

Viral Chili Crunch Salad

Ingredients

• 4 oz Rotisserie chicken – 200 calories
• ¼ Bell pepper, orange, large – 13 calories
• ¼ Bell pepper, yellow, large – 13 calories
• ¼ Bell pepper, red, medium – 9 calories
• ½ Cucumber, medium – 21 calories
• ½ Avocado, small – 117 calories
• 2 tsp Olive oil (tsp) – 80 calories
• ⅛ tsp Onion powder – 0 calories
• ⅛ tsp Red pepper flakes – 0 calories
• ⅛ tsp Garlic salt – 0 calories
• ¼ tsp Paprika – 0 calories
• 1 tsp Everything bagel seasoning (tsp) – 15 calories

Instructions

1. Dice up veggies, chicken, and avocado.
2. Mix together in a large bowl.
3. Top with oil and seasonings, stir to combine.
4. Note: If you want to use Trader Joe’s (or similar) “chili crunch” sauce instead of the oil, garlic salt, onion, red pepper flakes, and paprika – you can! 1 Tbsp of the sauce is the same serving size as the 1 Tbsp oil (per serving) in this recipe.

Harvest Bowl with Lentils and Goat Cheese

For my friends who don’t eat meat (and even for those who do), this harvest bowl is another great option that’s sure to satisfy your taste buds when you’re looking for a dinner idea you can eat on the go.

Ingredients

• 1 Apple, medium – 95 calories
• ⅛ cup Almond slivers – 105 calories
• ¾ cup Lentils, cooked – 173 calories
• 3 cups Mixed greens – 30 calories
• 1 oz Cheese, goat – 103 calories
• 2 Tbsp Red wine vinegar (Tbsp) – 6 calories
• ¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
• ¼ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories

Instructions

1. Cook lentils according to package instructions, or buy pre-cooked.
2. Dice apple.
3. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, including red wine vinegar, salt & pepper.
4. No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese, or extra nuts. No slivered almonds? Use regular almonds. No nuts? Use seeds.

BBQ Shredded Chicken Nachos

Ingredients

• 6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190calories
• ¼ cup Guacamole – 105 calories
• 2 Tbsp Barbeque sauce, unsweetened – 15 calories
• 1 oz Tortilla chips – 123 calories
• ¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
• 1 Tbsp Basil, fresh – 0 calories

Instructions

1. To make shredded chicken: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in a small baking dish and cover with 1/2 inch of water; cover the dish with tin foil. Bake for 25 minutes. When done, remove from dish and shred with forks! Because this process can be a bit cumbersome, buying pre-shredded chicken, or just cooking chicken on stove top & cutting into small pieces is a-ok!
2. Mix in bbq sauce and dash of salt to the chicken.
3. Layer with guac onto tortilla chips.
4. Top with basil. If you don’t have fresh, use the dried seasoning or you can just go without!

Sweet & Spicy Sausage Sheet Pan

Make this one in aluminum foil, in individually wrapped serving sizes for the road. It also works as a great option for lazy monday night dinner ideas too.

Ingredients

• 1 Sausage, chicken – 140 calories
• 1½ cups Squash, butternut, chunks, fresh (uncooked) – 95 calories
• 1½ cups Brussels sprouts – 84 calories
• ½ Onion, red – 23 calories
• 1 Tbsp Olive oil (Tbsp) – 119 calories
• 1 Tbsp Mustard, regular (brown, deli, etc.) – 15calories
• 1 Tbsp Red wine vinegar (Tbsp) – 3 calories
• 2 tsp Honey – 40 calories
• ¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
• ¼ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil & spray it with an oil spray.
3. Chop the ends off the Brussels sprouts and halve each one. Chop up the squash, onion, and sausage into medium sized chunks. Add all ingredients to a large bowl.
4. In a small bowl, combine oil, mustard, red wine vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
5. Add liquid mixture to the large bowl with the sausage and vegetables.
6. Add large bowl’s contents to the baking sheet in a single layer.
7. Bake ~40 minutes, mixing contents at 20 mins.
8. Note: I personally like these brands of sausage – but choose whatever brand you have access to! Trader Joe’s; Fra’Mani; Teton; Open Nature; Aidells.

Chopped Mediterranean Salad

Ingredients

• 4 oz Rotisserie chicken – 200 calories
• ½ cup Beans & legumes, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cooked – 134 calories
• 1 Bell pepper, yellow, large – 50 calories
• ½ Cucumber, medium – 21 calories
• ⅛ Onion, red – 6 calories
• 2 tsp Olive oil (tsp) – 80 calories
• 2 Tbsp Parsley, fresh – 0 calories
• 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar – 14 calories
• ⅛ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories
• ⅛ tsp Salt – 0 calories
• ½ Lemon, Whole – 11 calories

Instructions 

1. Dice vegetables and chicken.
2. Mix together all ingredients.
3. Enjoy!
4. Note: instead of 1 yellow bell pepper, you could use smaller amounts of different colors of bell peppers if you want more of a rainbow. I stuck with yellow here to make your grocery shopping easier.