Help me make a packed lunch & packed dinner!!!!!

[TodaysTheDayy]

DH & I are taking the DC (5 & 2) to legoland on Friday. We don't have much spare cash so we're hoping to just take a packed lunch however we've found out they're having a fireworks display at 7pm so we're going to stay for that.

Only issue is that kids will need lunch and dinner there. We did consider just paying to buy dinner there then i saw an article on sky news today saying the good there is "deep fried crap", which has completely put me off. What food could I take with me which will keep well in a cool bag and be substantial enough for us & the kids in place of an evening meal? Thanks.

Flask with soup or sag bol etc?

Are there lockers? If so it increases the options.

I agree that the food isn't great. I'd perhaps take soup in a flask for lunch with crusty bread, fruit for pudding.

Then for tea i'd have sausage rolls. Cold pasta and pesto. Savoury muffins. Chocolate cornflake/krispie cake.

I'd have plenty of snacks for eating in queues. So Id take crisps, frozen yoghurt tubes (it doesn't matter if they defrost slowly) and bags of Haribo.

You could get a refillable drink and share it as a family?

I've done flask with soup before, plus jackets in tin foil, then wrapped in tea towel. Usually still ok after 4/5 hours but you could put them inside one of those food storage pot things that is a bit like a flask. A fruit cake of some kind works well too. You could cook a pizza and take that.

That is a long day for 5 and 2 - is there an inside picnic area you can go to chill out, eat and have a rest?

After the fireworks they have 3 restaurants that are doing free meals for all children - didn't know if that would help?

It's one day - I'd go for deep fried crap!

If not, cold pizza travels well.

Free meals for all children? Really? That sounds great! Also the cold pizza idea is a good one and will go down well with the kids. I know... it really is a long day for them (which I'm a bit concerned about) but I've never done legoland before so no idea how long we'll need to be there for them to get a good go on the rides etc. Wouldn't normally leave so late but I've heard the fireworks are fantastic.

We went last Sunday - was a fireworks day too. There were 3 restaurants they advertised as free for kids after the fireworks. Prices weren't too bad around the park - hotdog £3 I remember. We took lunch & snacks - bought an ice cream each (was so hot!!) £15 for 5 of us. The kids had McDonald's in the car on the way home!!!

Half term, Lego Land, fireworks, Free Food. That sounds like a recipe for queues. I wouldn't rely on food that could take hours to obtain.

Lunch and snacks like cereal bars in a rucksack or leave straight after the fireworks and pick something up on the way home if the queues are too much or they run out.

I'd probably keep it fairly simple. Sandwiches or filled rolls with cherry tomatoes and a piece of fruit for lunch, and then something like cold quiche or pasta salad with veg sticks (cucumber/pepper/carrot) for dinner and homemade cake for dessert. Stuff that's easy to transport in foil or Tupperware tubs, easy to eat with picnic cutlery, and filling. Don't forget reusable water bottles, paper napkins or wipes, and maybe an extra cereal bar or bag or nuts and raisins and a banana for snacks. You won't want to be making an elaborate picnic on the morning, or fussing about whether things will transport well. I'd focus on the day out and keep the food basic but filling.