Portable meals that aren't sandwiches/wraps. Any ideas?

[DoomPoodle]

An elderly relative is in hospital, and only allowed one visitor (me) Hospital is difficult to get to. DH takes DD1 to a hobby 2 evenings a week near the hospital so it makes sense I visit then. We leave at 5.30. Arrive about 6 then leave there just before 7 so I can visit my relative. DH drives back to pick up DD and they wait until 8, collect me and we get home around 8.45. We also have to take DS as he is too young to stay home alone, and we have no babysitters.
Me and DS have been eating a sandwich or wrap in the car while waiting for DD and then DD and DH have been eating while waiting for me.
We don't have time to eat before leaving (DH literally drives home from work picks us up and leaves again) and I'm not up for cooking at 9pm. DS is in bed by then anyway. We're normally at tea at 5.30 to 6pm family.
Can't keep doing sandwiches as DS has them every day for packed lunch (very picky eater, refuses all veg/salad) and DH has salad for his packed lunch every day.

I'm out of ideas for food that is portable and can be eaten in 2 sittings as it were. Any ideas please?

I would get some mini bamboo skewers (most supermarkets sell them in the barbecue range) and let DC pick what they'd like to put on them. Cooked chicken chunks, prawns, cubes of cheese, halves of small cooked/roast potatoes, peppers, grilled courgettes, pineapple etc. all work well.

You can ring the changes with different ingredients each day and having a choice can encourage picky eaters to try things. You don't strictly need the skewers (could just use a tupperware box) but it makes it more fun and less messy to eat!

I suggest voting a food flask then heating up ‘dinner’ food like chicken curry and rice/ pasta with a sauce / stir fry with noodles

Pop it all in the flask, close lid. Eat in car.

DD has done this all year as she is in school from 8-6 3 days and they have no hot school dinners!!

What about pasta salad, chicken peas mayo, or tuna sweetcorn. Or rice bowl with lots of veg. Chilli and rice in an insulated food bag. Roast chicken with potato salad and veg. Hummous with veg sticks. Cheese and crackers. Assorted bits, like cubed cheese, ham , grapes, carrot, peppers, cucumber. Quiesadillas. Porridge.

Food flasks are great for this sort of problem - just about anything apart from stir fry and meat and two veg type meals work in them. Pasta dishes, curry/chilli and rice, risotto, stir fried rice, casserole, stew, chunky soup, even a jacket potato stays lovely and hot and then you tip it out into a plastic box to eat with a cold filling.

Sausage rolls.

Food flask suggestion above. Could do pasta bolonese, chilli, curry, stew, etc.

Chopped up bits like carrot/cucumber/pepper sticks, olives, pitta bread, houmous, cheese, chopped chicken.

I'll have to look into the flasks. They might be a good idea.
It looks like this might be a long term arrangement.

Cornish pasties
Quiche

Insulated lunchboxes
Can be warmed up on a mains plug or in the car ( takes a while) but I travel for work and it has been great for me.

That and a good thermos

We take hot dogs to the beach with us in a thermos

Sausages inside flask and a pack of rolls.

Wide-mouth food flask, not the standard.

Fill with boiling water for a few seconds before filling with food as it helps to keep food hotter for longer.

Cold:
Sushi
Quiche
Savoury muffins
Frittata

Warm - assuming you can keep stuff warm in a pot:
Tortellinis/filled pasta that is kept warm and then a tomato sauce that it can be dipped in
Pizza slices
Chicken goujons
Flask of boiling water for readymade pasta/pot noodle

@Carrotcakeforbreakfast

Insulated lunchboxes Can be warmed up on a mains plug or in the car ( takes a while) but I travel for work and it has been great for me.

That and a good thermos

What????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why have I never heard of this?!

My bad.
They're called electric lunchboxes.
But yeah you can plug them in.

They can take a while. So I remember to plug it in an hour or so before lunch.
I have no access to microwaves etc

About £20 on Amazon.

Could the kids not eat their main meal just before you leave then just have some toast or crumpets etc when you get in or a snack in the car if needs be. Then you/DH have a snack on the road and main meal when you get home?
You could use a slow cooker so it's ready for everyone to help themselves when they return an no late night cooking.