The beginning of the school year doesn't just mean extra work for students. It also means extra work for many parents as they try to squeeze in dinner amid a busy job, school, homework, violin lessons and soccer practices.

Your first thought might be the drive-through window, but there are a wide range of options beyond the drive-through. Portable foods might still include burgers, sandwiches and burritos, but expanding your pick-up locations can lead to healthier dinners and more variety of cuisines.

Walnut Grove in Pine and Fox Chapel is one of many restaurants that offer an interesting array of sandwiches even at dinner, including an Asian salmon burger ($9) and a California wrap ($8) with turkey, avocado, roasted red peppers, tomato and goat cheese.

Mad Mex, which has locations in Cranberry, Monroeville, Robinson, Ross, Scott and Oakland, offers "Mad Pack" to-go orders that can be a great deal, especially if you're buying for a number of people. The Mad Pack for four includes a bag of tortilla chips and choice of salsa, 14 wings or Casa salad for four, and four "namesake" burritos or quesadillas of your choice ($40). A similar package for six is only $50.

Middle Eastern restaurants, such as the Mediterranean Grill in Squirrel Hill or Istanbul Grille in Oakland and Shadyside, also offer delicious sandwiches that are substantial enough for dinner.

If you're really rushed, a little preparation goes a long way.

Decide what you're having for dinner the night before and make sure to program the restaurant or store's phone number into you cell phone; if you're ordering food to-go, call 15 to 20 minutes in advance. Besides improving the quality of the food you eat, try to avoid eating in the car, especially when it's moving. If you're distracted while you're eating, it takes longer to feel full -- so you end up eating more -- and you won't enjoy your food as much.

Tipping on to-go dinners is a complicated subject, because how much you should tip depends on how much work the person does when he or she is preparing your order. However, if you expect that you'll be stopping for take-out frequently, a few dollars may help ensure that your food is always ready when you get there and that you always get extra napkins.

If you are headed home for dinner but don't have time to cook, you have even more options. Super Suppers and Creative Dinners have centers in the region where people can either assemble or pick up pre-assembled semi-homemade meals for themselves and their families. Super Suppers is located in Monroeville. Typical entrees include basil pork chops with Caesar penne pasta, chicken and broccoli pot pie or Italian sausage and bean casserole. An entree that serves three to four people costs $12, an average meals cost of $3-$4 per serving. The more you purchase, the less you wind up paying per serving.

Another option for prepared food is the Foodie's Food Club, in the Strip District, that prepares meals by hand with no preservatives, then ships them to customers around the country. Here in Pittsburgh, food can be picked up in the Strip District or in Pine. Meals are offered at a discounted price to members (a lifetime membership costs $15), and members can earn money from referrals.

While the menu is currently limited mostly to Italian and American options, such as baked ziti, Italian meatloaf and chicken marsala, the food club is adding two to three dishes every month and has plans to expand its range over the next year or two. Food can be ordered as a single serving (a three-pack costs $8), a family serving that feeds two to three people ($8), or a half-pan that feeds eight to 10 people ($24).

Creative Dinners has a location in McMurray where customers can assemble their food, but there are also locations for pick-up in Pine and Robinson, either every week or every other week. Here, food has been prepped, but it hasn't been cooked. Though cooking the food sometimes takes a little longer than just reheating it, it's also going to taste better than food that was cooked and then re-heated. Typical entrees include cashew pork, herb-crusted tilapia, lemon herb chicken and pork tenderloin. Dinners serve four to six. If you assemble them yourself, the cost is $20; if you pick up pre-assembled meals, the cost is $22. Sides and desserts are extra.

Your grocery store meat and seafood counters probably also have dishes that have been prepped, such as kebabs, stuffed pork loin, crab cakes, etc. Though these proteins always cost more per pound, you will probably have less waste than if you bought the ingredients separately, and it will certainly save you time.

Bistro to Go on the North Side also offers prepared meals, cooked from scratch on the premises. A recent daily menu included four entree choices, such as honey barbecue meatloaf and roasted vegetable lasagna; five side dishes, such as cabbage and noodles and Cajun greens with pork; as well as a daily soup and dessert. Appetizers are $4, main dishes start at $6.50, sides at $2.50. To save money, check its Web site for coupons.

There's no question that fast food is cheap, and these options probably range from being a little more expensive to a lot more expensive than cooking at home or stopping at a drive-through. It's also important to note that not all of the options at restaurants or food stores are more healthful than what you buy from a fast-food outlet. But, you have a wider range of options, more control over what you eat, and you're spending your money at a local business (and supporting the local economy) rather than at a national chain.