Feed your family well without spending so much time figuring out how to do it all with the help of my latest family meal plan. They’re kid-friendly, yet parent-approved, and are a way to get some much needed cooking inspiration this spring!
Family Meal Plan
This meal plan includes 7 kid-friendly dinners that adults will like too, starting with a fun Sunday dinner to celebrate the holiday. And scroll down to find a few easy and healthy ideas for breakfast and snack time!
TIP: you can grab a downloadable version of my templates here.
Meal Planning Rotation
I’m offering ideas for breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinners for each week to hopefully give you plenty of options. My monthly meal plans are built around the ideas of themes, which is meant to help reduce decision fatigue—since you start with narrower categories—and make it a little easier to feed your family.
Week 1
I for sure don’t make every meal or snack from scratch, but I try to offer ideas in case one sounds good to you to try this week. You can of course do all of these, but do what works best for your life.
TIP: Find my go-to store-bought snacks here.
Breakfast
I like to make a batch of muffins to have for a few days during the week—you can always stash them in the fridge or freezer for a future day.
Healthy Strawberry Muffins
I love the burst of flavor that the fresh lemon adds to this recipe, so it's worth adding that ingredient if you can. These can be served at room temperature or slightly warmed according to your preference.
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Easy Quinoa Pudding
This creamy Quinoa Pudding can be served warm like oatmeal or cold like rice pudding. Sweeten to taste, if desired, and top with fruit or stir in a fruit puree to serve.
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Banana Oatmeal Pancakes (with Extra Protein)
Very ripe (with brown spots) bananas will give these pancakes the best flavor. Dice them up or serve whole, according to how the kids prefer to eat them.
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Lunch
We usually rotate in cheese and cracker style snack lunches to keep the midday meal easy.
Easy Cheesy Rice (with Veggies!)
Choose one veggie to add from the flavor options below according to what you have on hand or what your family likes best.
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Easy Hummus Wrap (to Share with the Kids)
Quickly combine a few simple ingredients to make a really yummy lunch wrap. This recipe makes one wrap, so increase the serving size as necessary.
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Easy Spinach Grilled Cheese
You can also do this with full size spinach if that's what you're able to find. Just discard any stems before starting the recipe.
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Snack
Green Smoothie Freezer Pops
If you want to make more pops, simply double the recipe! If you have a toddler who’s super sensitive to textures, use mango instead of kiwi for extra creamy results.
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Soft Roasted Chickpeas with Cinnamon
If you start with dried beans in this salty-sweet snack, make sure to cook them until they are very tender. If making these for a kiddo under one, use maple syrup instead of honey or skip the sweetener all together.
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Best Baby Food Pouches (Easy and Homemade)
This easy baby food pouch is an easy staple to serve as a baby meal or snack and contains fruit, protein, calcium, fiber, and healthy fats. Find more flavor ideas in the Notes at the end of the recipe.
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Dinner
Add easy sides like warmed frozen veggies, salad kits, or cheese to round out these meals.
Easy Zucchini Burgers
Stretch your ground beef and add a veggie right into moist burger patties with this simple family dinner recipe.
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Easy Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Forget takeout—deliver this popular Indian dish to your table instead. Shredded chicken thighs are coated in a rich, buttery sauce with hints of tomatoes, ginger, and garam masala—a messy but very flavorful finger food. Adapted from The Multi-Cooker Baby Food Cookbook.
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Easy Vegetarian Burrito Bowls
Prep the rice, beans, and veggies ahead if you can or want to. They store well in the fridge and simply need to be reheated. The nutrition information in this recipe will vary based on the ingredients you choose to use.
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Easy Avocado Pasta
With a creamy, veggie-packed sauce, this easy Avocado Pasta is packed with kid-friendly flavor and nutrients. And the whole recipe can be made in about 10 minutes of cooking time.
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Easy Baked Tofu (to Share with the Kids)
Learn how to make the easiest, most delish Baked Tofu with basic pantry staples and a hands-off method. This is our favorite way to turn an affordable plant-based protein into a meal component to share. We like this over rice noodles, rice, or quinoa, but it's very versatile.
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Week 2
The breakfast options here are really great to make ahead and serve up throughout the week. Here’s to easier mornings!
Breakfast
Add a side of fruit to any of these ideas, along with a drink like milk or a smoothie.
Favorite Blueberry Banana Bread
This bread is incredibly moist from the bananas and berries, so it takes a little while to bake through. I add foil in Step 4 to prevent it from becoming too brown.
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Favorite Coconut Chia Pudding
I like to use canned full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and creamy texture, though you can use “light” coconut milk if that’s what you can find at your store.
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Vegan Banana Pancakes (Allergy-Friendly)
With naturally sweet flavor and a simple method, these pancakes are a favorite Sunday staple in our house. (I sometimes even hide a few bananas on the top of the fridge to ensure we have super ripe ones ready!)
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Lunch
Make extra quesadillas, stash them in the fridge in a container, and heat them up on future days.
Vegetarian Quesadillas with Beans and Cheese
You can make as few or as many of these easy quesadillas as you like.
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Easy Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese
I like to use a small shape to keep this dish as fast as possible.
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Tea Sandwiches for Kids
Learn how to make quick tea sandwiches for kids to have at a tea party or a special lunch or snack. There are 6 filling options here, plus tips for cutting bread, which breads to use, and which tea to pair with the finger sandwiches.
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Snack
Let the kids choose the color of shake they want so they have some control over their snack options.
Creamsicle Popsicles (3-Ingredients!)
Make these freezer pops for a sweet snack or dessert. They’re loaded with probiotics and Vitamin C and taste super fresh.
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Favorite Protein Shakes for Kids (with Veggies!)
Serve up a simple, yet nutritious protein smoothie with three flavor options to choose from.
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Favorite Sprinkle Cookies
These vanilla cookies have crisp edges, an easy method, and less than half the sugar as similar cookies.They are so delicious. You can use your hands or a food processor, and note that you'll form the cookies, then chill them in the fridge while the oven preheats.
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Dinner
Add rice, pasta, sliced bread, or other easy sides to any of these meals.
Crispy Baked Fish Sticks (to Share with the Kids!)
We like to have these with simple sides such as Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Broccoli, or Salad. They’re also great in tacos!
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Instant Pot Channa Masala with Rice
If you can’t find garam masala, you can leave it out, though it adds authentic flavor that you’d expect if you’ve eaten Chana Masala in a restaurant. This will likely make enough for two meals—I like to freeze the second half for a future week.
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Quick and Easy Shrimp Tacos
If using frozen shrimp, transfer it from the freezer to the fridge the night before or in the morning that you plan to make this.
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Easy Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese
I like to use a small shape to keep this dish as fast as possible.
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Easy Quinoa Patties (Favorite Quinoa Cakes)
These quick Quinoa Patties are a delicious way to serve quinoa to kids—and adults! Plan to make the quinoa ahead of time so these come together in minutes.
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Week 3
I love to incorporate smoothies into snacks or meals as an easy way to serve up a lot of nutrients in one fell swoop!
Breakfast
Favorite Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Serve these warm, at room temperature or cold. We like a little extra honey on top, but jam, almond butter, or butter would work too. (Adapted from my Raspberry Baked Donuts recipe.)
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Overnight Oats with Yogurt and Berries
This overnight oats recipe makes two toddler-size breakfast portions (or 1 mama-size serving). Double it to make additional servings.Â
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Quick Cottage Cheese Pancakes
These 4 ingredient pancakes are packed with nutrients and are so yummy. Double the ingredients to make a larger batch to feed a family of four as this recipe is on the smaller side.
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Lunch
Add diced fruit or applesauce to these lunches, whether serving them at home or packed for school.
Easy Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe
This is an easy family dinner or lunch. I like to use Spinach Pesto for this, but any will work if you prefer to buy it pre-made from the store.
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Easy Breakfast Burritos
These are called “breakfast” burritos since they have eggs, but you can serve them for any meal of the day!
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Creamy Hummus Without Tahini
You can use regular plain yogurt, though I like the consistency that Greek yogurt yields a bit better.
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Snack
You can make the strawberry smoothie ahead of time and stash it in the fridge to serve as drinkable yogurt.
Strawberry Smoothie with Yogurt
You can use fresh or frozen berries in this simple Strawberry Smoothie and the results will have a texture that is similar to drinkable yogurt. To make it thicker and to try different flavor options, see the Notes at the end of the recipe.
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Quick and Easy No-Bake Granola Bars
You can make these ahead and store in the fridge or freezer and have grab and go snacks on hand for days/weeks!
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Dinner
Start (or end) the week with a clean-out-the-fridge snack dinner to use up small amounts of foods you might have left to use.
Easy Snack Dinner (to Share with the Kids!)
You can do a big family-style platter or individual ones for the kids depending on your preference. Add anything else that sounds appealing and know that the nutrition info will vary according to what you use.
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Easiest Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
You can double this recipe and use 2 pounds of chicken if desired. Just do your best to spread it into an even layer in the instant pot. (Note: The nutrition facts will vary based on the bbq sauce that you use.)
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Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
Before you start, roll a tortilla and make sure it will fit with your baking dish. I call for small ones, but the size can vary a lot depending on whether you use flour or corn and the brand. This recipe was updated and streamlined in October 2020.
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Easy Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe
This is an easy family dinner or lunch. I like to use Spinach Pesto for this, but any will work if you prefer to buy it pre-made from the store.
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20-Minute Stir Fry Noodles with Veggies
Try this quick family dinner the next time you're craving healthy comfort food—and want to please the entire family! You can add a protein to this dish if you'd like. See the Notes for options.
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Week 4
I often rotate through the same types of lunches each week with slight variations. This helps me not have to keep coming up with new ideas and also use up what we have.
Breakfast
Easy Strawberry Banana Bread
Bursting with fruit and the moistness you expect from a classic loaf, this lower-sugar Strawberry Banana Bread is a seriously delicious breakfast or snack to share with the kids.
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Best Banana Yogurt
This recipe make enough for 2-4 servings of yogurt, depending on the appetite of your child. See the Notes at the bottom for storage tips if you have leftovers. You can also cut the recipe in half to make a smaller amount.
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Peach Banana Smoothie (with Cottage Cheese)
This simple smoothie is easy to make and is super creamy without many ingredients. You can even share it with your kiddo! Be sure to blend it very well to ensure the best creamy texture.
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Lunch
Add easy sides to these lunch ideas and a drink to ensure the kids have enough to eat.
Easy Beet Hummus
This brightly colored hummus is a delicious spread for crackers, toast, or sandwiches. Or it can be served as a dip. You can omit the tahini if needed for an allergy.
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Pizza Muffins (with Veggies!)
These work well to make ahead and warm up for an easy lunch or dinner. These taste best served warm.
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Spinach Egg Muffins
Egg muffins will stick to a muffin tin unless you grease it well with nonstick spray. So try not to skimp on that step!
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Snack
Serve these for morning or afternoon snack, depending on your schedule.
Sweet Potato Teething Biscuits (Easy Baby Rusks)
This recipe has just a few healthy ingredients and is perfect for teething babies to chew on. They’re also a great cracker for older kiddos! This recipe is adapted and excerpted from The Big Book of Plant-Based Baby Foods by Tamika L. Gardner.Â
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Favorite Carrot Smoothie for Kids
The key to this smoothie is blending it super smooth, so don’t be scared to let the blender run for 30-60 seconds!
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Healthy Banana Cookies (to Share with the Kids)
These are an easy whole grain cookie to share with the kids—they're a great baby cookie! Try them for snack, dessert, or as a breakfast cookie
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Favorite Zucchini Baby Food
Learn the easiest way to make flavorful Zucchini Baby Food—with options for baby-led weaning zucchini and also zucchini puree—with one simple method. Plus: Find storage and serving tips.
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Dinner
Take any dinnertime shortcuts you may need to make these meals come together a little faster.
Homemade Cauliflower Tots
With quinoa, cauliflower, and cheese, these healthy little tots are a great finger food for kids. This recipe makes about 20 tots, which is 4-6 servings for toddlers—or 1-2 servings for adults.
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Refried Bean Taco Roll Ups
This makes 6 rolled up tacos, so you can adjust this as needed for your family. Taste the refried beans before you make the roll ups and adjust the salt and/or cumin if needed. You can also serve the ingredients in separate bowls and let your family serve themselves.
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Easy Marinara Sauce with Extra Veggies
Serve this sauce with 1 pound of your family's favorite pasta for an easy and healthy dinner.
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One-Pot Pesto Chicken and Brown Rice
Add some warmed frozen peas, whole grain toast, or a side of fruit to add a few simple sides if desired. This recipe was updated in September 2019 to ensure the rice cooks through.
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Easy Chicken Noodle Soup for Kids
This easy recipe makes a big pot of comforting soup to feed the whole family—babies, toddlers, and big kids included. The leftovers store nicely so you can enjoy it for a few days!
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Quick and Easy Pesto Pizza
You can use any store bought crust for this recipe, or try my easy Whole Wheat Pizza Dough. I like making these as personal pizzas for the kids since they cook so fast, but you can also make one large pizza. See the Notes at the bottom for that info.
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Related Recipes
You can find all of my monthly meal plans here for more ideas throughout the year!
If the book available on paper/hardback?
I am working on that option. In the meantime, you can print it at home or print it at a local copy shop.
Hi,
The Instant Pot Chicken & Rice links to Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos. I couldn’t find the recipe on your site. Can you share please?
Thanks,
Lisa
Sorry for not being clear. It’s that same recipe, you just serve it with rice instead of with tortillas!