Simplify warm-weather cooking with this vetted list of easy summer meals. With easy options for each meal of the day meant to shorten the time you spend in the kitchen (and not turn on the oven as much as possible!), these are a great way to simplify in the summer.
Summer Meals
I am always in favor of simplifying cooking whenever possible and summer is a great time of the year to do it. This way, we can enjoy more time at at the lake, pool, beach, playground, or with friends—or just take some of the load off when we have to go to work and feed everyone on normal days.
This post includes easy toddler breakfasts, favorite kids lunches, weeknight family dinner ideas, healthy family meals, and more that feature some seasonal and summery ingredients for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and dessert. I hope it gives you some ideas to try with your kids!
(You may also like Camp Lunches, Summer Lunches, No-Cook Meals and Shortcut Toddler Meals.)
Table of Contents
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Summer Breakfasts
Below you’ll find some of my very favorite breakfast recipes to rely on in the summer. (We also love cereal and milk with fruit and bagels and cream cheese.) Many of these can be made ahead, which can be a great way to simplify the morning if needed.
Favorite Strawberry Overnight Oats
Make it easy to feed yourself and the kids a healthy breakfast, no matter how busy you are, with this simple make-ahead Strawberry Overnight Oats recipe.
Overnight Oats with Greek Yogurt and Mango
With a bright tropical flavor and a simple method, these Overnight Oats with Greek Yogurt are an easy make-ahead breakfast for the whole family. The Mango Overnight Oats take 5 minutes to stir together, and they store in the fridge for days!
Strawberry Smoothie with Yogurt
If your kids love those expensive bottles of drinkable yogurt at the grocery store or you’re looking for a super simple (and super yummy) smoothie recipe, you have to try this one as an easy summer meal. This Strawberry Smoothie recipe with yogurt has just 3 ingredients and can even be made ahead!
Favorite Strawberry Yogurt
Blend up this fresh Strawberry Yogurt for a quick summer meal for a baby snack, toddler breakfast, or even your own breakfast or snack. The method is easy, and stores well, too!
Air Fryer French Toast
A batch of Air Fryer French Toast is just the thing to make really quick work of breakfast or brunch—with the classic flavor and texture you expect, in a lot less time!
Easy Zucchini Slice
This is such a fun zucchini recipe since it slices into bars that are easy to hold and dip. That means it’s a great baby-led weaning breakfast, it is an easy toddler lunch or snack for any age, and it’s perfect to make ahead and stash in the fridge until everyone is hungry.
Healthy Breakfast Bars with Jam
With wholesome ingredients and not a lot of added sugar, you can quickly bake up Healthy Breakfast Bars to serve for breakfasts or snacks throughout the week. And they are SO good as a summer meal.
Banana Oatmeal Muffins
With just a handful of nutritious ingredients, you can bake up super easy Banana-Oatmeal Muffins to share with the kids. Bonus: These store so well in the fridge for days!
Summer Lunches
Make it a little easier to feed everyone the midday meal, whether you need to pack lunch or serve it at home, with these easy summer lunch ideas.
Easy Turkey Wrap Recipe
There was a day recently when my daughter wanted a turkey sandwich for lunch, but we were out of bread and had only tortillas. We made a simple wrap instead, and I was so happy (and admittedly surprised) to see how much she enjoyed it.
Quick Lemon Broccoli Pasta
I love this recipe because it takes just about 20 minutes, we only use one pot, and the flavor is so bright and fresh—perfect for a summer meal. It’s been a perfect vegetarian meal for my family—well, I sometimes make chicken nuggets to go with it—and I sometimes even make it for myself for lunch when the mood strikes.
Favorite Salmon Salad Sandwich
Offering healthy fats to kids is easy when you keep a can of wild salmon on hand to make a simple open-face Salmon Salad Sandwich. The process is easy and doesn’t require any fancy tools—and a yummy meal can be ready in about 5 minutes!
Easy Pinwheel Sandwiches
I love making all sorts of wraps for kids and using the name pinwheel might be just the fun thing to make this an appealing lunch for the kids. To be clear, this can also be a great adult meal, so you can make everyone’s lunch at the same time!
Easy Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
With a handful of simple, nutritious ingredients, you can mix up this fresh Mediterranean Quinoa Salad to have on hand for lunches or weeknight dinners for yourself—or to serve deconstructed for the kids. It even stores well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Easy Spinach Grilled Cheese
Spinach Grilled Cheese is a veggie-packed variation on the classic sandwich that’s just so delicious. (This favorite kids sandwich is equally appealing to adults too!) It’s also easy to make and packed with iron…which is a nice bonus.
Easiest Homemade Uncrustables
Learn how to make a batch of healthy, homemade Uncrustables to stash into the freezer for fast kids lunch ideas. I love this method so much because you can decide exactly what to put inside, they’re crazy fast, AND they freeze beautifully. (Plus, you can adjust for allergies as needed!)
Easy Hummus Wrap
Roll up just a few ingredients for satisfying (and really versatile) Vegetarian Hummus Wraps. This no-cook summer meal is an easy lunch for school or for work or home for you. And you can make it in less than 5 minutes!
Summer Snacks
Cool off and fuel up with these easy summery snack options to share with the kids. These work for babies on up through adults, so you can feed everyone at the same time!
Strawberry Popsicles
These homemade Strawberry Popsicles are a staple in our house. They are sweet, a tiny bit tangy, nutritious, and a cinch to make. They are versatile too, which means you can change the recipe up all year long according to what you have on hand!
Blueberry Popsicles
Pack fruits and veggies into your next batch of freezer pops with these super simple and delicious Blueberry Popsicles. That’s right—they even have a dose of spinach inside for extra nutrition for the kids!
Favorite Yogurt Drinks
Learn how to make homemade Yogurt Drinks to save money, customize them just for your kids, and have a nutritious breakfast or snack to share with the kids in under 5 minutes.
Easy Carrot Hummus
This easy Carrot Hummus recipe, which packs in a cup of fresh carrots, is an easy homemade toddler lunch or snack. It’s flavorful, easy to make, and pairs well with bread or crackers.
Blueberry Date Bars
Wow, this recipe for Date Bars is so good. It’s super moist and easy for little ones to chew, and it’s made with a handful of wholesome ingredients that taste seriously good, too. It’s ready in under 30 minutes and stores amazingly well.
Easy Watermelon Smoothie
Make hydration so very yummy with this super simple Watermelon Smoothie. With just two ingredients, you can blend up a smoothie for kids that’s packed with Vitamin C, protein, calcium, and pure deliciousness.
Easy Summer Dinners
Use up that fresh produce and make quick work of dinner with these easy meal ideas. They can be adjusted for babies and toddlers, and are great family meal options.
Easy Zucchini Burgers
Here’s a new take on burger night—add some veggies and cheese right into the mix for extra flavor, nutrition, and easy eating. These Zucchini Burgers are so darn good!
Easiest Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
With just two ingredients, you can cook up deliciously moist and tender Instant Pot BBQ Chicken to use over noodles, rice, or in sandwiches. So easy!
Quick Fish Stick Tacos
With a crazy-easy method and the most delicious crunchy texture, Fish Stick Tacos are an easy family dinner to share. They take less than 15 minutes and are so versatile.
Easy Ratatouille with Pasta
This easy Ratatouille Pasta is a fuss-free recipe you can make in about 30 minutes—or make ahead to freeze for later—that serves up a mix of vegetables with comforting Italian flavor. It’s so good for the whole family and so versatile.
Easy Cherry Tomato Pasta
With a no-cook, stir-together sauce, this easy Cherry Tomato Pasta is an easy family dinner. And OH so delicious and fresh. You can leave it chunky or blend it smooth—it’s so versatile for all preferences!
Favorite Summer Desserts
This collection of recipes includes some of my favorites to share for dessert when it’s warm outside. There are fresh, fruity, and easy options here that are all seriously yummy.
Mango Sorbet
Refreshing, simple, and ready in minutes, this Mango Sorbet is a seriously delish recipe to share with the kids. You don’t need an ice cream maker and yet, it’s perfectly creamy!
Fresh Strawberry Sheet Cake
This fresh Strawberry Cake is absolutely bursting with fresh berries. And the sheet cake is my go-to dessert for a potluck or picnic since you can make it up to one day ahead and serve it straight out of the fridge. Easy, fresh and delish for the win!
3-Ingredient Ice Box Cake
Quick, easy, and no baking required? Yes, please! This easy Ice Box Cake is a delicious dessert to share with the kids—and it’s so darn simple to make.
Chocolate-Covered Bananas
These Chocolate Covered Bananas are frozen into popsicles that are so easy to make and so seriously fun. And they’re covered with a super creamy chocolate pudding that has the best texture. You need about 10 minutes to prep these, then the freezer does the rest!
Vegan Chocolate Mousse
With just a few pantry staples, you can make the creamiest, most luxe vegan Chocolate Mousse to share with the kids … or to just enjoy yourself. This takes minutes to make and is downright dreamy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Easy summer meals are ones that come together quickly, don’t require a lot of time near a hot oven, and that help refresh and fuel us. Find my favorites throughout this post.
We love to have simple sandwiches, hummus and pita, pasta salad, and snack dinners.
Classic summer dishes include pasta salad, fresh vegetable salads, grilled foods like burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, and grilled vegetables, chicken salad, caprese salad and more.
Best Tips for Success
- Remember that summer meals do not need to be complicated. Simple is great in the summertime!
- Add simple sides like Fruit Sticks, Toddler Smoothies, fresh veggies (such as thinly sliced cucumber, bell peppers, or cut cherry tomatoes, or cheese and crackers to easy meals.
- Try my Cold Lunch ideas for easy options you can make at home or Vegetarian Burrito Bowls which just need to be assembled.
- My Best Pasta Salad and Orzo Pasta Salad can be made ahead as easy summer meal options. Add shrimp or seafood, steak, chicken breast, chickpeas, fresh herbs like fresh basil, fresh corn on the cob, avocado, mozzarella, or any other options you like to your pasta salad recipe.
- Try my range of Easy Pizza Ideas, summer salads, and favorite foods on the grill like hot dogs and burgers, too.
Related Recipes
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This post was first published June 2023.
