Does planning meals for your family stress you out? Not quite sure how to properly plan meals for the coming week? Today I am sharing my meal planning ideas for families with you in hopes that it offers some guidance and inspiration to plan your next meal.
This post has been updated from its original posting date of September 7th, 2020. It has brand new product references and links.
I asked a while ago what you struggle with most when it comes to meal planning, and boy, did I deliver! I took all your wants and needs and formed this post for you, so make notes and I really hope it’s beneficial!
P.s, half the time I don’t do any of this and my kids eat pizza rolls and stale juice. So, you are welcome. Fed is fed, right?
Meal Planning Ideas For Families
WHEN (heavy emphasis on when) I properly meal plan, it’s great! We are prepared for the week, with meals planned so there is no guesswork. That is why I love meal planning, and I hope it helps you as well.
What You’ll Need
- Notebook
- Pinterest and/or cookbooks
- Pen and/or highlighter
- Time
Set aside an hour or so to really give yourself time to focus and plan out good quality meals. I don’t tend to go for the recipes that have a million ingredients or the boujee ones made with lamb and tartar. We like a good sloppy joe, spaghetti, or grilled cheese recipe. Some weeks we like to plan all premade meals like lasagna and bag meals. That is a good time to clean out your pantry or fridge!
Look through your fridge and pantry to see what you can use up first. Often times I already have all the ingredients I need to make an awesome meal for my family. Once you’ve got a list of items you can use up, turn to Pinterest or your cookbooks. I have an entire food board full of meals, snacks, and more. Head on over for some good ideas. Most all the recipes have been tried by my family since I don’t pin recipes that we didn’t enjoy. I like to print out the recipes I’m going to make that week so I have them on hand.
Write down all the ingredients you will need for those meals and don’t forget sides and veggies!!
Either enter your items into your phone or stick that bad boy in your purse(or order your groceries and pick them up) and you are good to go!
I like to get all my groceries in the house and start prepping everything so it’s all good to go and there will be less prep when it comes time to actually make the meal. If you are into freezer meals, She’s In Her Apron has some incredible ideas on her youtube channel! Head on over and tell her I sent you!
Free Weekly Meal Planner Printable
I am so excited to share with you my favorite part of the meal planning process. I created this printable to be displayed on your fridge, for easy access! It is even better when you laminate it, so you can easily wipe it off and reuse it!
This printable has 7 empty slots for you to jot down what your family is having so you don’t have to answer every question! I also didn’t label the days because we change our minds so often, so this works perfectly. Hang it on your fridge and refer to it when you are getting ready to prep dinner. I hope you enjoy and tag me on Instagram when you use it!
Quick Family Meals on a Budget
I had quite a few people ask for time-saving recipes and I am here for them! I have shared a few of our family’s favorite quick and easy meals. Make sure to let me know which one is your favorite.
Picky Eater Recipes
If your kiddos are anything like mine, then they are pretty dang picky! I have found some really tasty recipes that my kids actually ate all of, that I know yours will love too.
Breakfast Ideas
This is definitely where I slack! We never really have anything on hand for breakfast besides bread, waffle mix, and cereal. So this section is definitely going to give me ideas as well, then we can slay the breakfast game together!
Easy Kid Lunch Ideas
Recently, I saw Kera over at Haute House Love premake her kid’s meals for the school week. Now, I know that we are home during the day with distance learning so I don’t need to make food to pack in her lunches, BUT it is just one less thing I need to do during the day! I take the afternoon on Sundays and make 6 lunches for the week, as well as frozen PB&J sandwiches! I also really enjoy packing our fridge full of good food the kids can grab for lunch and snacks, AND it preps me for when they do actually go back to school!!
- Mini Pizzas- Mini bagels, shredded cheese, pizza sauce, and toppings of your choice
- Salami & Cheese Shiskabobs with crackers
- Pepperoni Pizza Pasta
- Frozen Peanut Butter & Honey/Jelly Sandwiches- they freeze really well and thaw out like the store-bought ones
The fridge is stocked with lunches, veggies, ranch dip cups, and individual baggies of popcorn, trail mix, yogurt with granola, and hardboiled eggs! This way the kids can grab it throughout the day and I know we don’t run out of good options for them!
I really hope these meal planning ideas for families were helpful to you! Which one are you excited to try? Have you had any that I shared? Also, what does your meal planning process look like? Head on over to Pinterest and start pinning with me! I share so many things from meal ideas to decorating and home keeping. I’d love to have you join!
Pin to Your Favorite Pinterest Board
Hover over the image below to pin it, and come pin with me!
Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out Kelsey Farley! If you get a chance to try any of these meal planning ideas, I’d love to hear about it! Share your experience on Instagram with the hashtag #kelseyfarleyblog and tag me @kelsey.farley so I can follow along and share your photos on my page/stories. Make sure you subscribe before you leave so you can snag your FREE Weekly Meal Planner. I hope it inspires you to take control of making dinner for your family and make sure to tag me when you use it! I love you guys, and I’ll talk to you soon.
