How to Meal Plan for a Family
Family meal planning is something that definitely takes some getting used to, especially if you have never done it before. We have found that it is easiest when we stick to a basic plan each week. It makes it easier to narrow down what you are going to make when you have specific “themes” for each night.
Adding Variety To Your Meal Plan
When meal planning, we will also try to mix it up with different meats. Chicken every night can get boring really fast. We try to switch it up with chicken, ground beef, steak, fish, pork, or even go meatless on some nights. We try to go at least 3 days without having the same meat twice.
Side Dishes
There are so many side dish possibilities when deciding your meal plan for the week. We have side dishes that can go along with just about every meal. If you are having a hard time choosing a side dish to do with your meal, we’ve got you covered. Click HERE for a list of ALL our side dish ideas!
Sample Weekly Meal Plan
Here’s a little sampling of how we like to plan our week…
Mondays are soup/salad.Tuesdays we love making delicious Mexican cuisine.Wednesdays are a taste of Italy.Thursdays are designed around yummy sandwiches, burgers, and wraps.Fridays are a no cook day! Going out with friends and loved ones is something that we think is important. It’s your night off from cooking- enjoy!Saturdays are an exotic food night. It’s a great night to try something new. From cooking with a new ingredient, to trying Hawaiian, Danish, Chinese, Indian or Thai dishes.Sundays are a traditional old fashioned all American family dinner– think meat and potatoes. 🙂
Weekly Meal Plan Suggestions
Here are some dinner meal plans for a typical week. For each day we will give six different main dish choices (see side dish ideas HERE). This is essentially six full weeks of meal plans if you decide to make every recipe!
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice SoupCafe Rio Sweet Pork SaladBroccoli Cheese SoupGrilled Shrimp Salad with Cilantro Verde DressingCrock Pot Vegetable Beef SoupBBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy BBQ Dressing
Easy Shrimp TacosMexican LasagnaFamily Style Cafe Rio BurritosLow-Calorie Veggie Quesadillas Steak Fajita BowlsShredded Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Spaghetti with Homemade Spaghetti Sauce (with Fresh Tomatoes)Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Bruschetta ToppingQuick and Easy CalzonesShrimp Alfredo PastaGrilled Pesto PizzasCreamy One Pot Tortellini with Sausage
Big Kahuna Chicken Teriyaki SandwichesShrimp Po Boys with Creamy Cajun SauceChicken Caesar WrapsBacon and Blue Cheese Burgers with Creamy Buffalo SauceGrown Up Margherita Grilled Cheese SandwichApple, Ham, and Cheddar Melts
* DATE NIGHT *
Crock Pot Cashew ChickenSlow Cooker Kalua Pork with CabbageFrikadeller (Danish Meatballs)Instant Pot GumboChicken Tikka MasalaIrish Beef Pasties
Instant Pot Pot RoastCrock Pot Pork ChopsChicken Fried Chicken with Homemade Country GravyCrock Pot Ham with Maple and Brown SugarTurkey with Turkey GravyBaked Cod in Cream Sauce
Bakery Chocolate Chip CookiesCheesecake with Raspberry SauceChocolate Pudding CakeFour Layer Banana PuddingBetter Than Box Mix BrowniesEasy Key Lime Pie
