The holiday season is hectic enough without the added stress of planning meals! Here’s a meal plan for the week full of family-friendly, easy-to-prep dishes that’ll keep everyone fed and happy, giving you more time to focus on what really matters. Each day has a recipe that allows you to tweak the ingredients and involves easy prep—because the holidays should be full of joy, not kitchen stress!
Ingredients to purchase for a sample weekly meal plan:
- Meats: Ground meat of your choice, salmon, chicken, sausage
- Fruits + Veggies: Lemon, garlic, onion, bell peppers, walnuts, spinach, and other veggies to cook that your family loves! Add fruits of your choice, too.
- Other: Shredded cheese, flour tortillas, polenta roll, quinoa, tomato sauce, chipotle or cilantro dressing, drinks your family enjoys
A Week of Home-Cooked Meals for a Family of 5
- Day 1 Italian Enchiladas—A comforting classic favorite in my family. Simply cook the ground meat, season, and add your favorite veggies. My husband and I enjoy spinach and mushrooms in these, and my kids prefer their veggies on the side. Then roll it up, top it with tomato sauce and cheese, and cook in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes.
- Day 2 Sheet-pan Lemon Garlic Salmon and Veggies—Easy cleanup and packed with nutrients to fuel your busy day. I always fully wrap my salmon in foil with oil and seasoning, and it’s a 20-minute cook at 375 degrees. [Check out this video for inspiration!]
- Day 3 Holiday Stuffed Peppers—Bell peppers filled with seasoned ground turkey, veggies, cheese, and rice are always a hit in my house! [Check out the easy recipe here].
- Day 4 Chicken Parmesan with a Side Salad—A kid-approved, Italian-inspired dish that feels like a treat. My kids like the breaded chicken, and then we bake it with cheese and sauce for us. [This recipe on Sunbasket we love and has everything you need to add to a yummy spinach walnut side salad. Broccoli pairs nicely, too.]
- Day 5 Veggie-Packed Stir Fry—Whip up a quick stir fry with colorful veggies, your choice of protein or TOFU, and a simple soy-garlic sauce. Sometimes, I add easy rotisserie protein for my hubby, me, and chicken dinos to get some protein in my kiddos.
- Day 6 Grain Bowl Night—Lena’s Kitchen has some great inspiration, including incorporating a delicious chipotle sauce. We love the cilantro dressing from Trader Joe’s on ours!
- Day 7 Sausage & Polenta Night—We love this household recipe because it’s easy any night of the week. You cut the polenta roll and cook it to your liking on a skillet. In a saute pan, cook the sausage, sauce, and bell peppers for 10-15 minutes. Bon Appetit!
Creating a 7-Day Meal Plan That Works For You
Creating the right meal plan ultimately means factoring in things that everyone will like and are easy to make in a time crunch. My kids love anything, such as BBQ or fried and ready-made pizza nights, but the goal is constantly building health around what they’ll eat, ensuring the right veggie, grain, and fruit mixes are around that meal. For breakfasts, I’m big on egg bites, overnight oats, donut holes in the air-fryer (*where you control the sugar), yogurt, and muffins for the kids. Take the stress out of your week with this simple plan handy, and feel free to mix and match dishes to suit your schedule. For more inspiration on healthy meals for kids, listen to our episode with Dr. Kumi Nagamoto on How Food Influences Your Mood.